| Regardless of what you think about the fact that Max's state director received a raise of $14k, you should wonder why the Montana media didn't also tell you about the $31,000 raise that Dennis Rehberg gave his top staffer in 2007, the 29-year-old Erik Iverson.
This $31,000 raise is more than most Montanans make in a year and bumped Iverson's salary up to nearly $160,000.
The most egregious raise and instance of political cronyism in monetary terms in the history of Montana was never reported by the press.
Yes, even the biggest recession of most of our lifetimes wasn't enough to get the press to print about the taxpayers' largesse toward Rehberg's political friends. Even the fact that Erik Iverson was simultaneously serving as chair of the Republican party didn't seem to bother these papers who now feign such concern over cronyism.
Take the Helena IR, which claims to have such significant new storytelling capabilities, why can't you, I don't know, put some of these stories in your paper?
Perhaps Erik Iverson realized that his boss's cronyism may now be exposed. Could that be the reason why Erik Iverson was busy defending Max in the press last week for involving the senate staff in planning the divorce? (Iverson's input made many people nauseous.) Iverson must be hoping that he'll get his back scratched in return when the Baucus staff get calls asking whether a $31,000 raise and a $160,000 salary for Rehberg's (inexperienced) political hack is out of line.
Lucky for Rehberg, the press exercises selective coverage. |
