When Plymouth County sheriff Joseph McDonald Jr. looks to raise money for his campaign fund, he often does not have to look far.
Over the past five years, McDonald has raised about $123,000 in contributions from his 525 employees, almost $50,000 over the past two years alone.
Comments
Isn't this just business as usual on Beacon Hill?
Employees donating to their boss' campaigns is certainly suspicious and smacks of coercion and favoritism. Same thing if the family members donate. Maybe they like the boss, but maybe they like their jobs better.
I don't know how it could be avoided altogether, but I'd favor a cap pn the amount, and a public disclosure of ALL donation amounts and donors, and action against those - candidates and employees - who violate the rules.
This is where the sunshine groups are invaluable.
Bull S***, and Business as Usual for Both Parties in our stunningly corrupt "Government".
WHAT A BUNCH OF LIARS!!! It's called coercion, inbred corruption and VERY hostile work environment!!!
Wouldn't it be surprising if we found out that one of the conditions for getting employed in the first place was a wilingness to stand in the rain with a campaighn sign with your bosses name on it on election night? How elese to you get a reasonably high paying job with no heavy lifting and a generous pension at age 55?
Public unions buying their benefits to screw the taxpayers while they get their tax free pensions and free health care for life.
They pay federal tax on the pensions. They already paid the state tax up front on it so, no, it's not tax free. They also pay more for the health care than they did when employed and when eligible they must go on medicare.
NOw, here is an no-brainer investigative issue for Attorney General Coakley. Plymouth County sheriff Joseph McDonald Jr. raising money from his staff! But it is called Democrat fund-raising, in exchange for finding a state job for a son, daughter, spouse, neighbor . . . the list goes on. Tit for Tat.
Democrats taking care of Democrats. It's what Massachusetts politics is all about.
No surprise here folks, just business as usual! The system is corrupt and the people running it can't even see what is wrong especially Beacon Hill.
Government employees and relatives should not be allowed to donate to a politician nor work in a campaign. Clear conflict of interest. I hear from those that have government jobs including school jobs that you have to donate to and work for your boss or you won't get promoted. Clearly this is contrary to good government. Worcester Sheriff did the right thing.
Dare I say that Mr. McDonald appears to be well fed at public expense? No, I won't say that because I sometimes drive on Route 3 to the Cape.
"Democrats taking care of Democrats!" "Democrat-fund raising"
Just a sampling of the usual tripe you'd expect to see in the comments for this article.
Oh, but there's one snag here –– at the very top of Sheriff Joe McDonald's website (if you bothered to do any research before you knee-jerked into partisan griping) is a plea to help him gather signatures for US Attorney Michael Sullivan, who is a ... drumroll... Republican.
So maybe, just maybe, it's the case that the world exists in shades of grey and not black and white. Maybe we can agree that no matter someone's political affiliation they are all capable of abusing power. Or maybe you can just go back to listening to WRKO and your Jay Severin recordings.
Speaking of tripe! Of course all pols - all people, for that matter - are capable of abusing power. But the people who abuse power in Massachusetts are almost always Democrats - because they have all the power. I hope this clears things up for you.