(I wrote this for Pith, but they’re working on something bigger about the same thing, so I brought the poor orphan home.)
Okay, clearly the Dean Administration has no shame. It turns out Jim Fyke’s $60,000-a-year part time job was just the tip of the iceberg.
According to multiple sources, Tam Gordon, Bredesen’s former special assistant for projects, has joined the Dean administration. […] An aide to Dean confirmed Gordon’s appointment, adding that she would be working on special projects including a poverty initiative.
A “poverty initiative”?! It’s practically a euphemism for Dean’s “Jobs for Bredesen’s Folks” plan.
Forget why Dean would do this. Clearly, he has his reasons and eventually the city will pay a PR team to tell them to Gail Kerr, who will tell them to us.
What I want to know is who would take these jobs?! Even if you’re a great candidate, even if you think the city needs really talented people, what kind of person would not see red-flags from this? If the city needs someone to helm, say, a “poverty initiative,” why not advertise for the job and see who’s interested? Maybe the best candidate is Tam Gordon, in which case, great! But maybe there’s someone else who’d be better. We’ll never know because these jobs weren’t posted. They’re not even defined. People became available and jobs were made up for them. And those folks are taking them.
That boggles my mind.
Who would say to themselves “Well, I know the city, like the state, is in a financial bind. Shoot, the Mayor has asked city departments to come up with yet another 3% worth of cuts. And now the mayor wants me to come on part-time making a nice salary, better than what many full-time city employees who had to compete for their jobs make, and I don’t find that unseemly at all. I am, indeed, more valuable doing part-time stuff for the city than a full-time firefighter is.”?
Mike Byrd has a list of people (and an excellent point about Dean’s former austerity measures that seem to not apply any more now).
But here’s my main question. Who among us could not use a $60,000 a year part-time job doing whatever? If the Mayor is just handing them out like candy at a parade, we have to figure out how to get in on this.
I feel like I’m well-qualified to do whatever. This morning, while eating breakfast, I kind of putzed around. On weekends, I’m regularly kind of going with the flow and seeing what comes up. After work, especially after dinner, I find things to do. I know I could easily find 19.5 hours a week to convert from unpayed undefined activities to payed undefined activities.
It’s true that I haven’t always been Bredesen’s biggest fan, but the Mayor could bring me on as a show of his willingness to hire all kinds of Democrats for made-up jobs.
Where do I send my resume?
Tiny Cat Pants 
Well, can you help him get elected to some higher office? Because that’s the only special project I can think of that he might have going right now.
I dunno about the repubs but this is SOP for political jobs with Democrats, I mean when was the last time you ever saw an open call for such a job. It’s bullshit but it’s not new.
Shouldn’t it be called an “anti-poverty initiative”? Or are they just honestly admitting that this initiative will create more poverty because they’re spending the budget re-employing people who’ve retired and collect a pension.
There should be rules against double dipping. Or stricter rules for retirement or something. Although, I guess then people just form dummy corps with only themselves as employees and charge fees as consultants instead. Ugh.
I’ve known Tam for years and she is very qualified. The city is lucky to have her. Of course, Republicans don’t care about the poor, so to you the post is a waste of money. But she will make a difference in people’s lives for the good. Good for the mayor for hiring her. Shame on you for protesting.
So, let me get this straight. The mayor appoints a person to an unadvertised position created just for that person, with ill-defined duties and an enormous salary in a shitty economy, after hundreds of other city employees have been laid-off.
And you assume anyone who finds that bizarre and unseemly must be a Republican?
Nice.
It’s not strange that Gordon is well-qualified for a job made up especially to suit her. It’d be more embarrassing if she wasn’t.