"The county judge executive says he thinks the search is related to a not-yet-released state auditor’s report and investigation into allegations that road-paving projects were traded for votes."

 

Call me stupid, but I don't get why you would trade road paving projects for votes. I mean, how many votes could you garner that way? And you have no guarantee that they'll vote for you anyway. Now if it was projects for political contributions, that would make sense.

"The county judge executive says he thinks the search is related to a not-yet-released state auditor’s report and investigation into allegations that road-paving projects were traded for votes."

 

Call me stupid, but I don't get why you would trade road paving projects for votes. I mean, how many votes could you garner that way? And you have no guarantee that they'll vote for you anyway. Now if it was projects for political contributions, that would make sense.

There are a lot of unpaved roads in Knott County, but I agree with you. While Randy doesn't need the money, it may have been given for political needs. There's been a lot of corruption within the county. Everyone within the county and surrounding counties knows that. A Hazard newspaper editor/owner has been a big supporter in trying to get these things out into the open. And he has been ridiculed by the judge exec. You can't get anything against Randy printed in Knott's newspaper. They are big supporters. I think one of the projects that is under question is the new sports complex that is being built near the Knott/Floyd County line. Some have speculated that the person who donated the land was given "priviliges". Since this person is building house seats near the land. All this was reported within the last 6 months in the Hazard paper. Still, Randy has brought Knott some revenue in the new ATV trail and the Horse trail. So, you have to take the bad in order to get the good.

 

My thoughts are that the FBI was there to see who gave the county the rights to be named the "Elk Capital of Kentucky" Yea, there'a a sign on both sides of highway 80 that so states this.

You'd have to do people's driveways and carports as well …

 

 

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

"The county judge executive says he thinks the search is related to a not-yet-released state auditor’s report and investigation into allegations that road-paving projects were traded for votes."

 

Call me stupid, but I don't get why you would trade road paving projects for votes. I mean, how many votes could you garner that way? And you have no guarantee that they'll vote for you anyway. Now if it was projects for political contributions, that would make sense.

 

Cozy up to the right families and you can sign, seal and deliver huge percentages of the county's electorate. And in areas that tend to be poor, which Knott Co. and most of EKy is, a promise of a vote is just as good, if not better, than any cash contribution.

 

Call me stupid, but I don't get why you would trade road paving projects for votes. I mean, how many votes could you garner that way? And you have no guarantee that they'll vote for you anyway.

 

 

Although not as bad as times past, there are a great number of miles of unpaved roads in rural East Ky much to the delight of local politicians. All a local magistrate has to do is wait until the homeowners on a particular stretch of mountainside or hollow road get really fed up with driving through mud and standing water. Then, especially in an election year, he shows up frequently with a grader and a couple of truck loads of gravel. They clean out the ditches, grade the road smooth, and dump the gravel. Not a large investment. Since a gravel road must be maintained regularly in this manner, it's a self repeating political gift. In some cases a really clever politician will have the gravel delivered a couple of days in advance and piled beside the road to be spread later. The gravel then mysteriously disappears during the night and presto! Everyone has a well surfaced driveway. The magistrates hands are clean and he has garnered a good number of votes for the coming election.

 

And I agree with too many of your posts to call you stupid.

Believe it or not, the same things go on is some rural counties that are nearer Western KY than Eastern! It always makes my dad mad, because they live at the end of a non-paved road, and there are times no one can get in or out of their place. But, come election year, things get better. Once it's over, everything erodes until the next election.

Believe it or not, the same things go on is some rural counties that are nearer Western KY than Eastern! It always makes my dad mad, because they live at the end of a non-paved road, and there are times no one can get in or out of their place. But, come election year, things get better. Once it's over, everything erodes until the next election.

 

That's the theme of EKY. Everyone knows when it's election time. The trucks full of gravel are seen all over the county. Then, non-surprisingly, they disappear a week or so after election day. Go figure.

Believe it or not, the same things go on is some rural counties that are nearer Western KY than Eastern! It always makes my dad mad, because they live at the end of a non-paved road, and there are times no one can get in or out of their place. But, come election year, things get better. Once it's over, everything erodes until the next election.

 

A few years back a Judge Exec in my county made the mistake of blacktopping the majority of roads in my county. He lost the following election but it has made for better politics here. In the little comunity I live in there are now no unpaved roads and the candidates have to come up with some really good tales of why I should vote for them.

Although not as bad as times past, there are a great number of miles of unpaved roads in rural East Ky much to the delight of local politicians. All a local magistrate has to do is wait until the homeowners on a particular stretch of mountainside or hollow road get really fed up with driving through mud and standing water. Then, especially in an election year, he shows up frequently with a grader and a couple of truck loads of gravel. They clean out the ditches, grade the road smooth, and dump the gravel. Not a large investment. Since a gravel road must be maintained regularly in this manner, it's a self repeating political gift. In some cases a really clever politician will have the gravel delivered a couple of days in advance and piled beside the road to be spread later. The gravel then mysteriously disappears during the night and presto! Everyone has a well surfaced driveway. The magistrates hands are clean and he has garnered a good number of votes for the coming election.

I frankly don't see anything really wrong with this. Every politician does it to some extent. Especially in the halls of Congress.

 

And I agree with too many of your posts to call you stupid.

You obviously didn't catch post #2 of this thread. :creepy: :lol:

I frankly don't see anything really wrong with this. Every politician does it to some extent. Especially in the halls of Congress.

 

The complaint I had with it is that it slows progress and costs the county money. When this type of politics is practiced it behooves the officials to keep their constituents poor and needy, worried only about their own small section of real estate and unconcerned about the larger issues. Blacktopping, while initially expensive, pays for itself in lower maintenance in the long run.

 

In light of the post you referenced, I retract my earlier statement.

The complaint I had with it is that it slows progress and costs the county money. When this type of politics is practiced it behooves the officials to keep their constituents poor and needy, worried only about their own small section of real estate and unconcerned about the larger issues. Blacktopping, while initially expensive, pays for itself in lower maintenance in the long run.

 

In light of the post you referenced, I retract my earlier statement.

Ah, I see said the blind man. Instead of paving, they keep dumping gravel, because they can get more political mileage (pun unintended) out of it.

A few years back a Judge Exec in my county made the mistake of blacktopping the majority of roads in my county. He lost the following election but it has made for better politics here. In the little comunity I live in there are now no unpaved roads and the candidates have to come up with some really good tales of why I should vote for them.

 

I hope you don't count the "chip and seal" treatment as paved. :lol: That's what they try to do to my parents. :irked:

I'm still wondering how the county spent $1,000,000 on a 4 foot deep county swimming pool, as was reported in the Herald-Leader? What's going on here???

I'm still wondering how the county spent $1,000,000 on a 4 foot deep county swimming pool, as was reported in the Herald-Leader? What's going on here???

 

That's a good question. Have you seen the pool? It doesn't look like a million dollar pool. I'll compare it to Perry County's pool. About the same size. Knott's does have a nice changing area and the skate park next to it. But the skate park was from different funds, I believe.

Look at the corruption that goes on and all we are talking about is gravel and paving of roads...there is no wonder the criminals do whatever they feel like doing and never get punished for it..(well it depends on how many votes their family has, and it depends on what County they are in) I guess Eastern Ky keeps the FBI pretty busy!