April 20th – that’s today. It’s that transition time of year when winter
still asserts itself as it goes down for the count and spring
struggles, like a newborn kitten, to get its legs and start to run.

In the Hindu religion, we might note, April 20th is considered a
most favorable day to get married – all evil spirits being banished to
the outskirts of the universe. So, while the Bureaucrat Beat staff does
not endorse marriage, hey, if you’re into it, today could be a
fortuitous moment.

Those of us in the darkened corners of the Bureaucrat Beat newsroom are
merely curmudgeons, not the evil spirits in need of banishment. In that
role, we will say that Congressman John Doolittle, who at one time
represented Mono County, will likely remember April 20th for other,
unsavory reasons. The Sacramento Bee had earlier reported that
Doolittle was under investigation for paying his wife’s company
enormous amounts of money out of his campaign funds. Doolittle reasoned
that the bucks were commissions for his wife’s company’s fundraising
work. Now, the Bee says that FBI agents raided Doolittle’s Virginia
home, in search of information about his wife Julie’s fundraising
business.

Yikes. The day that the FBI served a search warrant on the
Doolittle home. You can bet the family will remember that
heart-pounding day. The Bee reported that Julie Doolittle’s company has
been investigated in connection with the Jack Abramoff scandal. Ouch.
Wouldn’t you hate to have your name in the same sentence as Abramoff??!!

Doolittle is quoted as saying that he supports his wife and
believes “that the truth ultimately will prevail.” Doolittle also
denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with Abramoff.

 

Moving right along to other unpleasantries in the news this week. The
New York Times reported that President Bush has reneged on his promises
to Katrina’s victims. The Times said that there are still 64,000 people
sleeping in trailers in Louisiana and many communities still struggle
without schools, hospitals and other basics.

Here’s the bureaucratic rub on this story. Seems that federal law
requires states to contribute 10% on all federally financed
reconstruction projects. The President, according to the Times, has
refused to waive requirement. Louisiana is expected to spring for more
bucks to get help from the feds??!!

This means there are 20,000 projects in limbo.

Speaking of bureaucratic nonsense, we were reminded recently that
Department of Fish and Game workers must fill out forms whenever they
talk to reporters. Hey, that would make anyone not want to talk to
reporters, if they needed another reason.

This kind of superfluous bureaucratic drill discourages First Amendment
expression. We feel DFG should knock it off. So should any other
bureaucracy that requires reporting on reporters.

Copyright 2006 Sierra Wave

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