After all of the charges and counter-charges surrounding the merit system scandal, and after watching the multiple ways Ernie twists trying to blame anyone but himself for the mess, it is refreshing to see two members of the administration engaged in traditional “waste, fraud and abuse” the Republicans were going to clean up.
First we have Commissioner of Agriculture Richie Farmer engaged in a little old fashion nepotism. But who can really blame a guy for wanting to get his brother-in-law a job? It gets your sister and maybe your mother off your back. You get him a job some place else and you don’t have to look at him every day. It’s a win – win situation.
Besides nepotism is a time honored tradition in Frankfort. One time, when I was a supervisor for the state, I had a guy assigned to work for me. I didn’t interview him, I didn’t hire him, he was assigned. I later found out that the department I worked in also employed his mother, his step-father, his brother-in-law and his former girl friend. I think I was the only person in the department not related to this guy. So it’s nice to see Richie following in the Frankfort tradition of employing your family.
Now we come to yet another example of these guys are too stupid to be in charge.
We have, state budget director, and best buddy to the Governor, Brad Cowgill, lining his own pockets.
From the Courier Journal:
“FRANKFORT, Ky. -- State budget director Brad Cowgill has been receiving unprecedented overtime pay of uncertain legality, according to a report from the state auditor.
Cowgill, whose salary is about $125,000 a year, received about $84,000 in overtime pay in 2004 and 2005 until midyear, when the auditor's office began inquiries.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Ernie Fletcher said the overtime was proper because of the work Cowgill has done.”
How Cowgill can be this stupid and budget director or how anyone can believe this is proper is truly amazing.
From the website for the Personnel Cabinet:
“If your job is determined to meet the criteria as executive, administrative, or professional, you will be given compensatory leave time for all hours worked in excess of your regular work schedule. This accrual will be on an hour for hour basis. Employees in this category are considered "exempt" employees.
…..The maximum amount of compensatory time that can be accumulated is 240 hours. Once 240 hours is reached, employees in non-policy making positions will be paid for a block of 50 hours and the balance reduced accordingly.”
Does anyone but me think that the state budget director should be considered an executive professional administrator in a policy making position? Is everyone in this administration incapable of reading the Fair Labor Standards Act?
But wait, I’m being too judgmental and a very special lady I know has cautioned me not to be too judgmental.
So I guess, this little mistake is understandable, after all this is the Fletcher administration and the laws don’t apply to them.
