Say it ain’t so, Jeff!
According to the Globe, Barnstable County Sheriff James Cumming has appointed defeated Congressional candidate and repub favorite Jeff Perry to the $111,000 position of Barnstable County “Special Sheriff”. Furthermore, “Cummings said he has gone without a special sheriff for several years.” It goes without saying that an elected official being appointed by a political ally to a high paying position so unnecessary that it can go vacant for years is shameless hackery. I assume all those who justifiably criticized Senator Walsh will level the equal appropriate and continuous criticism at Representative Perry.
In addressing Perry’s disturbing history, Sheriff Cumming says that last month he hired a former FBI agent to “investigate” and good news for Perry: “The investigator was completely satisfied that Jeff Perry did nothing to cover up and did not stand by and watch the strip search”. Wow, good day for a politician who needs to bounce back from a tough loss like Perry…he’s given a fat do-nothing job on the public payroll at nearly twice the pay of his old job on the public payroll AND a private investigation paid for by his new boss/old buddy has totally cleared him of wrongdoing regarding the massive skeleton (one of them, anyway) in his closet! I can’t wait to see the new evidence Sheriff Cumming has apparently discovered. For the sake of the reputation of his new Super Special Sheriff, I’m sure his PI’s entire report will be released ASAP.
I’d suggest a different comparison.
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p>Describing Jeff Perry, as today’s Herald does in announcing his new job, as a “longtime public safety advocate”
is like describing Bush administration minion Hans von Spakovsky as a “longtime voting rights advocate.”
the criticism should be of the Barnstable County Sheriff, the public official who hired him.
Jeff Perry has no shame and is unaffected by criticism. Accepting this sweet-heart deal is completely consistent with the unsavory and immoral character that was revealed over the past year.
my Democrat friends have a saying for this “good government hire” he’s shit–but he’s our shit.
I LOVE CHRISTY MIHOS.
Nice comparison. People complained that Walsh’s potential job was unnecessary as it hadn’t been filled in a while- this seems to be the case here as well. Of course, one big difference is that Walsh was a good person who hadn’t gained infamy for anything in particular prior to being nominated to that HEFA position (which she never ended up taking), and Perry- well, Perry is Perry, and he’ll defintitely take the job.
An admirable and principled person.
To be hacks. To take per diems. To rifle copy machines for dollar bills. To buy their booze in NH to skip out on taxes THEY legislated. Yep, Republicans have to be fair. Democrats are entitled!
100% of the Republicans in the last session took per diems, Perry included. Not so for the Dems. Just saying.
Don’t debate him; it’s a waste of time. For him “Democrats are entitled” and that’s all there is to it. In fact it’s MillburyMan’s use of the phrase that made me realize that he was billxi by another name.
I hate to agree with you. Perry campaigned against this very issue last year. It is WRONG! I hate to say this, but Jeff Perry is a RINO. Most of us Republicans walk what we talk.
Sadly, Perry is emblematic of everything the modern Republican party stands for.
the respects in which my characterization is inaccurate.
Don’t usually talk from both sides of their face. We’re better than that. Hey, you asked.
Oh, ok, not a selling point.
Members of no party, be they Democrats, Republicans or any other party, is entitled to be a “hack”, rifle through copy machines or any other example which one may choose to raise.
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p>The attempted hire of Marian Walsh and others is met with skepticism and derision as well they should. This hire of Jeff Perry by the Sheriff falls into the same category. Shame on the Sheriff for appearing to hire Jeff Perry with no search and after all that was raised during the Congressional campaign. Shame on Jeff for accepting the position. Both should have known better, the optic stink and the actions speak far more loudly than the words put forward by many about how government works and is used to benefit one and one’s friends.
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p>I was also reminded at the other blog that this hire has the potential to greatly enhance Jeff’s future pension with this being a Group 4 position which should open the hire up to even more scrutiny.
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p>I am disappointed, have sent an email to Jeff expressing my feeling and I hope others express their disappointment as well.
does that mean that Perry and other Republicans are entitled, no expected, to be as bad? Yes, that’s the ticket. Vote for us, we are just like Democrats.
…as I am about the particular person who was chosen. If the special sheriff position is truly unnecessary, then it should be eliminated legislatively. Until then if the Barnstable Sheriff has the prorogative to fill the position on his own authority we can’t get that upset by it. Giving Jeff Perry of all people another law enforcement position, however, is nuts IMO.
Joe Malone and Bill Keating spent a combined 8 months explaining why Jeff Perry shouldn’t be a congressman because of his actions as a police officer. The people of the 10th Congressional District agreed.
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p>Something doesn’t smell right. Cummings should be ashamed and the people of Barnstable County should be making noise.
So if the retired FBI investigator was paid with tax dollars we should be able to see the report, right? Has anybody FOIA’d the report yet?
as it seems to be, at least in part, an HR matter.
But, even is that is the case, Perry could certainly choose to release it- which any rational person would do if it really did clear them of such serious allegations.
What do you suppose what happen if some high-profile Democrat, progressive, or left-leaning media personality were to suggest a “Second Amendment solution” to this problem?
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p>Just saying …
the positioning of Jeff Perry to run for Sheriff when Barnstable County Sheriff James Cumming retires. Absent that, it gives him a cushy spot to hang out in hopes of running again in 2012.
From the Globe:
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…he’s now first in order of succession to become sheriff in the event of the incumbent vacating the office early.
If Cummings vacates the office before his term expires, by death, resignation, or otherwise, the Governor fills it by appointment until the next election, as he just did in Middlesex. I’m guessing Patrick isn’t going to pick Jeff Perry. So I don’t really understand this “next in line” thing.
I think the detailed answer is that the Special Sheriff is the acting Sheriff between the time the vacancy occurs and the time the appointment is made and takes effect, which I believe also happened in Middlesex.
Think Edith Wilson in the white House….
Are you saying that Cummings is going to marry Perry?
I went on record on BMG not supporting Perry to be elected. But that has nothing to do with this miscarriage. We need to stop with these hack hires no matter what party is involved. It’s wrong, it’s misuse of our tax dollars, it continues to undermine the public’s trust in government and elected officials and I would “guess” he doesn’t end up doing a good job (whatever a “Special Sheriff” does).
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p>This is just bad!
If Jeff Perry had an umblemished record as a police officer – I think this would be more palatable…but he doesn’t and that is the most shameful aspect of this appointment.
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p>Being an elected legisaltor or a Beacon Hill staffer should not disqualify you from serving in in an appointed public office or agency/quasi staff.
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p>The biggest joke and the biggest stink of hypocrisy is on the Republican Party’s silence – Where is Nassour with her damnation of this hackery?