How Do Politicians Get Rich?

Politics For Profit

Have you ever wondered how politicians acquire their money? There are several life-long elected officials who amassed fortunes while in office.

Barack Obama began his career right out of law school as a precinct worker in Chicago. After a short time as a senator, he became our president. Now retired, he is building a beach house in Hawaii. The media reported some concern because his new vacation home is on the site of the mansion where the original Magnum PI was filmed. No one in the media batted an eye, however, at the $8.1 million price tag for his ocean-front get away. Before you ask where the money came from, you need to know he purchased another vacation home three years ago on Martha’s Vineyard for over $11 million… Google reports his net worth at around $70 million. Now you can ask where the money came from.

Some politicians let the system provide for their golden years. Having served as Speaker of the House, Tom Foley was one of Eastern Washington’s most successful politicians. When he was at the apex of his power, he visited Fairchild Air Force Base, where I was in charge of the maintenance shops. Our Wing Commander was escorting him past a B-52 within my area when the Congressman stopped and lit a cigarette. I covered the distance between us in a couple of long strides and told him he couldn’t smoke in the maintenance hangar. He said he said he didn’t think that restriction applied to him! As I was taking his cigarette away for disposal outside, I explained the B-52 next to him was leaking enough jet fuel to burn the hangar and most of the base. A few years later, he sued the voters over term limits, causing them to reject his bid for a 16th term as our representative. He was promptly appointed as Ambassador to Japan at a significant pay raise. Oh by the way, his congressional retirement was over twice the average American family income. Not bad for a local boy from Spokane.

Both of our current Senators have also done quite well for themselves. Maria Cantwell came to Washington in 1984 with a brand-new law degree to work on Alan Cranston’s presidential campaign. When he was passed over in favor of Mondale, Cantwell was out of a job. Having no skills other than politics, she ran successfully for state legislature then stepped up to become our Senator in 1993. Patty Murry is a home- grown product. She was born and raised in Bothell, received her teaching degree from WSU, and worked for several years as a preschool teacher before entering politics. After one term in the state legislature, she ran as a “mom in tennis shoes” to become our Senator in 1992. Google reports that both are currently multimillionaires. Where did the money come from?

Senator Murry is up for reelection this year. Should she be unsuccessful, she will enjoy a pension of approximately $140,000 per year and retain her perks and privileges as a senator. Politics really is profitable.

Frank Watson is `a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free-lance columnist for over 20 years.