The Governor's Retirement

David Adams, The campaign manager for Phil Moffett post this comment on Facebook

“wonders how many Kentuckians know we will be paying Greg Stumbo 100% of Attorney General salary in retirement for the rest of his life unless he is convicted of certain felonies related to his official activities.”

Which got me to thinking about how much retirement and the folks running for Governor and Lt. Governor would get or already get in Government Retirement Benefits.

On the low end benefits are Phil Moffett and Gatewood Galbraith running for Governor and Dea Riley running for Lt. Governor. Their retirement benefits would be based on the 4 years they would serve in office. The current salary for the Governor is $129,798 and the Lt. Governor is $110,346.

Next up would probably be Bobbie Holsclaw, her time at as Jefferson County Clerk, (11 years at $108,721 per year) would count along with the salary as Governor.

Then there is Mike Harmon, Phil Moffett’s running mate, who will convert his eight years in the

General Assembly, just like Stumbo, from the Legislative Retirement System to the Kentucky Employees Retirement System. His pay off wouldn’t be as big as Stumbo’s, but pretty nice return on investment none the less.

Steve Beshear would get his time as member of the General Assembly, Attorney General and Governor all folded together, given the six figure salary that will make a nice chunk of change.

Richie Farmer will be able to just maintain his $110,346 salary he has been getting as Commissioner of Agriculture if he steps into the role as the Lt. Governor. Assuming he could stay in that role for 8 years and then do 8 as Governor, that would be a nifty piece of retirement planning.

Let us not forget David Williams, converting 28 years in the legislature. After 4 years he is instantly is eligible to retire with a nice benefit amount.

But the biggest dipper into the retirement system would be Bobbie Holsclaw’s running mate Bill Vermillion. The retired Command Master Chief is already getting somewhere between $71,000 and $79,000 from the Navy. He would be able to convert his time in Teacher’s Retirement to the Kentucky Retirement System. This should pretty well guarantee a six figure retirement.

So if you are going to pick your Governor and Lt. Governor by who will benefit least from the state retirement you are going to have to go with Gatewood/Riley.

A Lack of Transparency Can Be Bought

Speaking of transparency, why is it that so many politicians are do their best to draw a curtain over what goes on in government?

Case in point, from the Herald Leader:

But House Bill 414, sponsored by State Rep. Tom Burch, adds a new twist to the board's (the state board that oversees nursing home administrators) oversight. It allows the board to give out private reprimands that "shall not be subject to disclosure and shall not be considered a disciplinary action against the licensee."

Here are a few of the contributors to Burch according to the Registry of Election Finance.

It looks like money is talking again.

ENGLISH, WILLIAM
800 BLENHEIM COURT
LEXINGTON, KY, 40503
Employer : SAYRE CHRISTIAN VILLAGE
Occupation : EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

KNAPP, KEITH
1108 HAMLET FOREST
LAGRANGE, KY, 40031
Employer : CHRISTIAN CARE COMM
Occupation : CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFICER

LONG, ROBERT
546 WINCHESTER DRIVE
WALTON, KY, 41094
Employer : BAPTIST LIFE COMM
Occupation : CEO

MARSH, GARY
308 N 4TH STREET
LAGRANGE, KY, 40031
Employer : MASONEL HOMES OF KENTUCKY
Occupation : CEO

POPP, THERESA
1006 CHEROKEE ROAD #14
LOUISVILLE, KY, 40204
Employer : CHRISTIAN CARE COMM
Occupation : HUMAN RESOURCE

ROGERS, JERRY
10110 TULIP TREE DRIVE
LOUISVILLE, KY, 40241
Employer : CHRISTIAN CHURCH HOME
Occupation : DIRECTOR OF ADULT SERVICES

SPALDING, MARY
4002 PAYNE KOEHLER ROAD
NEW ALBANY, IN, 47150
Employer : SCBS CHRISTIAN CARE COMMUNITY
Occupation : VICE PRESIDENT

SENIOR CARE INC. KENTUCKY, PAC
9510 ORMSBY STATION RD. / SUITE 101
LOUISVILLE, KY, 40223
Employer :
Occupation :

STEDAM, ANGELA
2355 TIPTON ROAD
MT. STERLING, KY, 40353
Employer : SAYRE CHRISTIAN VILLAGE
Occupation : ADMINISTRATOR

VENO, ANNE
7403 SUNSET LANE
CRESTWOOD, KY, 40014
Employer : EPISCOPAL CHURCH HOME
Occupation : CEO

Disease of Corruption

I’ve said this before, but I think it bears saying again.

ASPHALT RUNS THIS STATE, and it doesn’t matter who is in office, Republicans or Democrats.
Race horses, bourbon and tobacco do not hold sway in Frankfort, asphalt does.

From the Herald Leader:

FRANKFORT — The state Transportation Cabinet spent more than $1 million from 2006 to 2008 to close and move a 2-mile section of Ky. 699 in Perry County at the request of a coal company that wanted to strip-mine the land where the highway was located, according to state records.

Here is the real problem, “No cabinet employee has been disciplined in connection with the land deal”, nor will they be.

What we lack here is accountability; here is what the candidates running for Governor this year say regarding accountability. Once again the only candidate that has a reasoned policy statement regarding accountability and transparency, three of the other four candidates have nothing to say and other is pretty thin.

Gatewood Galbraith

GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY

Recent newspaper and blog headlines throughout Kentucky have screamed about the out-of-control spending and corruption plaguing our government and pseudo-government agencies such as the Department of Transportation (Road Contractors), Lexington Library, the Bluegrass Airport, Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo) and the Kentucky League of Cities and now the office of Mining and Regulation. Strip clubs, outrageous meals and lodging expenditures, limo service, flagrant gifts and perks…nothing seems too good for these government servants - all at the taxpayer’s expense. Through it all our current administration made little or no effort to establish reform nor cared to make a public statement.

Folks, this is just the tip of the iceberg. In Frankfort, the backroom dealing and trades, payoffs and the quid pro quo are how our government has been operating for decades. There is a direct correlation between the corruption and the continuing decline of Kentucky.
In Kentucky government corruption is not Corruption with a capitol C - it has become a Culture.

We believe that the best cure for this Disease of Corruption is the antiseptic power of transparency. Let us all do what is right for the People and we will have nothing to hide. Is this Naïve on our part? No. We must make it happen because look where the alternative has taken us. Our leaders currently have no reliable system of accountability and they are stealing from us accordingly.

Phil Moffett

Bobbie Holsclaw

Steve Beshear

David Williams

David and Richie are strong proponents of making government transparent for the people who fund it – the taxpayers. David has a plan to put all government expenditures online, as well as all bills dealing with the state budget and taxation. Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent, and David and Richie will take the steps necessary toward restoring public confidence in state government expenditures.

Maybe the Irish, holding the sign above, have the right idea.