Bill Cox's resignation as Revenue Commissioner came as a great disappointment to me and many in Western Kentucky. Possessing one of the best analytical minds in Kentucky, the loss of Bill Cox to this administration is also a huge loss to Kentucky. I personally have felt that Bill Cox was one of those who should of and could of helped the Governor through the many miss steps of the past six months. Bill Cox's experience at every level of government uniquely qualified Cox to provide the much needed counsel the Governor needed.
I have heard a number of stories as to why Bill Cox resigned. Most point to the reorganization within the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Revenue Division. I have made several calls and it is my understanding that Cox resigned because of a number of issues. First, I'm told that the Administration failed to live up to certain promises that were made. Second, that Larry Hayes had refused meetings for over a month to discuss issues and reorganization concerning the Revenue Division.It is my understanding that through Cox's leadership a record amount of money had been collected from past due taxes. It had been widely held and reported that Revenue was going to become a separate cabinet for which Cox was going to be named Secretary.
Regardless of the reasons of why Bill Cox resigned, I find it tragic and a mistake to have allowed one the brightest minds in Kentucky to go to the sideline in a time in which we need our best players on the field. Governor Beshear and Kentucky would be well served by finding a way to utilize the talents of Bill Cox. Strong in stature and personality, Bill Cox offers the kind of tough leadership Kentucky needs right now!
2 comments:
It will not take long before Mr.Cox's absence is noticed by more than just his friends and neighbors in the West. He is a great asset for the Commonwealth.
Jeff Noble
This video is worth watching....
Here's the link:
http://www.whas11.com/video/index.html?nvid=263232
I highly recommend the video but if you can't see it then here's a quick text version although not as good...
KY. Agriculture Dept. claims not enough money to inspect all gas pumps and rides, spends $26,000 sending employees to conference
06:54 PM EDT on Monday, July 14, 2008
WHAS11 coverage
(WHAS11) - The Kentucky Agriculture Department is complaining that it doesn’t have enough money to inspect all the gas pumps and amusement rides in Kentucky.
But they had enough money to send 53 employees to a conference in Lexington and pay for hotel rooms for several of them.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer is defending the taxpayer expense for a conference that he and his staff hosted last month.
One state lawmaker says the $26,000 dollars in expenses may be defensible, but doesn’t look real good in these tough budget times.
Richie Farmer is the president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture, so Kentucky was obligated to host the annual Sasda conference last month at the Marriott in Lexington.
About 200 people from 15 southern states and two territories attended and you paid the registrations for a quarter of them. According to documents we obtained through Kentucky’s open records act, the state agricultural Department paid $295 dollars apiece, $15,600 dollars total for conference registrations of 53 employees. State Representative Jim Wayne says he can’t judge whether that was a good use of tax dollars.
Commissioner Farmer says the money for the Sasda Conference was already budgeted and his employees learned a lot and it made Kentucky look good.
The agenda for the week long conference shows there were three general sessions with speakers. On Wednesday, it was all fun with trips to a Lexington horse farm and Churchill Downs.
And during the Sasda Conference, nearly two dozen Kentucky Agriculture Department employees spent nights at the Marriott.
Taxpayers paid for the rooms, a total of more than $11,000 dollars even though several employees lived or worked in Frankfort, just 25 miles away from the Marriott conference site. Some got to stay because department officials say they were on call 24 hours a day during the conference. Farmer says, for others, the $129 dollar per night room was almost as cheap as paying for gas.
200 people attended the conference and 53, yes 53 of them were Farmer's employees?
Hotel rooms for people who live 20 miles away?
Complaining you don't have money for enough inspectors but spending like this?
And the 5 day conference, yes 5 days including just 3 work sessions of about 6 hours for the week-Wednesday's only activity was being bussed to Churchill for lunch and betting?
Ok, maybe he can play basketball but in charge of your tax dollars?
Here's the video link again (copy it and paste it in your browser/address bar and watch it!
http://www.whas11.com/video/index.html?nvid=263232
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