I’ve been wondering how the striking Boeing workers were getting by, after three months with no paycheck. No matter what they negotiated, it would take forever to make up three months’ full-time pay.

Remember that one of those — Steve Murphy — entered the Republican Primary for Property Assessor last May? Well, Murphy works for Boeing, according to the Oak Ridge Observer Election Guide (page 17). Although he garnered only 789 votes in the primary, a distant third place, word was that he was put in as a spoiler by Rex Lynch and Alan Beauchamp to help Bob Walker.

Murphy’s platform (as spelled out in the election guide referenced above) was essentially the same as Walker’s anti-nepotism rant. It didn’t work, although Stair ultimately lost the race to Democrat Rodney Archer in the August General.

So Murphy ran, lost, and went on strike in August (laughingly, in the election guide, his response to the question of why he should be elected was “most importantly, I will be on the job.”). So, while not on the job, it seems he was hired by Anderson County’s Buildings & Grants department — Alan Beauchamp — to tend to the first floor of the courthouse.

Good grief. Does anyone else have a hard time believing that one can’t find an employee in this county who isn’t 1) related to other county employees or officeholders, or 2) a political pawn?

Then again, maybe I should ask why we elect so many county commissioners who are also on the county payroll. Seems like it’s about half at this point.