Lobbyist benefits don't pass the smell test

The Tribune is reporting that lobbyists and other education groups have tapped into the state's retirement system through the Maricopa Community College District. Well, I guess its not surprising that its through the district who has had their own troubles in the past few years.

Before we get to the heart of the matter on this issue, I do have one question: who the heck is auditing these guys?

Okay, so back to the issue at hand, employees of East Valley Partnership, The Arizona Community College Association and the Arizona Business and Education Coalition are being listed as employees of MCCD, thus qualifying for state retirement. They say they are doing nothing wrong, but clearly this type of behavior doesn't pass the smell test.

The state retirement system is for government workers, but these guys get the money because there is not a law specifically preventing them from getting included. In fact, the community college admits that the relationship is "improper," yet nothing has been done about it. So no one in these organizations ever wondered why they were getting this benefit? Did no one stop and wonder if it was appropriate?

These organizations like East Valley Partnership and the Arizona Business and Education Coalition do much more than help the community colleges, and they are getting paid decent money to do so.

Why should they also get the benefit of a state retirement? If they wanted that, they should work for the state. This is the type of growth of government and bureaucratic wrangling that makes people disgusted with the whole process. How did this happen in the first place? Why did it take 3 years for someone to do something after the problem was discovered?

It makes you wonder who else is benefitting from our government's largess?