To Ernie Fletcher: I call Bullcrap

Mark Hebert of WHAS-11 reports news that I find disturbing and frustrating. It just proves to show that Ernie Fletcher does not know what the heck he is doing in the Governor's Office.

The Fletcher administration has either made a mistake, pulled a blatant political move or simply decided to follow the letter of the law.

Whatever happened, several potential candidates for Jefferson County property valuation administrator were misled and it might cost them a chance to run.

Four candidates want to be the next Jefferson County PVA. They all thought they were covered. When the PVA job opened up this year, they all passed the qualifying test and were told it would be good enough to qualify them for the 2006 election.

But now, the Kentucky Revenue Department is telling them that passing the test more than a year before the election does not qualify them to run for PVA, and they can't take the test again.

"So what’s happened is they’ve changed the rules now, after the horses are out of the gate," said Tony Lindauer, a possible Democratic PVA candidate.

"I think the voters of Jefferson County have the right to pick and to vote and to choose who their property value administrator is," said Melvin Ratchford, another possible Democratic PVA candidate.

The potential candidates told the Jefferson County Board of Elections that they're mad. They say they've been shut out of the election and misled by the Fletcher administration.

And they've got it in writing.

As recently as Oct. 24, Ratchford got a letter stating, "You are qualified to file as a candidate for the office of Jefferson County PVA for the 2006 election."

It was signed by Kentucky Revenue Department manager Nick Kearney. Kearney told the PVA hopefuls in January that their test covered them for the 2006 election.

Last Thursday, Kearney wrote independent candidate Griffin Torrance.

"Griffin, I did announce that," the letter states. "However, I was informed by my superiors on Nov. 3 that no certificates would be honored for 2006, except those granted as a result of the Nov. 1 PVA exam. I am truly sorry but I had nothing to do with the policy change."
"They were given erroneous advice by a rank-and-file merit employee of the Revenue Cabinet, acting without authorization, and without the knowledge of his superiors and without the knowledge of the legal department," said Revenue Department attorney Eric Craig.

What it means is only the current PVA, Republican John May, who was appointed by Gov. Fletcher, and one Democrat can run.

The mislead men think Gov. Fletcher is trying to protect his appointee.

This is utter bullcrap and I back the efforts of those potential candidates if they sue. This is democracy and Fletcher was the one who changed the rules.