Friday, 21 December 2007

Budget FUD

Beshear and Co are already spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt over the current budget shortfall.   
At a news conference and in a statement released afterward, Beshear used terms like "dire" and "beyond serious" to describe the condition of state finances when he took office on Dec. 11. He said he will announce "in very early January" how he plans to deal with funding problems that he said he will outline next week. But he implied that he might reverse more of the funding decisions Fletcher's administration made in its final days.

"This is becoming increasingly not a pretty picture," Beshear told reporters.

"While I didn't create the situation I'm walking into, it's my job to do something about it."

The governor cited this week's forecast of a $121 million revenue shortfall this year and requests by state agencies last month for $166 million in additional funding to maintain services. He said he continues to learn of specific money problems within state agencies.
Of course the whole thing is just a ploy. In this case the ruse serves three purposes. First it allows him to demonize the evil Republicans. Secondly it lowers expectations. Thirdly it provides a platform to begin pushing for alternative revenue streams (ie Casinos)

Of course I don't understand why the shortfall is a problem. Beshear told us during the election that he was going to have an efficiency study done and it was going to save us hundreds of millions of dollars. That should more than pay for any shortfalls in the budget next year.

Posted by brians at 6:33 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Crony Express VII

On Thursday Gov Beshear made the last of the major appointments to his adminstration.

Gov. Steve Beshear named Janie Miller, a long-time government worker, as secretary of the Health and Family Services Cabinet on Thursday. Former Rep. Steve Nunn will be her deputy secretary.
Once again we get another long time crony from previous administrations. But this time we get the added bonus of an incompetent crony. Not only has she been twice fired but apparently has a difficult time telling the truth.

Miller, 52, has held a wide range of state jobs over the past 31 years, including 17 years in the former Cabinet for Human Resources -- where she was twice fired by officials in Gov. Brereton Jones' administration.

In September 1992, Jones dismissed Miller as deputy Medicaid commissioner, but she was quickly rehired as an assistant to the Secretary of Human Resources and was named acting Medicaid commissioner in January of 1993.

By September of 1993, Miller was again fired by Human Resources Secretary Fontaine Banks just as investigative reports found that the $2 billion program had lax spending controls, had made weak efforts to recover overpayments and allowed questionable use of Medicaid-paid transportation by patients.

When questioned Thursday, Miller said she willingly resigned from both positions and was not fired.

However, on Sept. 3, 1993, Miller told the Herald-Leader that she had not submitted a resignation as acting Medicaid commissioner, even though a news release said her resignation had been requested and received.

"I think you can read between the lines that I've been fired," she said at the time.
Lastly we are treated with the first (and apparently last) Republican appointment in Beshears administration. Not surprisingly RINO turncoat Steve Nunn was appointed deputy secretary for Health and Family Services. I guess Steve is collecting his 30 pieces of silver.

Best quote from the article.
Nunn, a Republican, endorsed Beshear during his campaign for governor. Beshear said the appointment was based on Nunn's experience, not the endorsement.
Yeah. Right. Maybe I understand know why Beshear hired Miller. They apparently have at least one trait in common.
Posted by brians at 5:22 PM in Kentucky Politics
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