Turn signal gets quick green light

By Ryan Alessi
RALESSI@HERALD-LEADER.COM

FRANKFORT -- After Gov. Steve Beshear ran a successful election campaign promising government reforms to "earn the trust" of Kentuckians, one of the administration's first moves was to install non-essential turn arrows at a stoplight in the new Transportation Cabinet secretary's neighborhood.

The turn lights near the Elizabethtown home of the secretary, Joseph W. Prather, sped through the cabinet's approval process, which got rolling on Dec. 12 -- the first day Prather and Beshear were on the job, according to records obtained through the Kentucky Open Records Act. The directional arrows were up and shining by last week despite an internal review that said traffic data from the intersection didn't show the need for turn signals.

The installation of turn arrows at Ring Road and Pear Orchard Road, near the Foxfire subdivision where Prather lives, comes during tight financial times that Beshear has declared a "crisis."

Last week, Democrats Beshear and Prather cited tough financial conditions as justification for scrapping another project -- $11.9 million of road work in Republican Senate President David Williams' district.

Cabinet officials said they could not provide the exact cost of the turn signals installation, but Prather said through a cabinet spokesman that he was told turn arrows generally cost $4,000 to $5,000.

Chuck Wolfe, the cabinet spokesman, said Prather approached city officials as far back as early 2007 to call for turn arrows at that intersection because "he learned from personal experience that it gets backed up during the rush hours and lunch time."

"The secretary never ordered it done" after Beshear named him transportation cabinet secretary in November, Wolfe said. "He maintains that it's worth it because of his personal experience and knowledge of that spot."

CONTINUE READING STORY

Comments

[John Q]

If a guy can't get a light for his own neighborhood, he is not going to be considered very effective.

[honestabe]

You know i'm not familiar with that area, so maybe it truly needed the improvements that were made....but if that little story can make print, why cant the truth come out over the Johnathan Miller flap....Ace awards CANNOT legally cover what has been done...do the right thing..call for Jack Conway to investigate....!!!!! And do it over and over until they cant hide from it anymore.....

[hilariousoso]

Hilarious-I guess. Once again within first few months we see that Beshear pulled the wool over voters eyes. I'm not defending Fletcher. I'm talking about the all ethical, no scandal candidate for governor steve beshear. DESPITE the professional engineer's recommendation AND that it did not meet the traffic specs, it WAS approved. And note that it didn't come directly come from Prather but instead his proxy and on the exact day after inauguration. And don't buy the spin they'll give that it's safety and just a traffic signal etc. The point of this story is that because it was Prather (Beshear's secretary) that the normal process that has been followed for years where engineer in KYTC reviews, visits site and compares to specs WAS IGNORED! Despite not meeting normal traffic and accident specs, thousands were spent anyway. Whether it was several thousand or several million, it's not the money but the violation of the rules if you will. Face it folks, you might not have like Nighbert (I don't like him either and think Fletcher would have been better off to fire him) but all you did was trade one for another. Deceit by any other name is still deceit!

[Media Mogul]

EXCEPT FROM NEWS STORY IN DECEMBER 2, 2007 HERALD-LEADER:

Allegations from the past
However, Prather isn't entirely free from allegations of corruption, although none was ever substantiated.
In 1994, an unnamed employee in the Department of Financial Institutions alleged that Ed Hatchett, who went on to become state auditor, was reappointed by Gov. Brereton Jones because he did not enforce banking laws against a bank associated with Prather.
Prather chaired Jones' election campaign in 1991 and went on to serve as secretary of finance for about a year. At the time, he was chairman of Farmers Deposit Bank of Brandenburg and Hardin County Bank and Trust. The banks were sold in 1993 in an exchange with what was then Liberty National Bank in Louisville.
A Kentucky State Police report found "no indications of illegal activity," although four of the state employees interviewed by Detective Steve Moss said they had heard rumors about Prather's role in Hatchett's appointment.
Prather said last week he has no recollection of the incident.
He also benefited from a key piece of banking legislation he helped form and pass. The law allowed a holding company to own more than one state-chartered bank.
When lawmakers considered the measure in 1984, lobbyist Russell McClure was charged with bribery for allegedly trying to funnel $5,000 to a state representative in exchange for a favorable vote.
Prather said his vote for the bill was ethical and in the best interest of the state.
"You just have to figure out where the ethical line is," he said. "It's not always black and white. Sometimes it's gray."

[fed up in frankfort]

Good work Media Mogul. These folks hate it when their own actions and words are thrown back at them. Guess this may be the one traffic light in the world that has red, yellow, green and gray lights on it. Missed that gray light in the drivers ed book and test to get my license!

[The Truth Shall Set You Free]

Haven't you heard? With the Beshear administration, gray is the new black!

[Jim D]

So we're talking about a few thousand bucks? The story should be noted but this is being covered as if it is equivalent to the outrageous actions of Fletcher, who kicked up highway construction spending by about $10 million in October to help his reelection chances.

Once again, Alessi fails to give any context when it comes to a story about a Democratic slip-up. It seems he is auditioning for a job writing copy for Fox News or one of Rupert Murdoch's tabloids like the NY Post. And the really sad part is that the Herald-Leader seems to have decided his sensationalism is a good thing and not the mark of a journalist in over his head. I guess it probably helps to sell copy and that's the name of the game for companies like McClatchey.

[Amused]

Exactly as Hilariousos pointed out...you would start spinning that this is ok because it's not as much money. Corruption is corruption. Thousands add up to millions. Larger crime often starts with petty crime. Bottom line is that whether you like it or not Beshear came in saying he would "clean it up" and run and "ethical administration", blah, blah, blah...regardless of money amount!
-One appointee (Osborne)chose not accept job as spokesman because of ethics.
-Others (Vance and Jackson) accepted appointments with restrictions to their involvement in certain actions because of ethics.
-Miller gets complete pass from Dan Egbers and Gov Beshear despite illegal actions giving a female employee ACE awards over several year period despite the law saying they can only be given over other periods. Stay tuned for Miller's new revised version of his book on ethics as it will include a chapter on Vegas style ethics to teach to your subordinate female employees.
-Dan Egbers and Mark York give dumb a** answers to why York and Greenwell had Vance fire PSC employees even though it was legally questionable and then Vance cowers and calls to apologize and all four employees are reinstated.
-During the campaign, Beshear says he'll push ethics bill to clean up Frankfort. Upon entering he office he essentially drops it saying it's not a priority until the media points it out along with many on this and other blogs that he won partly by saying it. Then he comes up with a bill.
-Prather appears to get a friend to submit request for light the day after the inauguration (he can't do it now that's secretary). Despite going through process, light goes up (despite process and KYTC review). Red light, green light, gray light go!

All of this within the first month and a half...Yeh, here's real ethics!

[Gray skies are going to clear up]

From the Herald-Leader on January 8, 2008:

Three Public Service Commission employees fired by Gov. Steve Beshear's administration will be offered their jobs back, a state official said Monday.
The reversal comes after a meeting between Mark David Goss, the PSC chairman, and Robert D. Vance, secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, said Mark York, a cabinet spokesman.
York would not say what caused the change.
"They discussed the situation, looked at some possibilities about doing some things and reached the decision," York said.
---
Poor Mr. Wolfe who has been designated the person to spin/defend the Beshear bunch in Transportation. Looks like he learned a lot during the four years he served as Mark York's deputy over at EPPC.

[Lex Law]

Speaking of this York fellow, rumor coming from Frankfort says his old boss is rumored to be interested in US attorney slot that is open in Kentucky. Recall her name as one who was at some level named in the hiring stories in Frankfort. Was she called before the grand jury and did she plead the 5th? If memory serves, there were also indictments resulting from that whole mess-both public and some sealed. These are fair questions and information that should be known about any nominee for post of US Attorney.

[Elizabeth]

"The Truth Shall Set You Free" is great! "Grey is the new black!".

[Kelsey]

Joe Prather is the finest Sec of Transportation we have had in the history of that dept. Just because you are the head of traffic safety is no reason you cant help public safety. The same logic would be the Commissioner of the State Police driving past an armed robbery. There is no dirt in that story guys, keep firing those holdovers Joe.
Kelsey

[MC]

Alessi, why don't you quit your day job and just work full time for the republican party? You blew the KY Central deal and how you're just digging up morsels of dirt. Do us all a favor and just go work for David Williams or something.

[DisgustedWithHypocrites&Liars]

What's wrong, MC? You guys can dish out the dirt, but when it is on you, you just can't take it, can you!!

Good job, Ryan! Don't let these hypocrites intimidate you from pursuit of the truth!

[Kelsey gets it wrong again]

kelsey, that's an awfully strong statement to make a month into the administration. the record will end up showing that Prather will not be able to hold a candle to Nighbert, Bryant, or a lot of other.

But for the record, a "protected left" turn signal is always much safer than a "permitted left" and "protected lefts" should be installed at every traffic signal in the state where there is a left turn movement allowed.

[In the Know]

Lexlaw,

During the Fletcher administration, York reported to the EPPC Cabinet Secretary. He started out with LaJuana Wilcher and then Teresa Hill took over when she left. Both of these lady's are attorney's and were fine cabinet Secretary's with impeccable ethics. Neither one of them would have never done anything unethical. EPPC was NEVER involved in the hiring scandal nor did either of these lady's appear before the grand jury.

[Knows Too]

Actually, one of them was summoned to the grand jury.