Convenient Conservatives

May 16, 2010: How many times have you heard a candidate for office promising to cut government spending, but when pressed to name specifics, they can't offer any?

It's an every election occurence, when candidates says they'll cut spending and they're more for reducing government than the other guy but none of them seem to speak in details.

Now there appears to be a growing trend of lawmakers who bash government spending, then jump ship to the executive branch to take a cushy governrnment job.

It makes financial sense. Higher salaries which results in a higher state retirement. More perks, press and no hassle with schlepping for re-election.

Eagle River Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom is the latest jumper. What's interesting about the jumper being Nancy, is few remember her anti government stance when she jumped into politics.

In 2002, Dahlstrom was recruited to run against Lisa Murkowsk in a newly designed district that included some of the most conservatice precints in the state. Murkowski was painted as the liberal, the tax and spender.

Murkowski had spent the better part of her two terms taking leadership roles in some of the state's most serious problems, both fiscal and social. 

She had come under fire from the right wing of the Republican Party for suggesting steps to balance the state's budget when forecasts showed we had two years worth of saving left.

Dahlstrom campaigned as the cut the budget conservative, with a platform that basically said we don't have a revenue problem we have a spending problem.

Meanwhile Murkowski campaigned on the truth of Alaska's fiscal future. Government spending keeps growing, oil production keeps declining; the math isn't hard to do.

Eight years later, Nancy Dahlstrom, the cut the budget candidate, is ditching her legislative seat for a bigger salary with the governor's office in a job that is being created just for her.

But Nancy isn't alone. Both Democrats and Republicans have resigned to take higher paying government jobs but several lawmakers including Gene Therriault and Robin Taylor, who have cut their legislative chops by bashing state spending, have left the state capitol when they've been offered a custom made job. 

In turn, these convenient conservatives appear to be giving into their dark side for a fatter paycheck and a bigger retirement package. 

This seems hypocritical for those who score political point talking about unsustainable budgets, but as soon as that budget holds a nice position for them, then suddenly government spending becomes a non issue.

What did Emerson say; foolish consistency is the hobgoblins of little minds?