State education chief ordered car with $13,000 in extras (Louisville, Frankfort: sales, how much)

[Davart]

Kentucky New Era — News that hits home (broken link)

Originally Posted by excerpt

Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon Draud approved the purchase of a new state car for his own use with $13,000 in extra options. Draud ordered a 2008 Chrysler 300 with a base price of $18,101. Options including an engine upgrade, global positioning system and a hands-free telephone pushed the price to more than $30,000. All other officials who are provided vehicles as a part of an employment contract are currently using a Chevrolet Impala," with a base price of $15,600.

How why does this a-hole need a $30,000 state car? Would a bluetooth headset not work in place of a hand-free phone option? Would a $300 Garman not work in place of a built in GPS? And why does he need a engine upgrade? I'd like to see the sticker on this car, and it's public record. I know cars aren't cheap but with most other state cars costing about $15K why does he need one that is twice a much? This is what happen when government can approve there own purchases. This is government without checks and balances. This is government in the midst of a budget crunch ... spend, spend, spend so they can tax, tax, tax. This is only one item ... how much do they do that we don't always find out about?

I say we take the car sell it on eBay and give the money to a school and give this arrogant butt a Yugo with not AC to drive. Seriously he should not get the car and based on his past actions, perhaps he need to be unemployed.

[kingcopper]

We just got back from Florida and I can't believe the breadth for which our State's hillbilly politicians will spend our tax dollars on road projects IN THE WRONG AREAS. What a joke they and we all are. We put up with Frankfort by not voting them out and they steal from us. Let's widen roads in rural areas for nothing while cars sit in traffic in our cities.

[Davart]

Their building a new road (new HWY 80) between Mayfield and Murray, they've built about half of it and currently it goes out into a corn field and stops, I've heard funding ran out on it. But there not working on it, so we've got thee big nice 4 lane divided highway to nowhere ... well not exactly nowhere, you might have a big business meeting in Coldwater someday.

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[EclecticEars]

One reason I'm moving from Kentucky: our state government, particularly our General Assembly (I know this is an example of Executive Branch waste, though,) is the laughing stock of the South.

I know a legislative consultant that works with the legislative research councils
in numerous Southern states. NOT with Random Joe citizens, but ACTUALLY with these government entities. According to this person, Kentucky is consistently mocked by other states in the South in terms of legislative innovation, advancing economic development, and partisan and bi-partisan cooperation.

Of course, we shouldn't be surprised, now should we?

[KYcoyote]

jcm, yer friend must be a miserable cuss workin with all them politicians.. "Legislative consultant" ye say?? I guess that means he dips his fingers into lotsa tills and kisses alot of ass. Lemme guess he peddles and sells "government studies?" One of them lifetime college student types makin a living writin stupid research reports (nobody reads) that prove/disprove the obvious. And jcm, from what yer sayin he almost seems to take some kinda all-knowing pride in his work.... yeah sure, like the southern pork belt aint any less corrupt than our own jackass politicos. Gimme a break! Take N'awlins LA for example, how many multi-millions in pork went into (not) maintaining their levvies all these decades?

Truth is we're self-governing at grass roots level here unlike any "state". Nobody really cares what Frankfort says and does. In fact having a capitol city at all is an embarassment. Typically each county determines its own priorities and budget, setting their own standards independent as windmills - pretty much the way its been 100+ yrs.

[EclecticEars]

KYCoyote, to be honest, you're wrong. He is a legislative consultant for a private company, but not in the sense of actually consulting with legislators themselves. He consults with offices within legislative councils. For example, there are offices of transportation, health care, appropriations, and so on, with policy analysts in those offices that write bills pertaining to their specialties at legislators' beckon calls. (Make sense?) No, he doesn't write silly reports. He conducts legitimate research about the effects of laws in certain states, progress of state legislatures in advancing quality of life initiatives for citizens (i.e.: health care), etc.

Louisiana might have an incompetent state government in its past. Gov. Bobby Jindal will help to change that--mark those words! Maybe it didn't use its money very wisely to maintain their levees over the years. But it is now using its casino money to maintain highways greatly subsidize public universities, offering Louisiana residents some of the lowest tuition rates in the country.

How long does it take Kentucky to reconstruct five miles? It took five years to widen I-75 five miles south of Richmond! That is unacceptable. Maybe we had more rock to blow up, but we certainly didn't have swamps to contend with. Why, when comparing in-state tuition rates, is it not much more expensive for a Louisianian to attend an world-class university, LSU, than it is for a Kentuckian to attend flippin' KCTCS? In terms of academic innovation, quality, prestige, and campus life, LSU absolutely obliterates UK and UofL! (By the way, I'm a UofL alum.)

Lastly, it is not really valid to say that Kentucky counties are the only ones operating a "grass roots" operation. Every Kentucky county receives funding from the state, be it for road projects, historic preservation, other infrastructure improvements, school construction, etc. While counties do collect their taxes, many county governments and school boards receive large percentages of funds from the appropriations that the General Assembly approves. Texas and Tennessee do not have local and state income taxes, but they have high local and state sales taxes. My point is that every state has counties that are independent, but especially smaller counties are usually very dependent on their state for their sustenance. Why do you think Perry and Martin Counties here in Kentucky have literally had a "facial makeover" (massive highway reconstruction) even though nobody lives there?

None of this is malicious or mean-spirited, but I feel like Kentucky is a state that has squandered its chance for tremendous economic, political, and social success and progress.

[The Village Idiot]

$13,000 in extras?!? His options and accessories alone are worth more than any vehicle I've ever owned. I wonder if he ordered the spinning rims, too.

[kentuckydad95]

Originally Posted by kingcopper

We just got back from Florida and I can't believe the breadth for which our State's hillbilly politicians will spend our tax dollars on road projects IN THE WRONG AREAS. What a joke they and we all are. We put up with Frankfort by not voting them out and they steal from us. Let's widen roads in rural areas for nothing while cars sit in traffic in our cities.

As if f--king Louisville doesn't get enough money already!!! And by the way, it's city. Not cities. Kentucky has only one real city and that is by the skin of it's teeth. Only in Kentucky places like Paducah (26,000) and Murray (16,000) are considered major cities in the state.

[InLondon]

Originally Posted by jcm1986

One reason I'm moving from Kentucky: our state government, particularly our General Assembly (I know this is an example of Executive Branch waste, though,) is the laughing stock of the South.

I know a legislative consultant that works with the legislative research councils
in numerous Southern states. NOT with Random Joe citizens, but ACTUALLY with these government entities. According to this person, Kentucky is consistently mocked by other states in the South in terms of legislative innovation, advancing economic development, and partisan and bi-partisan cooperation.

Oh jcm, I hate to burst your little bubble but that of course isn't true. Kentucky's government is the laughing stock of the South?? Are you and Davart the same person? Always so negative.

[Davart]

Originally Posted by InLondon

Oh jcm, I hate to burst your little bubble but that of course isn't true. Kentucky's government is the laughing stock of the South?? Are you and Davart the same person? Always so negative.

Oh, I'm negative because I don't want our tax dollars wasted on self indulgences?!! Absolutely insane.