Free Republic

Paid to watch porn? An independent watchdog has found that an EPA employee downloaded more than 7,000 pornographic files onto his work computer and viewed them between two and six hours each day while at work. […] “It’s hard to believe. If it weren’t so tragic, it would be funny,” Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) told Greta Van Susteren on tonight’s “On The Record.” He said that the EPA worker remains on the job and was even paid bonuses. …

The TSA’s Freudian Craigslist Slip Either someone just attempted the subtlest of jabs at our nation's force of uncomfortably invasive rent-a-cops or the recruiters at the Transportation Security Administration need to invest in a better thesaurus. A job posting on the Ann Arbor, Michigan Craigslist invites would-be screeners to "[b]e part of a imperious security team protecting airports and skies as you proudly establish your future." Imperious, indeed. The Dictionary.com definition of imperious is "domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing." The definition from Google is even better, describing it as "assuming authority without justification." If it was a joke...

Just in his mid-20s, Brian Deschane has no college degree, very little management experience and two drunken-driving convictions. Yet he has landed an $81,500-per-year job in Gov. Scott Walker's administration overseeing environmental and regulatory matters and dozens of employees at the Department of Commerce. Even though Walker says the state is broke and public employees are overpaid, Deschane already has earned a promotion and a 26% pay raise in just two months with the state. How did Deschane score his plum assignment with the Walker team? It's all in the family. His father is Jerry Deschane, executive vice president and...

County retirement payouts are one more toll on budget By Kurtis Alexander 06/21/2009 SANTA CRUZ - As county leaders cut health and human services, furlough employees and reduce office hours to close a record budget shortfall, one more expense is weighing on the bottom line: hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to retirees for unused vacation and sick time. A Sentinel review of county payroll records shows during the past six months retiring employees cashed out nearly $900,000 in unused vacation, sick time and other leave. More than a third of that money went to four retirees, top managers who...