Ed Howard

    Fish bowls come in all sizes.
     Bigger the fish, bigger the bowl.
     The president, for example, is a whale. There are eyes on his bowl 24/7.
     State and local officials come in for varying amounts of attention, usually during elections, or when elements of the electorate are really annoyed with them, or when questions are raised about the propriety of their official or personal behavior.
     Elective jobs in the Statehouse represent "higher" offices than those at the local level, but the elected crowd in Lincoln usually faces a different kind of challenge when it comes to being under the public eye.
     Any elected official involved with the local property tax system can be the subject of rumors worthy of a deviant, career criminal who, incidentally, is the likely offspring of a vampire and a rabid jackal. It comes with the territory. Whispered or shouted rumors of conflicts of interest can be standard fare. Accusations of incompetence are part of the environment. Homegrown meanness tends to have a more personal touch.
     At the state level, it's appreciably different.
     State Treasurer Shane Osborn is under scrutiny these days because he has continued to work for the SilverStone Group insurance brokerage. He is a former Navy aviator who was forced to land his plane on Chinese territory a few years ago. The episode led to President Bush declaring him a hero. Osborn thought out loud of running for the U.S. Senate; then someone poured him a shot of reality, and he ran for the treasurer's office under the GOP banner.
     Osborn gets paid $85,000 annually for the state job. He hasn't said how much he earns in commissions for the insurance job, but that it is less than the $85 K he gets from taxpayers, and doesn't require more than 20 hours each week, tops.
     There is nothing in state law or the Nebraska Constitution barring Osborn's deal with the insurance company. He would only get jammed up if he used the power of his office, one way or another, to enrich himself.
     Political reality pretty much gives a fellow in Osborn's position a pass, in any regard. He hasn't done anything illegal, no one has suggested a conflict of interest, and he is a Republican in an overwhelmingly Republican state.
     Another headline grabber centered on a report from State Auditor Mike Foley. His crew said that most inspectors employed by the state Brand Commission were not working the full 40-hours for which they are paid.
     The situation brought mixed reactions.
     Naturally, there were taxpayers who initially voiced outrage. However, there also were a lot of other folks who noted that taxpayers don't pay a dime for the salaries of the inspectors. The commission is funded through fees levied on ranchers-not a dime comes from the general fund.
     Most noticeably, defenders of the inspectors noted that they are on call 24/7-going out to do all manner of duty at all hours, in all weathers.
     Foley caught some criticism for allegedly using the situation for posturing of the political variety, since he said it was an example of government being and doing other than what it should.
     A legitimate issue arose from the story. The attorney general has been asked to determine whether brand inspectors should be classified with employees required to work-and prove-40 hours on the job.
     The Legislature might be asked to look at both cases-involving Osborn and the brand inspection group-in 2008.