Patronage trumps public services

By George N. Spitz
The Daily News
Monday May 10, 1999

MURRY KARLIN

THE HOUSE approved an extra $13 billion for the Defense Department last week amid complaints from the Air Force that it faces serious trouble in carrying out its Kosovo mission because reduced budgets have eroded morale, training and equipment -- especially supplies of bombs and missiles.
  Meanwhile, the Navy grumbles that budget cuts have trimmed manpower to a point where the readiness grade for ships in U.S. ports is slightly more than 50%.
  It certainly sounds as if the Pentagon has been slashed to the bone since the Cold War ended. But if that's true, why is it that the Defense Department was able to find employment for Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp?
  Remember? That's how they became such good "friends" when they worked together in the Pentagon.
  But what significant service, if any, were Lewinsky and Tripp capable of performing on behalf of national defense? If the answer is, as I suspect, none, how did they get those jobs?
  I think I know the answer, based on my 20 years of employment with New York State, first as a beneficiary of political patronage, in the Legislature, later as a Civil Service auditor.
  During my years in government, I observed many Monica Lewinskys and Linda Tripps. No, they didn't receive their jobs to provide sex. In fact they were just as likely named Morty or Larry or even George.
  Jobs of negligible value are created for people with connections to campaign contributors, political party committees and elected officials.
  Lewinsky, for example, got her start in federal government because of contributions from her father and a wealthy friend.
  That and various kinds of political service such as licking envelopes at a campaign headquarters, are now more likely routes to government employment than merit or filling a realistic public need.
  When I was auditing certain city agencies during the mid to late 1980s, I observed this mushrooming political patronage. Moreover, as a part- time political columnist for a Manhattan weekly, I watched the budgets of local patronage-laden community boards grow 3000% during the '70s and '80s.
  In 1996, I complained in vain about the local school board's move into luxurious offices costing $155,000 a year. I also protested the $1.6 million alterations to that suite, space not for educating children but for housing 55 patronage employees.
  Among them was the husband of a high-ranking elected official who was given the job of director of external affairs at $79,000 a year.
  The cost of all this patronage to city residents has been -- despite prosperous times -- a steady decline in public services. Music, art and athletic programs have been reduced drastically in the school system, and classroom size has increased.
  Branch libraries that.were open to Depression-era readers until 9 p.m. now close at 5 or 6 p.m. Garbage collection is far less frequent than during the Depression and subway and bus service is worse than 50 years ago.
  It hasn't been that way in the private sector. In fact, New Yorkers are blessed with steadily improving services and products from the city's stores and restaurants.
  No. in light of the rapid advances in technology and the growing economy there is absolutely no excuse for this across-the-board inferiority in New York's public services.
  The picture is the same nationally. Throughout the United States, highways and bridges suffer steady deterioration. As European countries consistently improve their urban and intercity rail service, transit in the U.S. becomes increasingly disgraceful.
  In my opinion. Monicagate was less about sex than it was about the burgeoning nomenklatura infesting every level of government.
  Tens of thousands of patronage employees occupy space in federal, state and city agencies, paid lush salaries for doing "work" of virtually no value to the taxpaying public.
  Monica Lewinskyand Linda Tripp only serve to prove that our political system is willing to expand this patronage army at the expense of national defense.

Spitz is a member of the board of the Civil Service Merit Council.

The Progressive, Pro-Peace choice in the New York City Democratic Primary for City Council 5th District on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.