The Boston Globe reports: Gov. Deval Patrick gave one of his longtime supporters, Marian Walsh, a $175,000/year job as an assistant director at a state bonding agency. Ms. Walsh will make almost $100,000/year more than she does at her current job. Oddly enough, even though Ms. Walsh’s position is supposedly so important and amazing as to justify a rather nice salary, the position that she will be filling has been vacant for over 12 years. Furthermore, Ms. Walsh’s husband makes $113,000/year as a member of the state’s Industrial Accident Board, which, aside from giving him a lovely six-figure salary, increases his state pension (which he became eligible for as a district court judge).
This blogger has very little to say about a husband-and-wife pair that makes almost $300,000/year off of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in exchange for their support of Gov. Patrick, because the state Republicans said it best:
“Creating a job for Marian Walsh does not count as one of the thousands of jobs Governor Patrick promised to create in Massachusetts,” said Barney Keller, the GOP spokesman. “Instead of rewarding supporters with high-paying jobs, the governor should focus on creating jobs for the thousands of unemployed taxpayers.”
The only bright side: the Walshes make enough money off of the taxpayers so as to be considered “rich” by Obama-Biden standards.
(If you’re so inclined, check out the comments on the Boston Globe article. “Not only is this a blatant slap in the face to all of us, his constituents, but also an embarrassment to those of whom voted for him. Today, I am ashamed. Do you think Mitt would come back and clean house if we begged and apologized for our short-sightedness?” Or, “Just like the Tea Act of 1773. This is truly taxation without representation. There is no one on the Hill speaking for me. Next comes the Intolerable Act of 2009. This is where they shut down our towns increase our taxes and force us to house and supply their people. But that’s OK, Because if history repeats itself, the revolution is just around the corner.”)
Bringing the Spirit of 1773 Back to Boston 
The same thing is happening here in California, except that many of the $100,000+ patronage jobs consist of gong to a board meeting once or twice a month. Nepotism and cronyism are the order of the day.