When Fletcher got elected he promised that he would reduce the size of government and increase efficiency. One of his best steps was to merge cabinets and slim down the administration of running state government.
Well Beshear has been elected and he isn't taking very long to
reverse course.
"I want the cabinet secretaries to be in place," he said. "We are going to instruct cabinet secretaries to take a detailed look at the cabinets" to determine whether any need to be split or reorganized.
Specifically, he cited the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet as ripe for chopping up. Nicknamed by some in Frankfort as the "Kitchen Sink Cabinet," the agency contains natural resources departments that oversee environmental and mining issues, a host of regulatory commissions that cover industries from insurance to housing to utilities to horse racing, and the labor department.
"I have promised during the campaign to create a Labor Cabinet," Beshear said Tuesday, adding that he will stick to that pledge.
The Health and Family Services Cabinet is another agency that Beshear said he'd consider slicing in half. Under Gov. Paul Patton's administration, the Health Cabinet handled the Medicaid program and public health department, while the Children and Family Services Cabinet was the home base for social workers. Gov. Ernie Fletcher merged the two in 2003.
Beshear promised he would save money by making government more efficient. He seems to be off to a poor start. Rather than working to reduce the cost and size of government, he is looking to immediately start increasing the size of government.
There is no good reason to split up the current cabinets nor add any additional cabinets. All it does is expand bureaucracy and create more "high paying" administrative positions. Not exactly the best way to save money, but it is a good way to pay back cronies.
We are truly turning back the hands of time to the days of Democratic government bloat. So much for campaign promises. Or maybe he is keeping his promises. His slogan was "taking care of our own". Maybe he meant that he is going to take care of big government and Democratic cronies. Because they seem to be the only ones he has taken care of so far.
