How watch dogs become lazy hounds

Despite my objections, the Lovely Mrs. Gekko keeps renewing her Rolling Stone subscription. After she gets done with them, she puts them in the bathroom where I read them during my a.m. SSS routine.

One of the things I noticed several issues ago, Rolling Stone almost never trashes a new CD release. I believe in the past three months, I've seen maybe 3 CD's receiving a rating of less than 3 stars (out of five). Let's call it grade creep for the rich and famous.

Why is that?

See, because of Rolling Stone's lefty political leanings, they have no problem selling their soul for a star or two.

Seriously, Rolling Stone knows the game. Give a Justin Beaver CD a bad review and you don't get cover shot of Justin with no shirt next month. As a result, Rolling Stone decides everyone gets a participation metal so they can get that exclusive interview with Fergie or Taylor Swift or Jay Z or Chris Martin, no matter what pile of crap they release.

The same holds true of government officials.

Let's assume you are responsible for something like.......... oh........ say........ making sure oil platforms don't explode and leak billions of gallons of oil into the gulf. You don't get that job if there are no oil platforms in the gulf.

So, you become a defacto lobbyist on behalf of the oil business because you know more oil platforms in the gulf means more workers for you to supervise and the more likely you are to move up the government scrotum pole. You also realize that a company like BP isn't going to invest a billion dollars on a platform just so it will fall over so you pass on things like inspections because that's real work. Besides you need to investigate more important environmental hazards; like Grand Canyon oil spills.

The same holds true for FAA, FTC, DOT, ATF, MMF, JJU, LBJ, JFK, FUBAR, etc agencies. First, you need to offer up a good tragedy like....... say....... global warming and then you get to set up a government agency with a staff who gets cushy ass benefits. Then it's up to you to make sure that industry gets nice and large because so that you can justify big ass trips to Bora Bora to investigate sea levels on the beach while your sucking down on Pina Coladas.

The watch dog becomes a lazy hound.

The best thing about it. You never lose your job. Because, in the world of government, when you get a call in the Grand Canyon that a oil platform collapsed, you simply say you didn't have the resources or authority to prevent the tragedy and Wallah! You get even a bigger budget! It's a win win for everyone.

Except for the taxpayer.