But it is a patronage mill that is supposed to make money.

Until Governor Kean, field offices were in private hands and the division was nothing but a political patronage mill.

He was also accused of strong-arming rivals, be they political opponents or other social service organizations, and turning his fief into a patronage mill.

There is also the potential for the creation of a giant patronage mill, with ministers using jobs to reward friends or to build a power base.

This will be difficult in Camden, where the school system is a patronage mill that tends to make decisions that help friends and hurt enemies.

"That agency was a big patronage mill," said one New York Democratic operative.

The system has devolved into a patronage mill that may benefit the parties but often penalizes voters with unqualified staff.

I'm not going to operate a Democratic patronage mill.

This serves to rebut the impression generated since last May that my administration has operated a "patronage mill."

"There are 12,000 county employees and the commission selected a few to make it seem like the whole government was a patronage mill."