Opryland

Since fiscal year 2007 the Commonwealth of Kentucky has spent $36,396.03 the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

I know, I know, it’s not big money, but don’t whine about the budget when you are spending money in casinos and resorts.

Kentucky's Borders Expand to Include Casino

Now I know that $4,000 in the state budget is chump change. But come on……

Someone working for the Health and Family Services Cabinet, Department for Community Based Services on or about August 13, 2009 spent $3,983.79 at HARRAH'S CASINO-METROPOLIS and billed it as in state travel.

Can someone explain this? In state travel? Really......

$14,744,516.73 in Overtime

Every place I ever worked functioned on the basis that if you were clocking a lot of overtime you hired more people since the work demanded that staff.

So far in fiscal year 2011 the Commonwealth of Kentucky has paid out $14,744,516.73 in overtime.

Now when you search this information on the state web site there is no detail as to who got how much and for what. We just know they have spent almost $15 million in overtime.

So the cash is there, some departments are spending hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars in overtime.

So here are the questions, questions the Legislature and the State Auditor should be asking.

Why are you not filling positions?

Who is getting the money?

Is this just a way to give raises without doing the paperwork?

What is so necessary that you have to spend millions in overtime to get it done?

Maybe a Cover Up But Not an Emergency

Here is one of the most blatant examples of running from responsibility and covering up that I’ve seen in a long time.

What I want to know is where is the Governor in this, where is the outrage from the members of the General Assembly? Is this what we pay Cabinet Secretary Janie Miller a $125,332,000 a year to do?

Here is the complete piece from the Herald-Leader:

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- State officials have quietly filed what they termed “emergency regulations” that restrict the information they must release about children killed or severely injured because of abuse or neglect in cases where state social service workers have been involved.

The new rules, filed Jan. 3, were put in place after both The Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader had won a court challenge to gain access to such records in the case of a Wayne County toddler who died after drinking drain cleaner at an alleged methamphetamine lab where his teenage parents lived.

The rules filed by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services took effect immediately, unlike routine regulations that require legislative review, The Courier-Journal reported Tuesday.

Jon Fleischaker, a lawyer for The Courier-Journal and the Kentucky Press Association, called the new regulations “totally outrageous.”

Filing them as “emergency” rules, he said, is a blatant attempt to void the judge’s ruling in the newspapers’ favor that Kentucky law requires the cabinet to release information in such cases.
“There is no emergency,” Fleischaker said. “The so-called emergency is that they don't want people to know what they're doing.”

Educational Salaries

I’ve never thought that public employees should wear sack cloth and ashes as a result of working for the public. I’ve also been a believer that you have to spend money to get quality education.

But 've also been aware for a long time of two basic truths; first, Univerisities don't consider themselves part of state governement unless they want money from the General Assembly and two, the purpose of the Educational Establishment is to perpetuate the Educational Estabishment, not to educate our children.

When the average household income in Kentucky is about $40,000 per year I find the numbers below a little obscene.

All of this salary information can be found here: Government salaries — The Courier-Journal — Louisville, KY

Let’s start with the fact that Jefferson County Public Schools have 332 bureaucrats in making over $100,000 a year.

How about the two main Universities in this state, at the University of Louisville 762 make between $100,000 and $200,000 and 157 individuals make over $200,000 a year. At the University of Kentucky 971 make between $100,000 and $200,000 and 262 make over $200,000 a year.

Here is some detail on salaries at University of Louisville. Remember, on the University salaries this is just the income from the University. The salaries do not include endorsements from the coaches nor does it include what the doctors make in private practice.

And let’s not forget Larry Cook’s involvement with the Passport scandal.


$3,000,000.00 - PITINO, RICHARD - HEAD COACH

$1,600,000.00 - STRONG, CHARLES RENA - HEAD COACH

$982,000.00 - HODES, JONATHAN EZRA - CHAIRPERSON & PROFESSOR

$912,988.00 - COOK, LARRY - EXEC VP FOR HEALTH AFFAIRS

$740,908.00 - JURICH, THOMAS M. - VICE PRESIDENT

$728,000.04 - MOLITERNO, DAVID - PROFESSOR

$706,291.04 - KARPF, MICHAEL - VP EXECUTIVE HEALTH AFFAIRS/UKHC

$699,999.96 - PLUNKETT, MARK - ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

$686,369.00 - BOLLI, ROBERTO - ENDOWED CHAIR PROFESSOR

$669,500.04 - ZWISCHENBERGER, JOSEPH - PROFESSOR

$650,000.04 - EVERS, BERNARD - DIRECTOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

$646,000.00 - NAUTA, HARING JETSE WALLES - PROFESSOR TERM

Down Ticket Races - Crosbie and Edelen

Here are some thoughts on the announcements by KC Crosbie and Adam Edelen that they are running for statewide office

From the Herald=Leader:

“KC Crosbie, a three-term member of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, filed with the secretary of state’s office to run for the Republican nomination for state treasurer and Adam Edelen, former chief of staff for Gov. Steve Beshear, filed his official papers to run as a Democrat for state auditor”

The office of Treasurer, along with the offices of Commissioner of Agriculture and Secretary of State are three elected offices that would be more productive if they were administrative and appointed by the governor.

As they function today, they are mostly a bully pulpit for the office holder. The office holders usually fall into two groups they are either the young politician on the make looking for higher office or some duffer that is never going to get elected to anything else. Which of these groups Crosby falls into remains to be seen.

The Herald-Leader has liked Crosby in her role as Councilwoman in Lexington.

“In 2008, District 7 councilwoman KC Crosbie received this paper's endorsement based on the strength of her diligent efforts to improve the quality of life in District 7 neighborhoods from Woodhill to Andover.

This year, she also deserves re-election, primarily because she is becoming a strong voice on the council for public accountability, fiscal responsibility and more efficient and effective government operations.

Her persistence in demanding answers — along with the city administration's stonewalling — ultimately led to investigations by the council and state auditor into alleged fraud in insurance purchasing.”

One thing that kind of bothers me about Crosbie, and maybe this is just being a politician, is that she is moving on pretty soon after her last election to the Council. I have to question the real sincerity of a promise to work hard at one job and 2 months later start looking for another.

From her campaign Facebook page on November 2, 2010:

So relieved the race is finally over! Thank you to everyone who worked so tirelessly to help me get re-elected! I am so grateful for all of the support of my volunteers and the people of the 7th District! I will continue to work hard for our District and city.

What can you say about Edelen? The guy can raise money and in politics money talks.

From the Herald-Leader:

Last week, Edelen’s fund-raising report with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance showed that he raised a record $302,745 for his campaign in the last three months of 2010.

Edelen’s fund raising basically sends a message to any potential opponent that they will start out way behind. I think Adam has already bought this office. There will be no significant opposition.

When I talked about two groups of office holders on the other Constitutional offices, Edelen is in the first group. He wants to be Governor and this office is a stepping stone to living in the Governor’s Mansion.

Who knows he may have better luck than former Auditors, Ben Chandler, Bob Babbage and Ed Hatchett, with the same ambition.