No Statue of Limitations on Incompetence

Last week Gov. Fletcher’s public relations flaks again tried to blow smoke to obscure the Attorney General’s investigation of the administrations hiring practices.

From the Herald Leader:

“…..the governor's office released a compact disc containing 590 pages of job recommendations made from 1996 to 1998, which would have been during Democratic Gov. Paul Patton's administration.”

When the AG’s office basically said they weren’t going to waste taxpayer money investigating charges where the statue of limitations had passed. Carla Blanton, Fletcher's director of communications, commented "There is no statute of limitations on hypocrisy."

Well Carla, there also appears to be no statue of limitations on incompetence and stupidity either.

I don’t think any of the public relations advisors will have to worry about who recommends them for their next job. With the performance they have given in this administration their next jobs will probably require them to ask “Would you like fries with that order?”

In spite of the Larry Forgy lawsuit, and other attempted diversions, making a recommendation for a state job is not the issue. Larry Forgy can recommend anyone he wants, Greg Stumbo can do the same, and even Ralph Long can make a recommendation.

The issue is what happens after, what does the person making the hiring decision do with the recommendation.

18A.140 Prohibition against discrimination and political activities.

(1) No person shall be appointed or promoted to, or demoted or dismissed from, any position in the classified service, or in any way favored or discriminated against with respect to employment in the classified services because of his political or religious opinions or affiliations or ethnic origin or sex or disability. No person over the age of forty (40) shall be discriminated against because of age.

(2) No person shall use or promise to use, directly or indirectly, any official authority or influence, whether possessed or anticipated, to secure or attempt to secure for any person an appointment or advantage in appointment to a position in the classified service, or an increase in pay or other advantage in employment in any such position, for the purpose of influencing the vote or political action of any person.

And Carla, that was really stupid and unprofessional to make a comment about hypocrisy in front of the media.