BluegrassReport.org

Time To Step-Up And Help KDP!

For those of us that railed for years about needing a true revitalization of the Kentucky Democratic Party -- we got it! The party is now led by some of our young superstars in Chair Jennifer Moore and Vice-Chair Nathan Smith.

But now we need to do what we can to help the new party thrive and provide them the resources it needs to even more effectively compete with the McConnell machine as we try to take back the U.S. Senate seat held by the man who continues to carry water for the disastrous Bush Administration, not to mention taking back the state Senate, and aggressively pursuing the competitive congressional races that present themselves.

We got what wished for. Jennifer and Nathan agreed to serve and have been unanimously elected. Now we need to help make it the success we know it can be, and we have a chance to do so on Monday night -- Inauguration Eve -- with the new KDP's first fundraising event called Put the Blue Back in the Bluegrass State (see ad on top right margin) to celebrate the inauguration of our new Democratic Governor, Steve Beshear.

Aside from great entertainment, come spend some time with soon-to-be Governor Beshear and Lt. Governor Mongiardo, Auditor Crit Luallen, Attorney General Jack Conway, Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, the House and Senate leadership, and our awesome former governors.

We all fought hard to help successfully put the party back on track, but that was only half of the battle. Now we need to support it and help it become what we imagine it can be. Tickets are only $100, so I really urge you to come to the event, or make a contribution even if you can't.

Meet The Beshear-Mongiardo Team

With today's announcement by the incoming Beshear-Mongiardo administration of their selections to head-up the Personnel, Environmental and Public Protection and Commerce cabinets, and the Labor Department, the new team is nearly complete (I believe the Health and Family Services Cabinet is the final position awaiting appointment).

Here they are, in order of announcement:

Chief of Staff: Jim Cauley
Secretary of the Cabinet: Larry Hayes
General Counsel: Ellen Hesen
Finance and Administration: Jonathan Miller
Budget Director: Mary Lassiter
Chief Communications Officer: Phil Osborne
Deputy Communications Officer/Spokesperson: Vicki Glass
Senior Advisor: Thomas L. Preston
Transportation: Joseph W. "Joe" Prather
Education: Helen W. Mountjoy
Justice: J. Michael Brown
Adjutant General: Edward Tonini
State Police: Rodney Brewer (Commissioner)
Personnel: Nikki Jackson
Environmental and Public Protection: Robert Vance
Commerce: Marcheta L. Sparrow
Department of Labor: J.R. Gray (Director)
Deputy Chief of Staff: Vince Gabbert (not yet announced)
Chief of Staff to Lt. Gov. Mongiardo: Jeff Derouen (not yet announced)
Policy Director: Joe Meyer (not yet announced)

And while not part of the administration, the following are the Beshear-nominated leadership team at the Kentucky Democratic Party:

Kentucky Democratic Party Chair: Jennifer Moore
Kentucky Democratic Party Vice-Chair: Nathan Smith

Am I missing anyone?

A Brand New Day

Based on Gov.-elect Beshear's (D) early decisions and comments, I think it's safe to say he gets it. The public wants a government that is focused on getting things done and not just taking care of political cronies and they want to keep politics out of the state's Merit System:

Beshear Promises to Toe the Line on Hirings
By Greg Stotelmyer, WTVQ-36

Kentucky's incoming governor says he will respect and follow the merit system. "The spot light will be on us and it should be on us because this is an area that has experienced some abuse," Governor elect Steve Beshear said. Beshear says "politics and the merit system simply do not mix."

[...]

Also today, Beshear announced a web site to accept applications from those who want non-merit jobs. People in those positions help the administration set and implement policy. Beshear says he will not check the party affiliation of applicants or whether they gave to his campaign.

"I don't plan on asking for any kind of blanket resignations of the non-merit people at all," Beshear said of how he will handle the political appointees from the Fletcher administration. "They'll be evaluated on a case by case basis."

So far, so good.

Interested In A Non-Merit Position?

Gov.-elect Beshear (D) has just launched a website for all interested applicants for non-merit workers. Click here to visit www.BeshearTransition.com.

Here's the press release that incoming administration put-out this morning:

Governor-elect Steve Beshear today announced a new website to accept resumes for non-merit positions within the Beshear/Mongiardo Administration.  The new site is www.besheartransition.com.  Non-merit positions include cabinet secretaries, deputies, commissioners and office heads, directors, general counsel positions, and other policy making managers and some administrative assistants.

"I am interested in getting the best and the brightest men and women from across the state to work within my administration," said Beshear.  "These individuals will help develop and implement my policies and will serve at the pleasure of the Governor's office." 

The greatest number of employees in the Executive Branch work under the classified or merit system and are governed by statute and regulations.  To apply for a merit position with the state, individuals should visit the Personnel Cabinet website at  http://personnel.ky.gov. The Personnel Cabinet has established class specifications that set forth experience and training requirements, as well as salary ranges for each and every merit system job.

"The merit law has protections built into the hiring process so that applicants are judged on who they are, not who they know," said Beshear.  "I have the utmost respect for the merit system and am taking every precaution to make sure my management staff likewise respect the merit system and do not interfere with it.  Politics and the merit system simply do not mix."

Individuals who have sent their resume by mail for a non-merit position do not have to reapply by web. Their resumes will be scanned into the new website system. The transition website will remain in operation for at least two months.

How Many More Things Will We Learn That Fletcher Lied About?

Now that his landslide ouster is complete, we're finally learning what we suspected -- Governor Fletcher (R) lied through his teeth about the state of Kentucky's economy.

Earlier today Gov.-elect Beshear (D) told reporters that after having a chance to review some budget data, things aren't as rosy as Fletcher said:

Gov.-elect Steve Beshear has started reviewing the state's financial situation and is predicting "tight times" could be ahead, he said Monday.

Beshear, who takes office on Dec. 11, said he's looking both at the state's current financial situation and at what lies ahead. It's among the many areas his administration has to rein in before taking office.

"It is going to be some tight times financially, it looks like right now," Beshear said.

...On top of that bad news was this blockbuster which Mark Hebert just reported :

...the Cabinet for Health and Family Services submitted its budget request which included asking for a whopping $389 million to cover a shortfall in the medicaid budget THIS fiscal year. That request was submitted, as required, on November 15th, nine days after election day. It was an election in which Fletcher repeatedly bragged about his administration bringing the medicaid budget under control.

...And then this:

“I think you would have to ask the governor what he would mean by saying we had Medicaid under control,” said Beshear Cabinet Secretary Larry Haynes.

On top of the hole in the Medicaid budget, WHAS11 News has learned that four state agencies -- Corrections, Juvenile Justice, Veterans Affairs and Parks -- are all currently in the red.

Wasn't it just a few months ago that Fletcher wanted to call a special session to spend his fictitious budget surplus on his pet projects during the general election?

Looks like our ordained-minister-turned-politician was every bit the charlatan that we suspected. Good riddance to these crooks.

P.S. -- And please don't go looking for those 100,000 new jobs that Fletcher claims to have created either. They don't exist. Did even come close. But that's one item we've been on top of for quite a while.

Beshear Taps Jennifer Moore To Be KDP Chair, Nathan Smith As Vice-Chair

This morning, Gov.-elect Beshear (D) has recommended that Jennifer Moore be elected Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and that Northern Kentuckian Nathan Smith be elected Vice-Chair:

Governor-elect Steve Beshear today announced his intention to recommend the election of Jennifer Moore, age 33, as Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and Nathan Smith, age 36, as Vice-Chair.  Moore, who has served since June as the Party's Vice Chair, would replace Jonathan Miller, who is resigning as Chair to assume his duties as Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet in the Beshear Administration.

Governor-elect Beshear will make his recommendation at the next meeting of the Kentucky Democratic Party's State Central Executive Committee which will be scheduled for Saturday, December 1, 2007. Pursuant to the Party's bylaws, Moore will serve as Acting Chair of the party until the State Central Executive Committee votes.

Obviously, I'm thrilled with the move as I've been a broken record over the past few years in highlighting the political rock-star that is Jennifer Moore -- as many of you have.

Also, I really love the move of recommending Nathan Smith to be Vice-Chair. Northern Kentucky Democrats have shown a great deal of muscle and organization of late in a political environment that is not in their favor. Despite the shifting landscape, NKY Dems have been very aggressive in targeting their efforts (recall the unexpectedly narrow losses in the state House last year by Randy Blankenship and Linda Klembara), and arguably the biggest story on Election Night this year was Beshear's double-digit margins in Kenton and Campbell Counties and losing the staunchly conservative Boone County by a stunning 300 votes, and Nathan has played a very large role in those successes.

As Vice Chair, Smith will be crucial in helping to recruit candidates to challenge both State Sen. Damon Thayer (R) and State Sen. Jack Westwood (R) next year, which is crucial to taking back the state Senate, the second biggest target out there next year for Kentucky Democrats after defeating U.S. Senator McConnell (R).

A great move.

The Lunacy of State Rep. Jon Draud (R) -- Candidate For State School Superintendent

Only in the past few days have I been able to check out some of the public statements that State Rep. Jon Draud (R) -- one of the four current "finalists" for state superintendent public schools -- has said over the years, and I'm more frightened than ever.

Aside from the clear odor of a sense of entitlement that emanated from today's Kentucky Post story -- when Draud whined about Gov.-elect Beshear's (D) preference in re-opening and broadening the search -- Draud has made a few comments that really deserve a little attention.

In May 2006, during the middle of the Fletcher Merit System scandal, Draud made this remarkable comment about the very wrongdoing that cost Fletcher's re-election:

"I don't want to trivialize any of this, but I've said it all along, to the victor goes the spoils," Draud said at the time. "Fletcher won that office, and he deserves to bring in some of his own people. The Democrats did it for years."

(As an aside -- beyond that scary rationalization for Fletcher breaking the law, one might ask why Draud isn't using that same logic as far as Gov.-elect Beshear (D) having some say over who is hired as the next state school superintendent?)

But there's more bits of wisdom from Draud that should concern us.

Back in 1999, Draud penned an op-ed in the Kentucky Post blaming the First Amendment for the problem of violence in schools, further compounded by the lack of God in our public schools, and went as far as to "demand that our judges stop the media industry from brainwashing our society with violence and indecent conduct said we should demand that judges."

Here are some excerpts (thanks to a reader for pointing this out):

Pendulum swings too far in protecting individual rights
Guest column by Jon Draud

I would like to focus on the First Amendment to our Constitution as one of the major reasons for the increased violence in our society and ultimately our schools.

...The major answer to the question, why did these tragedies occur in Columbine, Jonesboro, Paducah and other cities in our country, is that our culture has been changed by the entertainment industry under the protection of the First Amendment.

...Throughout my 36 years of education, I have observed teachers and school officials attempting to discipline students. The wearing of trench coats, army fatigues and other inappropriate behaviors were not permitted when most of us were students. You may ask, why don't teachers and school administrators stop this behavior? Because today students are protected as parents complain that you are violating their child's First Amendment rights of expression...

Furthermore, we have taken God out of our society and our schools. Our major institutions are afraid to teach values, while many parents have completely abdicated their responsibilities. Parents frequently do not teach their children about God and traditional American values, and schools are forbidden to do so by our court system. Our political leaders are often terrible role models for our children who view their inappropriate behavior in office. Then there are the adults who do weird and unacceptable things, write books about them, and reap huge economic benefits. We glorify the villains and minimize the accomplishments of our heroes. Is it any wonder, we have a lost generation of teens who are turning violent?

Yes, it is important that in a free society that free speech for our citizens is protected. However, it is my position that we cannot allow the entertainment industry to destroy our great country. The entertainment business under the auspices of the First Amendment has created a new culture for us - a culture of violence protected by the First Amendment...

Can we save our great Republic? What can we do to put the brakes on this trip to social chaos? We can pass laws to have police officers for schools, require metal detectors and other security measures. We can require our teachers to teach conflict-resolution skills and to develop skills to identify emotionally disturbed young people. We can demand that our judges stop the media industry from brainwashing our society with violence and indecent conduct. We can do it. However, it will take a strong will of our citizens to relieve the destruction of our culture. The question is, ''Do we have the commitment?''

This is the man that might lead Kentucky's public schools? Frightening...

State Rep. Jon Draud (R) Whines About Gov.-Elect Beshear's (D) Request To Broaden State School Superintendent Search

Check out today's Kentucky Post story on the ongoing controversy concerning the search for a new state school superintendent. Could State Rep. Jon Draud (R) be any more whiny about Gov.-elect Beshear's (D) request that the school board consider broadening the search, and how he seems to think the suggestion might be directed at him personally? It's not as though they've settled on just one candidate. He's one of four finalists.

I don't know Draud, but he sure comes off as just another painfully self-centered politician in this story.

UPDATE (4:09 PM): While I can't vouch for its accuracy, a reader sent me a note about Draud's quest to be state schools chief that seemed worth sharing, for what it's worth. Is anyone familiar with this matter?

An issue pertaining to Jon Draud for Kentucky Education Commissioner should be reviewed a little more closely.  Is there an ethics issue surrounding Draud?  Draud was former superintendent of Ludlow Schools, a city of about 5,000 people.  A few years ago Ludlow was searching for a new superintendent.  Draud was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

He wanted his son, Scott, to be the Ludlow school boss.  He called each of the school board members pressuring them to hire his son.  Ethically should a member of the legislature be calling school board members on his son’s behalf?  What would he do as Commissioner of Education?

Steve Beshear was correct in asking for a renewed search for the someone to head Kentucky’s educational system.  By the way, several years ago Draud changed is first name from John to Jon.

The Contrast

Sometimes it's the small things that make a difference. Courtesy of Larry Dale Keeling:

After announcing some more additions to his staff today, Beshear was asked about the hidden door Fletcher had installed that allowed him to go from his office to a conference room without walking down a public hallway. Beshear indicated he would use the hall instead of the door and added "I think I'm going to walk" to work as well.

Gov.-Elect Beshear (D) Names More To Administration

More announcements from Gov.-elect Beshear (D) on those joining his administration:

Governor-Elect Beshear Announces Finance & Communications Teams

FRANKFORT, KY (November 9, 2007) - Governor-elect Steve Beshear today announced that his Finance Team will be made up of Jonathan Miller, as Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and Mary Lassiter as Budget Director; his Communications Team will be made up of Phil Osborne as Chief Communications Officer and Vicki Glass as Deputy Communications Officer and Spokesperson.

Jonathan Miller of Lexington has served as Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and two terms as the Kentucky State Treasurer. Miller is a graduate of Harvard College and Law School. As a long-time advocate of education, in 2000, Miller helped implement the Kentucky Affordable Prepaid Tuition program (KAPT). Along with many initiatives aimed at making education accessible and affordable for Kentucky's students, Miller has also turned his focus to helping military families, women and state employees. 

Mary Lassiter of Midway has served in the office of the State Budget Director since 1998.  Most recently she has served as Deputy Executive Director/Governor's Office for Policy Research. In 2002-2003 she served as Acting State Budget Director for Governor Paul Patton. Prior to that, from 1999-2002, Lassiter served as Deputy Executive Director/Governor's Office of Policy Research. From 1998-1999 she served as Special Assistant to the State Budget Director.

Phil Osborne of Lexington has been the owner and CEO of the public relations firm Preston-Osborne since 1997.  In the two decades that he has been with the firm, Osborne has consulted numerous health care organizations, utility companies, government agencies, political candidates and grassroots organizations on strategic marketing initiatives, research studies, management re-organization and dealing with the media. Largely due to his efforts, the firm's survey research division has evolved into a stand-alone center to accommodate projects throughout the United States.

Vicki Glass of Louisville has more than seventeen years experience in marketing, media and public relations. Most recently she served as the Director of Communications for the Beshear/Mongiardo campaign.  From 2004-2007 she served as Director of Communications and Executive Advisor for State Attorney General Greg Stumbo. Previously, Glass served as Director of Communications for Mayor David Armstrong, holding the role of spokesperson and media liaison for the City of Louisville. She was a television news reporter in Nashville, Buffalo and Louisville. Glass has a MA degree in Corporate Communication with emphasis in crisis management, image development and organizational dynamics.

Update On School Superintendent Search

Whether or not Gov.-elect Beshear (D) intended to do so, I think this puts the state school board in an awkward situation. Without a doubt, the selection is the board's call, but don't they run the risk of looking very stubborn over a reasonable request to re-open the search to determine whether any additional highly-qualified candidates might be interested in being considered now that the election is over? Wouldn't that be a good thing for Kentucky's students, which ought to be the guiding factor here?

Given the board's earlier fiasco why wouldn't they want to slow down the process a little longer, considering how long this search has been going on in the first place?

Seems like a lot of territorial stubbornness at play.

Beshear asks state education board to delay choice of commissioner
By Raviya H. Ismail, Herald-Leader

Gov.-elect Steve Beshear suggested Friday that the Kentucky Board of Education delay its selection of a new chief and hire a competent search firm.

Board members said they appreciated Beshear’s comments but they didn’t want to abandon their plans or the current applicants for education commissioner. The board is evaluating four finalists for the job.

“We didn’t enter into this search without a lot of thought and consideration,” Janna P. Vice said. “What we have said to candidates is very important.”

The board had planned to select the next commissioner after closed meetings Nov. 13 and 14.

Beshear, who won the governor’s race Tuesday, said he doesn’t have a preferred timetable for selecting a new commissioner, but he wants the state to get the best possible candidate. Because of the political upheaval of an election year, some candidates haven’t applied, Beshear said. He also said the board needs to recruit qualified people.

[...]

“I’ve made my feelings known in terms of the process of it,” Beshear said Thursday. “At the same time, it’s not my job to select a person.”

The four finalists in the latest commissioner search are: Jim Warford, 58, chief executive officer of the Florida Association of School Administrators; Rep. Jon Draud, 69, a Republican legislator from Kenton County and former superintendent of Ludlow Independent Schools; Richard Hughes, 61, a Morehead State University education instructor and former Hardin County schools superintendent; and Larry Vick, 59, superintendent of Owensboro Independent Schools.

Source: Tracy & Carol Farmer and Wade & Alice Houston To Be Named Inaugural Committee Chairs Today

A source tells me that at this afternoon's press conference Gov.-elect Beshear (D) will name Tracy and Carol Farmer and Wade and Alice Houston as his Inaugural Committee chairs.

Is Pence's Willingness To Serve On Beshear's Transition Team The Work Of A True Public Servant, Or Another Step Toward A Political Comeback?

Here a  little follow-up on Gov.-elect Beshear's (D) decision to name Lt. Governor Pence (R) as a chair on his transition team:

Pence will serve as the chairman of the Justice Cabinet transition.  Pence was secretary of that cabinet until he was removed by Fletcher after their falling out.

"This is not and should not be a political endeavor," Pence said of his decision to join the transition team.  "I think it's my obligation as Lt. Governor to say yes to that."  Pence says he will not seek a position in Beshear's administration.  Instead, he will go into private law practice with his wife.  Beshear gave Pence his first job as a lawyer when he hired him while Kentucky's Attorney General more than 20 years ago.

Pence is one of 12 transition team leaders.  It's a diverse group, including two Republicans, two African-Americans and five females.  "As you can see from looking at this group, I meant what I said," Beshear noted about his promise for a diverse administration.  In addition to Pence, former State Representative Steve Nunn, the son of the late Louie Nunn, the last GOP Governor before Fletcher, has joined the transition team.  He will head the change over inside the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet.

Governor Fletcher's spokeswoman, Jodi Whitaker, said Thursday of the Pence selection, "Mr. Beshear's transition team is up to his discretion and we wish him well." 

Pence has stayed in his elected position, despite being bumped out of his Justice Cabinet role and endorsing one of Fletcher's primary opponents, Anne Northup.  "People are tired of having everything seen through a prism of political affiliation," said Pence.  "If we're really going to make progress we've got to put that aside, at least for that transition, we can do that."

A reader reminded me of something worth filing away. If Jefferson County Irv Maze (D) is selected as Justice Cabinet Secretary, as speculated in media reports, might this create an opening for Pence to seek the vacancy to that post once Maze vacated? Recall that Pence lost to Maze in 1998 for that very job and since the position is considered part-time, Pence would not have to give up his law practice to hold the post.

If Pence was interested in political rehabilitation, two effective moves would be to demonstrate bipartisanship by assisting the incoming Democratic governor as well as re-building good will among Jefferson County voters in a role such as county attorney, which suits his prosecutorial background and further the process of de-linking himself from Governor Fletcher (R) in the mind of the public. One might argue the decision to publicly endorse Anne Northup (R) was step one in that process, which was no doubt a well-received move in Louisville.

Of course, Pence's relationship with Beshear goes way back to when Beshear was attorney general and Pence was (I believe) a young lawyer in his office and this could be nothing more than Pence continuing his public service for someone he knows and presumably respects.

But it's worth keeping an eye on this, nevertheless.

(By the way, does anyone know off-hand how Maze's position would be filled if there was a vacancy? Would the Metro Council make the selection? UPDATE: I just learned that Mayor Jerry Abramson (D) would get to make the appointment to the fill the vacancy until there is a special election, not the Metro Council. Though, I don't know who calls the special election...you answer one question and out pops another...Okay, UPDATE #2: There would be an election for the unexpired term in November 2008 per the state constitution.)

Governor-Elect Beshear (D) Names Lt. Gov. Pence (R) Transition Team Chair

Just released from Gov.-elect Beshear (D) are the chairs to his transition team.

Note that current Lt. Governor Steve Pence (R) is on it which seems like a very smart move by Beshear (and Pence). In fact, the whole team is well-balanced across the political spectrum, diverse in many ways, and just rock-solid.

A great first step, in my opinion.

Governor-Elect Beshear Announces Chief of Staff, General Counsel, Secretary of the Cabinet and Transition Team

FRANKFORT, KY (November 8, 2007) - Governor-elect Steve Beshear today announced that his campaign manager, Jim Cauley, will serve as Chief of Staff in the Beshear/Mongiardo Administration and Ellen Hesen will serve as General Counsel.  Beshear also announced that his Lieutenant Governor-elect, Dr. Daniel Mongiardo, and Larry Hayes will co-chair his Transition Team. Hayes will also serve as Secretary of the Cabinet under the Beshear/Mongiardo Administration. 

Jim Cauley, a Pikeville native and resident of Louisville, ran Barack Obama's successful bid for the U.S. Senate. Cauley also recently played a leading role in helping Democratic candidates regain the majority of governorships for the first time since 1994.  Prior to that, Cauley served as Transition Director and Chief of Staff to Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger in the 2nd Congressional District of Maryland. A veteran of more than 20 campaigns, Cauley ran the Maryland Fund, an independent expenditure campaign that ran issue advertising about Governor Bob Ehrlich's record - the only incumbent governor to be defeated last November. 

Ellen Hesen, of Louisville, has practiced law for 20 years. Most recently, Hesen has served as General Counsel for the State Auditor's Office. She began her career with the Jefferson County Attorney's Office, was an associate at the former firm of Barnett & Alagia, and was a partner at Woodward, Hobson & Fulton, before coming to state government. During the past eight years, Hesen served as General Counsel to the Cabinet for Health Services, Interim Commissioner for the Department for Medicaid Services, and Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet for Health Services. 

Lt. Governor-elect, Dr. Mongiardo, graduated from the University of Kentucky School of Medicine and practices as the only ear, nose and throat surgeon for a large area of Southeastern Kentucky. He was elected in 2000 to the State Senate, representing Bell, Harlan, Leslie and Perry Counties. From May - November of 2003 Mongiardo was vice-chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party.   

Larry Hayes currently serves as both deputy mayor and secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet  in the City of Louisville.  Most recently, Hayes owned Midwest Construction, Inc. in Lexington and partial interests in a warehousing and distribution business in Elizabethtown.  Hayes has held several positions in state government and in the private sector.  Hayes served as the first president of what is now Greater Louisville, Inc. from 1987-1988.  In state government, he served as Secretary of the Executive Cabinet and State Budget Director from 1983 through 1987 in the administration of Governor Martha Layne Collins. Prior to that, he was the Executive Assistant to the Kentucky State Senate President for six years.

Beshear also named the Chairs of the Beshear/Mongiardo Transition Team. They include:

• Ed Holmes of Lexington, Chair of the Governor's Office: Holmes created and serves and President and owner of EHI Consultants, a planning and engineering firm created in 1995.  He has more than 30 years experience in the public and private sector.  Prior to creating EHI, Holmes served as Director of Planning for the Bluegrass Area Development District for 16 years.  In 1994, he was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for the Kentucky Cabinet for Public Protection and Regulation, where he was responsible for the oversight of the state's regulated agencies.  In 1997, he was appointed to the Kentucky Public Service Commission to serve as Vice Chairman and was responsible for regulating Kentucky's utilities.  In 2003 he assumed the position of  Vice President of Cincinnati Bell Telephone, managing the company's business development operations.
                  
• JoEtta Wickliffe of Harrodsburg, Chair of the Economic Development Cabinet: Wickliffe has served on the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees since 1997. She previously served as Vice Chair of the Board, a member of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Finance Committee, Chair of the Audit Subcommittee and a member of the Investment Committee.  She has also been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and Director of the State Bank & Trust Company in Harrodsburg since 1963.
                 
• Mark D. Guilfoyle of Northern Kentucky, Chair of the Finance Cabinet:  Guilfoyle has been an attorney with Deters, Benzinger & LaVelle, PSC  in Covington, Kentucky from 1995 to present. His emphasis is on labor and employment relations, administrative and zoning law, economic development/governmental affairs and constitutional law. From 1991 to 1995, Mark served in the administration of Kentucky Governor Brereton C. Jones, serving at the highest levels of the administration as General Counsel to the Governor, Budget Director and Secretary of the Governor's Executive Cabinet.
                    
• Carol Palmore of Frankfort, Chair of the Personnel Cabinet: After working for three years with the Kentucky Department of Economic Security, Palmore became an attorney and practiced with Rummage, Kamuf and Yewell in Owensboro until 1982 when she accepted a position as General Counsel in the Kentucky Department of Labor during the Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. Administration.  She later served as Deputy Secretary, then Secretary of Labor under Governor Martha Layne Collins.  She also served as Secretary of Labor during most of the Governor Wallace Wilkinson Administration and, in 1991, was again appointed to the position by Governor Brereton Jones.  In 1995 she made an unsuccessful run to become the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State. In 1996 Governor Paul Patton appointed Palmore as Deputy Secretary of Personnel and subsequently appointed her Secretary of Personnel - a position she maintained until retirement in December, 2003.
                 
• Eleanor Jordan of Louisville, Chair of the Health and Family Services Cabinet: Jordan was elected to serve in the Kentucky General Assembly, representing the 42nd legislative district, after a special election in January, 1996.  Representative Jordan served on the Labor & Industry, Health and Welfare, Licensing and Occupations and the Appropriations and Revenue Committees. She co-chaired the Medicaid Managed Care Oversight Committee, the Welfare Reform Subcommittee and the Foster Care Review Task Force.  In 2001, Jordan was appointed by Governor Paul Patton as Ombudsman for the Cabinet for Families and Children.  Her staff of more than 100 investigated grievances against the Cabinet, monitored personal service contracts, made recommendations to the Cabinet Secretary on improving service delivery and compiled data of the Cabinet's annual reports. In 2004, Jordan began work as a principal assistant to Attorney General Greg Stumbo.  Her duties included chairing the Kentucky Child Support Enforcement Commission, acting as the minority affairs liaison and coordinating consumer affairs outreach for the Shively Field Office.
              
• Donna Moore of Lexington, Chair of the Education Cabinet: From 1975-2004 Moore worked for Kentucky Educational Television, advancing from Associate Producer to Senior Producer for Public Affairs. Assignments included the initial coverage of the Kentucky General Assembly and live televised forums with candidates for statewide office.  She also produced and hosted various documentaries, event coverage and live weekly programs on KET.  Moore was appointed Director of Programming with responsibility for selecting and scheduling all programming on the statewide television network. She was appointed to the position of Deputy Executive Director with the responsibility for all programming, production and promotion activities of KET before retiring in 2004.
              
• Steve Nunn of Glasgow, Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet: Nunn is a former Republican member of the State House of Representatives from Glasgow/Barren County. Serving the 23rd Legislative District, Nunn was an active member on the Appropriations and Revenue Committee, State Government Committee and was vice chair of the Health and Welfare Committee. He also served on the Budget Review Subcommittee for Human Resources, Medicaid Taskforce and the Subcommittee on Families and Children. In the private sector, Nunn has served as a physician recruiter for T.J. Samson Hospital in Glasgow, Kentucky. He is the son of the last Republican governor, Louie Nunn.
                 
• Steve Pence of Louisville, as Chair of the Justice Cabinet: On December 9, 2003, Steve Pence became the first Republican lieutenant governor in Kentucky since 1946. He served as Chair of the Justice Cabinet during the Fletcher administration. Pence began his career as a public school teacher in Jefferson County. After law school, Steve worked as an assistant attorney general for Kentucky from 1981-1982. In the early 1990s, he was a lead attorney in BOPTROT, the investigation to uncover and eliminate corruption in state government.  He was formerly a partner with the Pedley, Zielke, Gordinier and Pence law firm (1995-2001). Pence was appointed by President George W. Bush as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky and was confirmed to that position in 2001. Following September 11th, Pence established and led the Anti-Terrorism Task Force (ATTF) in Kentucky.  He served in the U.S. Army and continues to serve as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve JAG Corps.
               
• Helen Mountjoy of Owensboro, as Chair of the Commerce Cabinet: Mountjoy is the Executive Vice President of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation, Chair of the Owensboro Advisory Board for BB&T and a member of the Kentucky Chamber's Postsecondary Education Task Force, the High Price of Being Poor Commission. She also serves as a Board member of the Partnership for Successful Schools, is a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, and a Board Member of the Foundation for Health for Owensboro Medical.
              
• Ernesto Scorsone of Lexington, as Chair of Transportation Cabinet: Senator Ernesto Scorsone, an attorney,  has been a member of the Kentucky Legislature since 1984, serving as a State Representative for 12 years and, since 1996, represented Fayette County's 13th District in the State Senate. Senator Scorsone has sponsored or helped pass legislation that include laws mandating violent offenders to serve 85% of their sentences, protected the elderly from financial mismanagement by a trustee or caretaker, strengthened Kentucky's Hate Crime Law, backed a strong ethics code for legislators, developed Kentucky's Living Will and required that insurance companies cover the cost of mammography screenings. His committee assignments include Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health and Welfare, Judiciary, Licensing, Occupations & Administrative Regulations and Government Contract Review. He is also a former Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Another Viewpoint On State School Superintendent Search

I wanted to post a contrarian viewpoint that a reader -- who I personally know is very familiar and experienced with the dynamics of state education (and no fan of Fletcher or the current board) -- just offered concerning yesterday's discussion on the search for a new state school superintendent:

It's not reasonable to expect Beshear to have much influence, given that all 11 Board members were appointed by Fletcher, and they have different concerns than Beshear does. He can talk to them, but they owe him nothing and are not likely to perform as he would want.

Nor can he possibly accomplish much with this Board. Good national searches CAN be done for Kentucky: just look at the superb choice identified by the Jefferson County national search in the last year. But here, no qualified applicant with national stature or ambition would apply to be hired by a completely lame duck Board. So we've got four white guys nearing the end of their careers, none of whom have ever even been superintendent of a district the size of Fayette Co., much less a state with thirty times as many students and major policymaking responsibilities.

Beshear really has only two bad options. Ask this Board to resign so a new process can begin with the obvious political support of a new Administration, or keep his hands away from the exploding bombs.

And while asking the Board to resign is tempting -- and the public at large may expect Beshear to be accountable -- it's completely contrary to the current laws (which are designed to remove the Board from constant and destructive political interference), and it is a dangerous two-edged sword. Fletcher could have asked Patton's Board to resign too. But he resisted that option (which governors in other states have sometimes not done), and he chose not to disturb the legislature's decision to remove the Board from (most) political interference.

Beshear should probably do the same. And just focus on getting the best Board in place that he can, when his appointments are due.

Will They Ever Learn?

So...the very same group that unimaginably bungled their earlier task to hire a state school superintendent is working as fast as possible to interview and hire a new one, even though Gov.-elect Beshear (D) has expressed his concerns about the process and wants to meet with them about it first.

Here's what they said in response:

Joe Brothers, chairman of the board of education, said he had not yet been contacted by Beshear to schedule a meeting.

“We’d be more than happy to talk with him; we always want to work with the governor, whether he is new or not,” Brothers said. “As of right now, we plan to meet Tuesday to interview the candidates and should everything come together, we could name someone as early as next week.”

Just wondering whose best interests they think they're serving with this sort of rank stubbornness? Given their abject failure last time they tried to hire a superintendent, wouldn't it behoove them to step back for a second and first sit down the guy who just won a 19-point victory by the voters to be Kentucky's next governor, even if they have the final say on the hiring?

Or is that too reasonable for these folks?

Incredible.

Photo Caption Time!

It's been a while since we had a Photo Caption Contest. Give it a whirl. This should be good.

Gov.-elect Beshear's (D) First Press Conference

If you're interested in watching Gov.-elect Beshear's (D) first press conference, click here.