Hey kids! Governor Manchin here! I know an awful lot about an awful lot of things, but let me tell you something I don't know anything about! I don't know anything about the Lottery Commission! I don't know anything about the problem gamblers hotline! I don't know anything about anyone getting fired! But I will get to the bottom of it! Because the buck stops here! Know what that means? Me neither! But people in my position say it a lot! Gonna find out about that, too!
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Friday, June 8, 2007
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GOP lawmakers furious over firing of hotline boss
Republican lawmakers were furious Thursday afternoon as word spread of the firing of the director of the state's problem gambler hotline program.
Sen. John Yoder called the incident "a slap in the face of the legislature."
According to The Associated Press, "One day after dropping bombshell allegations of Lottery officials' micromanagement and interference, the longtime director of West Virginia's Problem Gamblers Help Network found herself apparently fired without warning and stranded in Kansas City, Mo."
Mia Moran-Cooper, who worked for First Choice, the firm contracted to administer the help network, said she only found out during the course of her business trip to Kansas City that her travel arrangements had been cancelled, as well as her company credit card.
Moran-Cooper had just a day earlier told legislators that Lottery officials had tried to water down the network's advertising campaign, discouraged employees from talking to the media and asked for the names of Lottery employees who had sought treatment for gambling problems. Her claims come as Lottery officials have attempted to take more control over the problem gamblers hotline service.
Yoder, an attorney in the Eastern Panhandle, told the Republican Gazette Thursday, "This is a slap in the face of the legislature. Every legislator in West Virginia should be outraged by the conduct, which gives the appearance that an employee cannot frankly answer questions asked by legislators, when requested to appear before the legislature, without a fear of retaliation for giving incriminatory information about the executive branch of government."
Yoder added, "This is executive government at its worst and in its most overreaching form, attempting to intimidate citizens and public employees into only giving favorable information towards the executive branch. It not only involves bureaucrats who were not elected to office impeding the functions and duties of the elected legislators, but it also demonstrates the need for a stronger whistle blower law to punish executive branch bureaucrats who retaliate against citizens and employees who appear in front of the legislature to give information about the operation of government."
Delegate Jonathan Miller wrote on his blog Thursday, "We, as legislators, definitely need to find out if this action is even legal. If this firing isn't, then all responsible should be prosecuted. Second, we need to put pressure on the Governor to halt the move of the Problem Gamblers Help Network to the Lottery Commission's control."
State Sen. Vic Sprouse said on his website, "Of course, this whole reaction is reason enough why the Lottery shouldn’t be running the Problem Gamblers’ Help Line. First Choice should be on the side of the addicted gamblers (or at least their own employees), not the Lottery. However, First Choice has to defend the Lottery to make sure it continues to get the contract to run the help line. It all stinks to me..."
Delegate Walter Duke said, "At the very least we Republicans could be calling for a special investigation of this incident as well as a hard look at our whistleblower laws in comparison to other states."
And Delegate Craig Blair added, "This firing incident today for an employee testifying unfavorably about the Lottery Commission before the state legislature reveals the potential for corruption with the Lottery Commission that overseas table gaming, and is one more reason to not vote for table gaming until there is some indication that the corrupt practices of the Lottery Commission will not continue to get worse. Voters ought to think long and hard before voting for table gaming overseen by this state's Lottery Commission."
Several legislators said the matter points to problems with the state's whistleblower laws, which are designed to protect public employees but do little to shield employees of private agencies from reprisals for speaking out.
State needs better whistleblower laws, say some; incident amounts to 'a slap in the face of legislature'
West Virginia Republicans will cast first votes in the nation for president
Republicans in West Virginia will cast the first votes for president in the entire nation because of the GOP's move to a state convention format for selecting delegates to the national convention.
Prior to the Feb. 5 state convention, county conventions and online voting for delegates to the state convention will begin Jan. 1, meaning Republicans at the county level will be casting votes for president before anyone else in the country.
Details of the new convention format were outlined in a conference call with reporters Thursday morning, conducted by state GOP Chairman Doug McKinney and convention Chairman Bob Fish.
Furthermore, the winner of West Virginia's delegates at the state convention will be announced by mid-afternoon on Feb. 5, long before polls close in states holding primary elections. Roughly two-thirds of all GOP delegates from West Virginia will be selected at the convention, with the remaining nine to be elected in the May primary.
Around 1,000 delegates from all 55 counties are expected to converge on the Charleston Civic Center for the winner-take-all convention.
The purpose of the new format is to give West Virginia Republicans a greater voice in the selection of the GOP presidential nominee, and candidates are likely to pay much more attention to the state than in the past.
A call earlier in the day with representatives from the presidential campaigns drew 100 percent participation from the various campaigns, according to Fish.
A new website has been unveild in regard to the convention, and those interested can visit it at www.wvgopconvention.com.
Barth was the belle of the ball while Unger was the wallflower
State Sen. John Unger, an announced Democrat candidate for Congress, and Anne Barth, aide to Sen. Robert C. Byrd and an unannounced but possible Democrat candidate for Congress, both attended State Treasurer John Perdue's fundraiser Wednesday evening, featuring Ted Kennedy Jr.
According to one source, Barth was the belle of the ball, working the room like a pro and glad-handing everyone in sight. Unger, by contrast, "stood to the side with a couple of cronies looking outside and uncomfortable."
