Health cabinet created job for woman who dated key lawmaker
By Beth Musgrave – bmusgrave@herald-leader.com
State Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville
FRANKFORT — The Cabinet for Health and Family Services created a $63,000 job earlier this year for a woman who had dated a key lawmaker who helps oversee the cabinet.
The political appointment was made in June, at a time when many front-line positions that serve the state’s most vulnerable citizens remained vacant.
Democratic Rep. Tom Burch of Louisville, who is chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee, said he recommended Carolyn Robbins, a woman he previously dated, for the administrative job but did not tell the cabinet to hire her.
Burch, 77, said he and Robbins, 64, had not dated for several months at the time he made the recommendation.
“I only recommend people who are qualified,” Burch said, adding that he has recommended other people for positions at the cabinet.
Robbins, a registered Republican, declined to be interviewed for this story.
In June, Robbins was appointed deputy executive director for the Commission on Special Health Care Needs, which coordinates and helps pay for care for children with chronic, acute health problems.
The position is a political appointment, or non-merit position, and was not advertised.
Since Robbins was hired, front-line vacancies at the commission have continued to mount as the state’s finances worsen, according to personnel records. On Thursday, Health and Family Services Secretary Janie Miller said she is considering closing the commission’s Hopkinsville clinic and consolidating it with other commission clinics to cut costs.
On her application, Robbins listed Burch as one of three references.
Burch said Robbins has a master’s degree in nursing and has had previous experience working with the Commission on Special Health Care Needs. Burch said he believes the agency needs a deputy director.
“She’s more qualified than some of the people that have worked there,” he said on Thursday. “I walked in there 20 years ago and found one of the supervisors sleeping.”
The Legislative Ethics Commission has ruled in the past that lawmakers can make suggestions on hires but can not tell an agency what to do, said Tony Wilhoit, director of the commission.
“They can’t say, ‘Hire this person,’” Wilhoit said.
Burch said he has previously sought advice from the Legislative Ethics Commission regarding job recommendations.
According to personnel documents obtained by the Herald-Leader through an Open Records request, cabinet officials justified creating the position for Robbins by saying that it is “essential to the ongoing operation of the program.”
But the commission, which was started in 1924, has not had a deputy executive director in recent times.
Still, other people have served in the capacity of deputy director, even though they haven’t had the title, said Vikki Franklin, a spokeswoman for the cabinet. She cited Rebecca Cecil, the current executive director of the commission, who was a pharmacist for the commission but also served as de-facto deputy from 2005 thru 2008 .
When asked why the cabinet decided to fill an administrative position over a front-line job, Franklin noted that Robbins is a nurse. Moreover, the cabinet prefers to have a director and deputy director for each division, Franklin said.
Miller hired Robbins because she believes she is qualified for the position, not because of Burch, Franklin said.
Franklin noted that the commission has at least four non-merit positions that it has not filled and is currently working to hire four more front-line staff. Still, the commission has approximately 15 fewer staff than it should.
Burch, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1972, also is under investigation by the Legislative Ethics Commission for an unrelated incident.
The commission is looking into whether Burch acted improperly when he wrote a letter to three state Court of Appeals judges on behalf of a constituent.
The commission found that there is probable cause to believe Burch violated state laws that prohibit legislators from using their official positions to receive special treatment for themselves or others.
Burch has said his motives were pure — he was trying to help a constituent who had been through a very difficult time. He denies violating any laws when he wrote the letter.
A hearing on that matter is set for Jan. 7.
About the Author: John Stamper is the accountability editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Monticello, Ky., he has been with the Herald-Leader in a variety of roles since graduating from Western Kentucky University in 2000. Reach him at jstamper@herald-leader.com
Bill Huff | Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
Evidently there is one legislator who had not gotten the message that Kentucky is broke?
Suggest this legislator read the 1994 Long Term Policy Research report wherein 14 years ago Ky legislators’ were being warned that average growth rate of Kentucky expenses was 6% and average growth rate of tax income was 5.7%. Legislators like Mr. Burch have not done anything about this recommendation and that’s why in 2008 Kentucky’s has been in deficit mode most of the time Mr Burch has been a representative.
Cut $100 million by cutting non-merit executive, legislative and judicial branch jobs and seventy PVA positions;
cut $300 million from corporate tax shelters;
eliminate weight distance tax on truckers;
combine all state retirement systems; i.e., KERS, CERS, STATE POLICE AND TEACHERS
eliminate 22 year old usage & property tax evasion among Ky car owners by collecting $200 million of uncollected taxes;
eliminate $200 million of state tax expenditures;
eliminate state income tax and sales tax exemptions and replace with “services” tax;
Then. Refigure to ascertain if Ky needs to raise more income.
Anonymous | Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
I agree wholeheartedly with Bill Huff, the previous poster, except to also add to eliminate another tax-haven which I see taken advantage of every day, the Farm License Plates. I see Hummers, Cadillacs, and other vehicles which obviously are not and never have been used for farm work driving around our state’s roads (farm tags are supposed to be restricted for use of the farm and going to and from places to get supplies for the farm) and they have these plates, which exempts them from the same personal property tax that the rest of us pay on our vehicles. If it isn’t a worn-down, half-rusted, covered in mud vehicle, you can bet that it doesn’t deserve to be sporting those tax-free farm tags. How many hundreds of millions would the state raise by reviewing those on a case-by-case basis instead of just letting people get them because they “own” a farm???
Bo | Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
THESE GUYS ARE MAKING ERNIE FLETCHER LOOK LIKE A SAINT
Valorie | Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
Burch needs to go. He has been there so long I guess he thinks he is invincible. Meanwhile, this is probably the tip of the iceberg and he will wind up in other corruptible acts. Pack it up and call in a career.
And it is appropriate to say that a 77 year old and a 64 year old are dating? What would they do for fun? I guess it “Depends”.
Abel | Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
Does Kentucky’s state government feel sorry for Illinois’? That might explain why we’re trying to steal the show from Illinois with our Taliban-like Homeland Security policy and now this ridiculous despotism.
anoymous | Dec 20, 2008 | Reply
You can get these big job and even call for an interview if you’re dating, friend or know someone in these cabinets.
Whatever | Dec 21, 2008 | Reply
That’s complete BS about them not being able to tell an agency who to hire. I know for a fact that it happens, and usually the person is not qualified.
Clay | Dec 21, 2008 | Reply
If she was on Dewees street, she get arrested but I guess you give a little to get a little. Sitting on a money maker?
Valorie | Dec 21, 2008 | Reply
I guess the job is in Louisville? Why make her drive to Frankfort? Maybe that is why they created this UNNECESSARY job for this lady. They probably had some non-merit positions in Frankfort, but why would she want to be in Frankfort, except during the legislative session so she can comfort her man.
Bill Adkins | Dec 21, 2008 | Reply
NOTHING DONE IN THIS ADMINISTRATION MAKES ERNEST T. FLETCHER LOOK LIKE A SAINT. I’m not defending Burch, but your statement is bo-dumb. Ernest delivered corruption, hypocrisy and poverty. He broke the state. Beshear’s dealing with bad hand dealt by Fletcher.
SOSG | Dec 22, 2008 | Reply
It sounds like to me if they have four non merit positions they haven’t filled, they don’t need to be filled. If you can do without them why waste the taxpayers money? This position they created for this woman is probably a joke. If this position has any responsibilities it is probably all being done by merit employees. I think Kentucky is in a position right now to eliminate a lot of these useless non merit positions and they probably should do so.
furloughed | Dec 23, 2008 | Reply
Created a job? Whether he had anything to do with it or not (KY a top 10 corrupt political state) the job didn’t exist. It was made up as the governor is pleading his case for a tax increase because there is NO MONEY.
Before any merit positions are furloughed or laid off non-merit positions should be the first to go. There are countless “advisers” that are retirees and political supporters that are draining the state’s coffers.
Tell you what Mr. Governor & Mr. Representative…furlough me. And on those 3 days you do, appoint me to a lucrative high paying non-merit job. After my 3 furlough days I’ll resign and go back to my 1% pay raise job. GEEZ.
I need my blood pressure meds. | Dec 24, 2008 | Reply
Every morning, I try to read the news about the states budget cuts to see what and which buddy of the administration, or new projects our so called “leaders” are planning to spend, while we state employees are taking yet another pay cut to help fund the buddy system and crooked politics in Frankfort.
Geez, the article above almost made me laugh. My first thought was at least that state might not have to spend a lot of money on office furniture, etc., because I’ve got a gut feeling she won’t be spending that much time at a desk working. May just be around a desk somewhere, dictating………..
I’ve gotta quit reading all the crap that is going on in and around Frankfort until the Gov. gets want he wants, GAMBLING, or I’m going to stroke out. Either that or my head is going to start spinning all the way around….
I cannot believe I wasted my vote on this man….Ernie Flecther isn’t looking so bad. Steve & Dan, don’t get comfy, you boys are definitely only gonna be there for one term…..Can’t wait till you have to face the folks in your home town that you made all the empty promises too.
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your statement is bo-dumb. Ernest delivered corruption, hypocrisy and poverty. He broke the state. Beshear’s dealing with bad hand dealt by Fletcher.