A Response to Professional Whining

I received the following email in response from Bryan Langeneckert to my post on Professional Whining. The email has been edited and only presents one side of the issue. I don’t know Bryan Langeneckert and I cannot attest to the accuracy of the statements below other than to say this is one person’s view of how as single board works or in this case doesn’t work.

Dear Mr. Long,

I'd like to weigh in on your comment entitled "Professional Whining". Below is what I have begun publishing on the net trying to achieve some reform. As of yet, my attempts seem to be falling on deaf ears. Please add this to your post as an additional comment. Thanks so much.

Do you believe the KY Board of Auctioneers protects the public? Guess again! One would think so... and they claim that's their primary mandate on their site (http://auctioneers.ky.gov/ ) but that's not the case here. I filed five pages of wrongdoing concerning numerous illegalities perpetrated by Thompson & Riley, Ltd. Auctioneers / Realtors. The Kentucky Board of Auctioneers "investigated" and then dismissed my complaint. No hearing, no witness testimony... they turned a blind eye to each and every portion of my complaint. Any one of the basic points about which I complained required action by the Board. The more complicated points of my complaint that, with thorough investigation and witness testimony, would have proven fraud and a systematic approach of wrongdoing by Thompson & Riley, Ltd., Auctioneers and Realtors... were also ignored. The Kentucky Board of Auctioneers wouldn't even let it get to the next step of a hearing.

Do not, even for a second, believe there is any protection of the public by the Kentucky Board of Auctioneers. Oops... I stand corrected by the annual report of the Kentucky Board of Auctioneers:

Between June of 2006 and May of 2007, there were (presumably) at least 1,149 complaints filed (mine was numbered 07-1149) yet only one... ONE auctioneer lost his license!!! Need I say more?

…… In short, watch out if you are dealing with a Kentucky auctioneer.

Want another tidbit? Did you know that, according to the Kentucky Revised Statutes, an auctioneer involved with shill bidding can be fined $10???. You read that right... ten dollars. An auctioneer getting caught shill bidding (which goes to the very core on the question of honesty within the auction industry) can be fined ten dollars. Do YOU see a reason to trust a Kentucky auctioneer?

More information about the complaint can be found at ThompsonandRileysucks.com.

Lexington Obama Office Opens

Barack Obama’s Lexington campaign office opened yesterday. From the Herald-Leader:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign opened its second office in Kentucky Monday with a pep rally at its new Lexington headquarters that drew 400 "fired-up" supporters.

That pretty much sums up what happened except for listing the notables that were there.

"It's the real leaders who can get folks to do the right thing," said state Sen. Ernesto Scorsone of Lexington. "That's what Barack Obama can do for this country."

Also there in support of Obama were state Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo, D-Lexington; Lexington Vice Mayor Jim Gray; state Finance and Administration Cabinet Secretary Jonathan Miller; and former Lexington Mayor Pam Miller.

I might also add the media coverage was pretty good for a manufactured event. WKYT had a crew there. Of course Ryan Alessi from the Herald-Leader was there. The blogger corp. was represented by me and my daughter Jessica and bloggers Media Czech and Ben Ray.

I did have my one question answered during the rally.

Why in the world would you put the Lexington Obama headquarters across the street from Stan Lee’s district?

The answer, it was free. The owners according the Fayette County PVA are William C. and Laura Bartley.