Even for the Cesspool That Is the Transportation Cabinet, This is Vile

Technically, Kentucky state employees are protected by civil service rules, known as the merit system. In practice, state workers have no legal protection from abusive bosses.

Valerie Honeycutt-Spears at the Herald:

A former Transportation Cabinet employee filed a lawsuit this week saying she endured constant sexual comments, was instructed to clean up the blood of a dead deer and had a supervisor who exposed his genitalia to her and urinated on her shoes.

SNIP

The supervisor would pass gas in front of her to embarrass her in front of co-workers. He bought a canister and sprayed a foul odorous mist around her desk, according to the lawsuit complaint. The lawsuit said the supervisor exposed his genitalia to her and urinated in front of her on multiple occasions, at one point urinating on her shoes.

Smith, the only woman in the office, was told that she wasn't welcome at the office's Thanksgiving dinner, and she was the only employee not to get a pay raise, the lawsuit alleged.

Smith alleges that when she filed a grievance with the Transportation Cabinet, she did not get a response within the required 30 days.

Smith alleged that when she went to the office on May 21, a fellow employee told her the supervisor said that she was not allowed in the office. A co-worker — who was not identified in the complaint — grabbed her by the waist and kept her from going to her desk.

Lots more sickening details at the link.

In many Kentucky counties - the vast majority of Kentucky counties - the only decent steady jobs not in the county school system are in the local highway department of the state Transportation Cabinet.

So if you're a sexist, racist, homophobic, disgusting pig, you can wallow in the slop for 30 years and retire on a good pension.

But girls aren't welcome, and those who force their way in will suffer for it.

I'm just surprised she wasn't gang-raped.

Is Dirty Ernie Going to Jail?

Former Fletcher Administration Secretary of Transportation Bill Nightbert might be on the verge of dropping a dime on former Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher.

Federal prosecutors have Nighbert's balls in a vise, and Ernie's the only thing he's got to trade.

Federal prosecutors say former Kentucky Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert made 33 phone calls to road contractor Leonard Lawson’s home while a bid-rigging investigation was being carried out.

Nighbert, Lawson and Brian Billings, an aide to the roadbuilder, are accused of steering state highway construction contracts to Lawson’s companies. All have entered not guilty pleas.

A motion by prosecutors filed Tuesday detailed the calls in early 2008.

Prosecutors said four of the calls came in January and the rest in March, after Nighbert and Lawson became concerned that another Transportation Cabinet official might decide to cooperate with the investigation.

SNIP

Nighbert and Lawson faces conspiracy, bribery and obstruction of justice charges.

Read the whole thing.

The phone calls, some of which took place over state-supplied cell phones, appear to involve discussion of what bullshit story to tell investigators to cover up the crime.

Corruption in the Transportation Cabinet is endemic and to a large extent intractable. But Cabinet heads and governors with an ounce of sense take measures to insulate themselves. Nighbert didn't, now he's looking at a long prison stretch, and he doesn't impress me as a stand-up con.

Kentucky SAFE Patrol

We all love to attack the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and boy do they usually deserve it.

But KyTC operates a highway assistance program that you should know about before the summer driving season starts.

Did you know that Kentucky operates is a free roadside service for highways, interstates & parkways that are funded by our taxes called SAFE Patrol. They do not require money or even a tip.

Keep this number in your vehicle. 1-877-FOR-KYTC or 1-877-367-5982

What does the SAFE Patrol do? - The Safety Assistance for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE) Patrol is designed to aid motorists and assist with incident management.

How much does the service cost? - The service is free of charge; however, if a wrecker is required, the motorist is responsible for payment.

When is the SAFE Patrol running? - The SAFE Patrol operates 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, 7 days a week.

What areas does the SAFE Patrol cover? - The SAFE Patrol operates routes on the following roadways:

· I-75
· I-64
· I-65
· I-24
· I-71
· I-265
· US-23
· KY-80
· Louie B. Nunn Pkwy
· Wendell H Ford Western KY Pkwy
· Audubon Parkway
· Edward T. Breathitt Parkway
· William H. Natcher Parkway
· Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway
· Hal Rogers Parkway
· Martha L. Collins Bluegrass Pkwy
· Julian Carroll Purchase Parkway

What services does the SAFE Patrol offer? Operators assist motorists by providing the following services free of charge:

· gasoline and oil for those in need
· add air to tires or change flat tires
· provide a "jump" for dead batteries
· other minor automotive repairs

In addition to the above duties, SAFE Patrol Operators perform these services:

· assist law enforcement by directing traffic at incident scenes to keep traffic moving or assist in setting up necessary detour routes
· remove debris from the roadway
· monitor infrastructure for suspicious devices, people or activities
· check and tag abandoned vehicles
· monitor weather changes

What equipment are the vehicles equipped with? Each SAFE vehicle is fully equipped to handle minor roadside emergencies and to assist at the scene of a crash. The following are some items carried on each SAFE Patrol vehicle:

· 2 ton jack
· air compressor
· battery jump pack
· fire extinguisher
· AED
· flashing arrow board
· push bumper
· drinking water
· shovels / brooms
· impact wrenches
· oil dry
· auto fluids (gas and oil)
· cell phones
· first aid kits
· reflective cones
· radiator water
· flares
· portable signs
· blankets

FOR ASSISTANCE ON INTERSTATES AND PARKWAYS CALL 1-877-FOR-KYTC (1-877-367-5982)

Keep this number in your vehicle and program them into the cell phones of each driver in your house.

Check out the web site.

Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots.