Vanessa Griddine

Is she a scheduler? Is she a staff assistant? Is she a Legislative Assitant? No one really knows, but one thing's for certain, her name is Vanessa Griddine, and she gets paid more than the D.C. Legislative Director and Chief of staff Fred Turner. All of these people are paid by the tax payers of the United States, at the discretion of Member of Congress Alcee L. Hastings.

Vanessa Griddine often goes weeks without going to work. Sometimes when she doesn't show up, she even sends an email to say she won't, usually she saves herself the effort. I don't believe she's ever once showed up to work on time, or five days a week. She shows up to trips to Europe with the Congressman though (Alcee Hastings that is). While Fred Turner gets a hefty diem courtesy of tax dollars when he travels with Alcee Hastings, even he doesn't get a trip to Brussels paid for by tax payers. Alcee Hastings and Vanessa spent 4 days in Brussels, without any committee backing, and used approximately $18 000. But that all schedulers were so lucky?

Surely not!? Not Alcee Hastings! But he hates it when Bush and other Republicans waste tax payers' money, right? Because the money should be helping low-income families? All these figures can be obtained through the clerk's office, as wage disbursements are published annually.

So why does this elusive member of staff get paid so much more than the diligent David Goldenberg and Fred Turner? Well folks, if her interview for the job (in person at Hastings' private residence one night) is any indication, she works a lot more nights than the boys do. Alcee Hastings rewards night shifts generously. Hence she's driving a new BMW while David Goldenberg the LD is stuck with a tired used car.