\"I\'m curious why it seemingly took so long for the \"powers that be\" to set things right and switch the two men.\"

Well Joseph, My guess is that, since as Paul mentioned, it was a bureacratic mix up, the case worker responsible did not discover the mistake for several years, perhaps when his supervisor inquired about the birth of that special child Paul and Marge were to have. Then, rather than admit the mistake and seek assitance recitfying the situation, he covered it up for a few more years until his supervisor audits the file and learns that the child had never been born. The supervisor then notifies the Dept. Chief for North American Affairs, who is afraid to bring the matter up at the next board meeting for fear that the exposure of yet another such error from his Dept., would compromise his pending promotion. Only after several more years when the Dept. Chief finally takes control of the Board does he discretely take the measures recounted in this episode.

Haven\'t we all lived this process at one time or another?