Personnel Board votes to save 82 political appointments
By John Cheves – jcheves@herald-leader.com
Gov. Steve Beshear
FRANKFORT — At the request of Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, the Kentucky Personnel Board on Friday voted to exempt 82 political appointments from a budget-cutting law that would have abolished them Dec. 31 and saved the state more than $5.2 million.
In most of the individual votes, the governor’s five appointees to the Personnel Board did as his administration asked, including chairman Cecil Dunn, whose son was one of the Beshear aides at risk. Dunn said he would not act on his son’s job but otherwise participated in Friday’s discussion and voting.
The two board members chosen by state merit workers voted against exempting nine of the non-merit jobs, saying they needed more information about why they are necessary during a state budget crisis. They sometimes were joined by David Stevens, a former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman whom Beshear named to the board.
The 82 appointed positions, with titles such as “policy adviser” and “special assistant,” are in mid-level management across state government. They get an average salary of $74,457. Nearly 40 percent of the appointees in question are campaign donors to Beshear, the Democratic Party or both.
When the two dissenting board members asked Nikki Jackson, secretary of Beshear’s Personnel Cabinet, to explain how certain appointed positions were justified — including two that have been vacant for three years — Jackson said she could provide them with no additional information Friday. But she assured them the jobs are necessary for state government to function.
“These are key functions,” Jackson said. “We are not in the business of just handing out jobs for the sake of filling jobs.”
“What you’re asking us to do for all of these positions is take your word,” board member Susan Gardner, who represents merit workers, later told Jackson.
In a statement issued later, Beshear said: “Certain positions are critical to the continuing function of state government, and the Personnel Board confirmed that today. We have committed to reducing $5 million from the non-merit payroll this fiscal year, and we will achieve that goal. Each position before the board was carefully reviewed to determine whether the position continued to fill a critical service.”
The other board member who represents merit workers, Larry Gillis, pointed out that some of the appointees perform basic office duties or technology support that could be done instead by merit workers, who tend to be paid less and who don’t serve at the governor’s pleasure.
Gillis said state agencies also might be able to consolidate their appointed jobs. For example, he said, the state Office for Local Government had eight appointees on the list of 82 at risk. Could they make do with fewer, he asked.
About two dozen merit workers took a vacation day to attend the meeting in protest of approving the jobs. They wore stickers on their shirts that read “No to the 81.” (Originally, the Beshear administration asked the board to exempt 81 appointments; it added an 82nd position, from the Labor Cabinet, before Friday’s meeting.) Independent gubernatorial candidate Gatewood Galbraith and his running mate Dea Riley mingled with them.
“I’m not surprised,” Melissa Jan Williamson, vice president of the Kentucky Association of State Employees, said after watching the votes.
“They’re supposed to be an independent body, but they didn’t act independently today,” said Williamson, a lawyer with the Labor Cabinet. “They rubber-stamped what the governor wanted them to do.”
Although some of the 82 appointed positions do valuable work, others appear to reward campaign supporters and provide little return to the public, Williamson said.
Last winter, in response to the state budget shortfall, the legislature tried to force Beshear to curb his political appointments.
Beshear vetoed a provision in the state budget that called for a specific reduction in the number of appointees. But he signed another bill into law that limited mid-level appointees to no more than one per cabinet secretary, commissioner or office chief. Any positions in excess of that would be abolished Dec. 31 unless the Personnel Board granted them a five-year reprieve.
The Beshear administration said 84 non-merit jobs in the state’s executive branch fell into this category, most under the governor but also a few under the attorney general, secretary of state and agriculture commissioner. Ultimately, it asked the board to exempt all but two of these jobs.
State Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, who is challenging Beshear for his job next year, on Friday called the board’s decision “very unfortunate.” Beshear ordered six days of unpaid furlough for all state workers, including the lowest paid, and yet he’s fighting to keep his appointees on the payroll, Williams said.
The other Republican gubernatorial candidate, Phil Moffett, said, “A big challenge for 2011 is bringing the Tea Party influence to Frankfort. We clearly have a lot of work to do.”
The number of Beshear appointees dropped from 826 in January to 795 in October, according to the governor’s office. Some appointees have been laid off; others left and were not replaced.
Filed Under: Dea Riley • Democratic Party • Featured • Gatewood Galbraith • State Budget • State Government • Steve Beshear
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
I call shenanigans.
Even though I expected it, I am furious at the personnel board. I always knew they were just yes-men who rubber-stamped whatever they were told to approve, and today’s actions prove it beyond doubt. The personnel board is nothing more than an extension of Beshear’s azz-kissing, sucking-up toadies. Beshear asks them to bend over and they say “how far”. The merit employees have nobody who can help them. All the people in power are in bed with Beshear. Nikki Jackson and personnel board, you make me sick. Quit e-mailing us state employees your little missives–they mean nothing to me but a slap in the face by a corrupt entity.
of course!!!!
Earlier this year, state employees were furloughed so there would not be any lay offs. Then a few days latter K.E.T. (a state agency and the only agency to do so) layed off 13 essential personel. Some were to retire very soon. This after deputy directors gave themselves large raises (one received nearly a $28K raise).
The Governor was approached to do the right thing and show the voters that abuse of power would not be tolerated by reinstating
these employees back to their positions.
But he declined to do so.
Now, he saves the jobs of his buddies,
This stinks!!!
It is okay because these are democrat appointments. If it were the evil republicans, I’d be against it.
I think it’s time to organize.
Nikki Jackson couldn’t tell them anything because she doesn’t know shiot. She needed to be fired when they ruled she could not have any oversight in the largest contract Personnel has (health Insurance). Someone should check her card reader report to see what time she shows up and how often she shows up.
It’s nice to know that at least of couple of state employees showed up for the meeting.
[...] Personnel Board votes to save 82 political appointments … [...]
With over 93,000 state employees (includes all drawing a state paycheck) and over 100,000 retirees, it certainly is time to organize.
I don’t mind the furloughs if needed. Obviously they are not. I like working but for Beshear to smack us right in the face with a $5.2m expenditure he signed to eliminate non merit positions just drives me crazy.
We will not be able to organize but we can organize our votes and vote all the morons out of office who do not support fiscal responsibility. I don’t care what party they are from.
Big corporations dump 10% of their workforce every year. We need to do that. But will we remember?
I always knew they were just yes-men who rubber-stamped whatever they were told to approve, and today’s actions prove it beyond doubt.
Not entirely true. The Personnel Board often stuck it to the Fletcher administration.
If you had said “I always knew they were just Democrat yes-men” you would have won the grand prize.
My question is, how can the Personnel Board override a law?
I do wonder why the Governor didn’t just veto he bill rather than signing it into law. Why sign something he has no intention of honoring? Sounds very slimy to me…
I think we can organize. Research what they have done in North Carolina (and no furloughs). It seems there were organizations there trying to do something. If we began supporting their efforts, it could begin to unify our voice.
My, My, My, listen at all the whining going on. It’s a shame some don’t look at the entire picture. Let’s take our blinders off. Political appointees have been around since Washington was President. Many are needed to manage the day-to-day operations of government. Any governor, Rep or Dem is not going to put his or her faith in many of the merit employees now. Who’s going to manage these departments and offices? Many of THEM don’t do anything but sit around and draw a check. Yes, state government needs to be cleaned and streamlined, but no one has stepped up to the plate to do anything about it. And if the Rep get in, and that is if, some will be sittin here complaining about them. Let’s look at the Reps that are running now. Look how they have spent our money; espec in our legislature. They give them selves raises, fatten their retirement and no one complains about that. What a sweet deal they have at our expense. No, I’m not fooled; cutting $5.2M from the payroll is small potatoes and this isn’t nothing but political postering for 2011. Someone found a wave to ride and they have their surfboards out.
And the Tea Baggers, HA Hey, let’s get Palin in here to run, after all she can see Russia from her house… What a joke…
Incredibly discouraging.
Sure, political appointees are nothing new, but then again, merit employees continue to receive pay cuts at the same time these useless positions are being filled. Some of them have been vacant 3 years(!), and Nikki still has the nerve to call them “essential”?
And yes, merit employees can do any job that a political flunky can do. Save the money and let some low-paid state worker do the job.
Turn out the lights gov. your time is now over after getting this done. Had hopes that you were a man of your word, but I guess not. See at the poles in November.
If Governor Besmear’s goal is to p*ss off every state merit employee – then he has succeeded.
Looks like one and done for him.
Every time that Beshear messes with state employees – then David Williams winds up winning. Because state employees are moving toward Gatewood, which is taking votes away from Beshear. Which helps Williams….Beshear you might want to get some new campaign strategists.
“State Employees for Gatewood”
Bashear, you’ll be looking for a job, along with your friends, next year !!!!
Lets just make sure Bashear is unemployed next year. He and his friends will be job hunting !!!!!
Beshear is playing politics. It will win him the election. I don’t like him saving these jobs while screwing state employees. Elections aren’t won with merit employees. They are won with Louisville (running partner), Western KY, and teachers.
Williams will put KY back into the civil war time. He has no problem taking care of himself. He has made sure the Legislative Branch got increases at the expense of others. He doomed the regular session and look at the pay out to his and Stumbo’s special session payoffs. He will live rich and could care less about the residents. His running mate just gave a bunch of big raises. Wasn’t that a slap to those on furloughs? What state employee isn’t doing more?
Who can beat him Williams.ha ha
Much has been said about the lazy and incompetent non-merit employee and yes, some of that is true. However, it has been my experience that maybe also be said of many merit employees as well. There are several differences. The primary one is this, the non-merit employees can be fired. It is almost impossible to get rid of a merit employee. Let’s face it, most merit employees only moan about non-merit employees because they aren’t one.
yes
Do not get your girls wear a plain white bridesmaid dress on stage in order to avoid distracting.
http://www.weddingdressmart.com
This Is The Best Blogs…
I think this is among the most significant info for me. And i’m glad reading your article. But want to remark on few general things, The site style is ideal, the articles is really nice….