Coincidence? According to the TFA, if was all above board. Other than being related, what the crime?

Who cares about this. Let's get back to the conservative bashing threads.

The congressman requested millions of dollars to clean up Puget Sound - a vital but polluted system of waterways in his home state of Washington, according to White House records.

That bastard!

Over the next four years, father and son worked in tandem to restore Puget Sound

Hang the traitors!

More like Norm Dicks, amirite?

Wait...

hillbillypharmacist: $129K?

OMG SRS MONEY HERE FOLKS

Why, that's a THIRD of Mitt's 'not very much' in speaking fees!!!

/probably ok
//Does have an appearance of impropriety
///Like Newts marriages! BA-ZING!

His interests on behalf of the sound aligned with those of his son, David Dicks, who at the time was interviewing to be executive director for a newly created state agency, the Puget Sound Partnership.

I would only be really concerned about this if the father were "helping" the state agency make its decision about who to hire as their executive director or if he were hired because of who his father was. If it's coincidence then it's not quite as bad, though it's very suspicious. Kind of reminds me of Bush's youngest brother going into the educational software business before the elder won the presidency, passed NCLB, and won him a ton of business. Shady, yes, but direct graft, no.

Headline has too many words, and isn't funny, or troll-y

Why are Dim politicians so predictable?


/as are their fanbase.

Gulper Eel: Was hoping TFA would have something in it about whether or not that money actually succeeded in cleaning up the Sound.

Since when did results matter?

The real problem, imo, is that at even $50M per year, that amount is no where near the necessary amount to make a marked improvement. For instance, to clean the Chesapeake markedly, estimates are over $10B plus radical restrictions on agriculture across the enormous watershed. They get nowhere near that kind of funding or legislation, so basically jobs that are targeted at "saving the bay" are effectively public/private make-work efforts where the resources utilized are pretty much wasted, unfortunately.

hillbillypharmacist: Deneb81: //Does have an appearance of impropriety

Unfortunately this. But the entire effort is misguided (not Dicks' fault). There trying to send men to the moon with slingshots.

Gulper Eel: Was hoping TFA would have something in it about whether or not that money actually succeeded in cleaning up the Sound. "Community outreach" doesn't get the crap out of the water.

Heckuva job, Washington Post.

Good news: they built dozens of schools.
Bad news: of fish.

hillbillypharmacist: Also, it looks to me that the millions to clean up Puget sound were requested before the son got the job.

Yep, and the dad had absolutely NO say in the son being hired, and the hiring process was competitive. AND, the money was funneled to the local EPA office so it could be distributed through a competitive process. Yes, some of that money was distributed NOT through a competitive process, but only because the son's group was the only applicant.

And in other news, I could only read two pages of this article and then WaPost wants me to register to read the rest. No, thanks. Also, fark you, Washington Post.

You probably think that George W. Bush got all of those jobs he held on his own merits, don't you subs.

Mike Chewbacca

hillbillypharmacist: Also, it looks to me that the millions to clean up Puget sound were requested before the son got the job.

Yep, and the dad had absolutely NO say in the son being hired, and the hiring process was competitive. AND, the money was funneled to the local EPA office so it could be distributed through a competitive process. Yes, some of that money was distributed NOT through a competitive process, but only because the son's group was the only applicant.

And in other news, I could only read two pages of this article and then WaPost wants me to register to read the rest. No, thanks. Also, fark you, Washington Post.

This

indylaw: You probably think that George W. Bush got all of those jobs he held on his own merits, don't you subs.

So... It's OK if both sides do it?

GoldSpider


indylaw: You probably think that George W. Bush got all of those jobs he held on his own merits, don't you subs.

So... It's OK if both sides do it?


That seems to be the rising mantra lately here at Fark..Both-sides-ism is one of the great curses of Washington.

Well, if it is being construed as bribery, wouldn't it just have been easier to give the money directly to the son?

Both sides have to do questionable things to get things done. But this is beyond the pale.

As a Washington State liberal, let me just say that I've never really cared for Norm Dicks. I'm lucky enough to be represented in Congress by Jim McDermott, though, so Dicks isn't my problem.

GoldSpider: indylaw: You probably think that George W. Bush got all of those jobs he held on his own merits, don't you subs.

So... It's OK if both sides do it?

Subby's first word was Democratic. The only reason to emphasize this was to suggest that the corruption alleged here is a unique trait of Democrats. It's not a non-partisan argument.

I trust that you objected to political patronage and nepotism when W was given every opportunity he ever had as a result of his father's political fortunes. If not, you're a hypocrite.

I'm not excusing this guy's behavior, but that doesn't mean I can't point out a double standard.

/you'll get over it.

karnal: Why are Dim politicians so predictable?

karnal: Both-sides-ism is one of the great curses of Washington.

So vote Republican.

Generation_D: The only people around here that don't want Puget Sound clean are the local teahadist fringe, one of which is Norm Dicks' opponent. Apparently someone from the other Washington (the one in DC) thinks that equals news.

I think you missed the main point.

It's not the cleaning up that's the problem, it's the appearance of nepotism, particularly with public funds that bothers people.

indylaw: You probably think that George W. Bush got all of those jobs he held on his own merits, don't you subs.

And it was wrong when he did it (even though you're mostly talking private sector) but ok when this guy does it.

I wonder what the difference is?

indylaw


karnal: Why are Dim politicians so predictable?

karnal: Both-sides-ism is one of the great curses of Washington.

So vote Republican.


Actually I was gonna vote for your mama.....because your yo momma is so big, the government would never let her fail.

karnal: indylaw


karnal: Why are Dim politicians so predictable?

karnal: Both-sides-ism is one of the great curses of Washington.

So vote Republican.


Actually I was gonna vote for your mama.....because your yo momma is so big, the government would never let her fail.

Yo mamma's so dumb she ate her food stamps.

Rep. Norm Dicks...soon to be re-elected Rep. Norm Dicks

I've seen the enemy, and it is us

Githerax: Well, if it is being construed as bribery, wouldn't it just have been easier to give the money directly to the son?

No! The son has to learn how to pull himself up by his bootstraps. His custom made, diamond-studded, solid gold bootstraps.

watson.t.hamster: It's not the cleaning up that's the problem, it's the appearance of nepotism, particularly with public funds that bothers people.

Nepotism can be a problem. "The appearance of" nepotism is not a problem.

The son has as much right as anybody else to apply for the job, and in fact refusing to hire him because of his father could itself be illegal. Likewise, the son's company has as much right to seek grant money as any other.

Now, if there's actual evidence of wrongdoing, nail them to the wall, but provide that evidence first.

Sum Dum Gai: watson.t.hamster: It's not the cleaning up that's the problem, it's the appearance of nepotism, particularly with public funds that bothers people.

Nepotism can be a problem. "The appearance of" nepotism is not a problem.

The son has as much right as anybody else to apply for the job, and in fact refusing to hire him because of his father could itself be illegal. Likewise, the son's company has as much right to seek grant money as any other.

Now, if there's actual evidence of wrongdoing, nail them to the wall, but provide that evidence first.

I'm sure the people at the Puget Sound Partnership in no way took in to account the fact that the dad of this recent applicant happens to be the chairman of the committee that funds them.

But can we hold this standard to other cases? As long as it isn't investigated nepotism and corruption doesn't exist.