Blog

Nixon to State Workers – Pay-to-Play and You’d Better Know the Right People!

December 12, 2008

JEFFERSON CITY - The Associated Press is reporting today that Governor-elect Jay Nixon’s transition team has sent letters to hundreds of state workers demanding that they reapply for their job. This is disturbing for several reasons including the number of state employees who received the letters, about 600, and because of the stated possibility that these workers could be replaced.

“Is Governor-elect Nixon’s citizen advisory team filled with labor bosses, special interest group employees, trial attorneys and political hacks going to decide that their cronies should get these jobs?” asked Tina Hervey, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “This looks like an attempt to take care of Nixon’s 600 best supporters.”

Governor Blunt was able to control costs and make state government more efficient through the use of attrition. He also recognized the value of state government employees and worked hard to increase their salaries so that quality employees and candidates were attracted to state government. It appears that Governor-elect Nixon is less concerned with efficiency and good government than he is with taking care of supporters. Is Jay Nixon going to commit to keeping the state government workforce under 60,000 employees like Governor Blunt has done or will one of his first official acts be one of blatant partisanship? Missourians deserve to know.