Fresh off his storm cleanup tour, Governor Steve Beshear has been hit with another investigative piece by the Herald-Leader’s John Cheves.
It’s all about cronyism– something we can all love to hate. Beshear has hired two longtime Democratic Party activists/worker bees/donors. One is the aunt of Todd “Frank Simon” Hollenbach. The other is a 20-something who has worked for the KDP on several occasions who has had some shady things to say on the internet (just like us!).
While Gov. Steve Beshear says the state faces a deficit, taxes must be raised and painful service cuts must be made, he continues to find room on the state payroll for Democratic Party family and friends.
Last month, two new Beshear appointees took patronage jobs with combined salaries of about $90,000. One is Kevin Hollenbach Holtz, the aunt of Democratic state Treasurer L.J. “Todd” Hollenbach. The other is Travis Scott, 27, who coordinated “Get Out The Vote” activities for Beshear’s 2007 campaign and has worked for the Kentucky Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee.
And Travis Scott’s salacious blog comments? They’re from 2006 when he trashed Crit Luallen and ignorantly brought her battle with cancer into a discussion:
In late 2006, as the Democratic primary for governor began to stir, Scott posted a comment on a popular political blog that mocked Democratic state Auditor Crit Luallen for her battle with cancer. Luallen had been discussed as one possible gubernatorial candidate.
“Luallen … apparently one of her selling points is that she survived cancer. So did I (I am a 21-year survivor of Acute Lymphablastic Leukemia). Does that qualify me to be governor? I was thinking I was going to have to accomplish something,” Scott wrote on the Bluegrass Report blog. “Can you pick up the sarcasm?”
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with hiring up friends and donors. That happens all the time. But we’re reminded of a portion of an email that now-disgraced and outgoing Kentucky Democratic Party chairwoman Jennifer Moore sent out to State Central Executive Committee members on Friday, January 9, 2009:
Staffing
As we expected to happen, over the past month we’ve seen some of our great staffers move to “greener pastures” on their career path. Most all of our staff have been with the KDP since 2007, working 10 hour days through special elections, our Convention & Reorganization Process, many Fundraising events and the 2008 campaigns. I would like to thank the following great staff, and wish them well on their next endeavors:
- Nathan Dickerson- SPP Field Staff, now working in the Finance & Administration Cabinet
- Sara McGown- Regional Finance Director, now working in the Governor’s Office of Board & Commissions
- Travis Scott- SPP County Coordinator, starting next week in the Department of Local Government
- Christina Smith- Communications Assistant, now working in the Governor’s Office of Policy
- Bryan Thomas- Political Director, who has yet to determine his next steps, but will prove a valuable player in whatever he chooses.
Isn’t that nice? It’s not just cronyism, but the governor’s office is working hand-in-hand with the KDP to place staffers the Party can no longer afford to pay. And the now-disgraced and outgoing chairwoman is gloating about it.
(Nice story. But Cheves killed his credibility by quoting bigot Jim Waters of the faux Bluegrass “Institute.”)
5 responses so far ↓
1 Republican // Feb 5, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I have no problems with a governor — any governor –hiring political soulmates in non-merit jobs. A governor should have people behind him who support his policies and initiatives. I wouldnt expect Beshear to hire RPK staffers.
At least Beshear has the ideological support of the vast majority of state merit employees. Those people worked against most of Fletcher’s initiatives. Surely that wouldn’t have anything to do with all the patronage merit system hiring that’s been done from 1960-67 and 1971-2003 and 2007-present, would it? You know, when the major qualification to get a state merit job was the “Democratic Party” box you checked on your voter registration form?
2 anon // Feb 5, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Some of us would consider checking the “Democratic” box as a far better qualification for being servants of the general population than those who checked the “Republican” box, who are more likely to be better placed as servants of a specific population, one which tends to exclude rather than include; for example Republicans discussing the SCHIP program were more than willing to exclude certain children based on when their parents became legal residents. Assigning to children the perceived sins of the parents, even if the perceived sin of being a legal immigrant isn’t a sin at all, is why it is usually a much better thing to hire a self-identified Democrat than a self-identified Republican. Democrats typically have a broader view of why the government “is” as opposed to the Republicans’ points-of-view which are usually why the government “should not be.” Ronald Reagan expressed this clearly when he said “government is the problem.” Why would any believer of such a statement want to apply to work in a system they philosophically think is unnecessary? Democrats don’t feel that way. Republicans do.
3 Jim Anderson Stivers // Feb 5, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Let us not forget the makers of Video Lottery Terminals . . . . .. Mr. Babbage Customer out of Reno, Nevada.
IGT – International Game Technology 775-448-0233 Damonte, Audrey 9295 Prototype Drive, , Reno NV 89521
Insight 502-357-4618 Hall, Keith 4701 Commerce Crossings Drive, , Louisville KY 40229
4 E // Feb 5, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Rep/anon…
You could always just not check those little boxes.
5 Republican // Feb 5, 2009 at 3:37 pm
E, and as a result not get a say in many local elections.
In many counties, the local races and legislative races are decided in the primary. I’ve talked to a number of conservative folks who are registered as Democrats in some eastern Kentucky counties so they can have a say in who their county judge, sheriff, state representative, etc. will be, because there are no Repubs or independents who run for those offices.
Anon, you are so off base that it isn’t even funny. Repubs and conservatives believe there is a role for government and believe there is a need for employees to fill those roles.
Many of us believe health insurance is NOT a proper role for government, however. We want our government to maintain roads and protect us from terrorists and foreign armies and lawbreakers and other such functions.
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