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Yeah her helper is “Junior” —and once a week, usually on Fridays (he comes in handy with death pools) he gets
“Horshack” to help.

Wed. column ping
For Deval Patrick & crew, three’s company
By Howie Carr | Wednesday, April 29, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Columnists

Who says Gov. Deval Patrick has been Romney-ized - neutered by the Legislature, ignored when he isn’t being humiliated by having his vetoes overriden?

But Deval continues to go about his very important duties, with the help of his crackerjack staff. Let’s look at three Deval coatholders, I mean, public servants.

First, consider the “director of civic engagement,” who is not to be confused with the “director of grassroots governance and Commonwealth Corps,” neither of whom has duties that in any way overlap with the “director of the office of community affairs.”

Total annual take: $270,698.

A call was placed to the governor’s office, and a flack named Rebecca Deusser responded by e-mail, saying her boss has reduced positions from his own staff, and these three positions are essential to accomplishing his goals.

Okaaaay. Let’s get straight to it. The director of civic engagement is Brendan Ryan, and he makes $97,849 a year. He is responsible for “connecting the public with state government in order to inform and advance Gov. Patrick’s public policy agenda.” Ah yes, the governor’s agenda - you know, like he was against the 25 percent increase in the sales tax Monday, but yesterday . . . not so much.

Next, we have the director of grassroots governance, one Elizabeth Clay. She makes $75,000 a year. Her job is “to use New Media to facilitate greater civic awareness and online citizen participation.” In other words, she’s ambassador to the moonbats. Maybe they’ll update the Web site more often once the Globe folds. Here’s a sample of her other duties:

“Facilitate revitalization ... attend meetings, communicate with Chairs to promote their work as civic engagement vehicles.” Stop the tape - I thought civic engagement was the responsibility of the director of civic engagement.

Next, come on down Ron Bell, director of the governor’s Office of Community Affairs, who is paid the same as the director of civic engagement - $97,849. Ron Bell is a “bridge” to “various constituencies such as urban, communities of color, immigrant, faith-based, recovery. ... Promotes grass-roots organizing, civic engagement ...”

How much civic engagement can one administration do? And what exactly is ... civic engagement?

“Organizes town hall meetings and rallies. Holds and attends meetings.”

Attends meetings? I thought that was Elizabeth Clay’s job, when she communicates with Chairs.

This nonsense makes Marian Walsh’s $175,000-a-year job look real.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1168781