What happens when government employees don’t do their jobs?
From the Lexington Herald-Leader, May 6, 2007:
“Central Kentucky's largest home builder, Ball Homes, has been building for years in a federally protected wetlands area in southeast Lexington without the proper permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps, whose job it is to protect environmentally sensitive waterways, last year ordered Ball to "cease and desist" from activities that violate the wetlands.”
From the Lexington Herald-Leader, May 12, 2007:
“Ball Homes must tear out the foundation of a condominium that the home builder constructed inside a zone designed to protect a scenic road in southeastern Fayette County.”
So we know who, what, when, and where, but we don’t know why.
Were the employees just lazy, were they corrupt or were just trying to play the game? One of the best ways to keep a job is keep the boss happy. The employees that didn’t do their jobs, all work for elected officials. The life blood of any political campaign is money. If you don’t have enough money you probably won’t get elected.
For almost ten years, according the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, employees of Ball Homes have donated $242,508.00 to political campaigns. The campaigns range from Lexington Urban County Council races to the run for the Governor’s Mansion.
I’m not saying there was anything illegal about the donations or the actions of the elected officials.
But if anyone thinks this level of political spending has no effect on the rank and file public employee then I have some swamp land in Florida we need to talk about, only part of it is in a national park.
