Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Arkansas Lottery Motion to fire lottery boss fails
Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 3:35 PM
Comp time on top of high executive pay supposedly justified by long hours of important work? The state Lottery Commission chairman today chastised Gamecock Passailaigue for this high-handed maneuver before going into an executive session. Will they hire, fire, promote, demote or discipline an employee, the only legal reasons for private discussions?
UPDATE: The honeymoon is winding down. When the Commission returned from executive session, a motion was made by Ben Pickard and seconded by Joe White to terminate Lottery chief Passailaigue, but it drew only those two votes and failed. It is, nonetheless, not a good note for Ernie P's permanent record. White told Gerard Matthews that the commission is interested in getting the state's help in resolving problems over personnel issues, where lottery practices have diverged from state general practices.
When asked if the motion was made because lottery salaries had always been an issue and this news was likely to further public distrust, White said, "I can only speak for myself, but I had a disagreement with [Passailaigue] concerning the issuance of comp-time to exempt employees which included the top three members of the lottery. There are other folks involved also. It has been reported that there are up to 500 hours have been awarded."
Speaking of...
-
UPDATE: Lottery Commission wants police power, releases 2013 budget
May 21, 2012Bishop Woosley requests limited police powers for the lottery, and Ben Pickard replaces Dianne Lamberth as chair. /more/
-
Lottery's auditor submits resignation
May 11, 2012Michael Hyde, the Arkansas Lottery's internal auditor, has informed the Lottery Commission of his intention to resign. /more/
-
$1 million lottery case winner: 'It's my money'
May 11, 2012Sharon Duncan, winner of a lawsuit over a contested $1 million lottery ticket, talked about the case on NBC Today's show today. /more/
-
Tampering with lottery tickets under review
May 4, 2012After John Walker sued over lottery scratchoff ticket tampering, I filed an FOI request for internal documents related to that issue. /more/
-
Fired clerks say they're taking fall on lottery probe
May 2, 2012The Arkansas Lottery scratchoff fiasco has a thickening plot. Fox 16 reports on an interview with two clerks fired from a Little Rock convenience store after a complaint to the Little Rock police over sales of $20 tickets that had been tampered with, apparently by someone attempting to find winners. /more/
-
Problem lottery tickets still for sale
May 1, 2012You remember the story about the lawsuit filed last week concerning tampering with a type of lottery scratchoff ticket. /more/
-
The Pin Prick Edition
April 27, 2012A class action lawsuit alleging tampering with lottery scratch-off tickets, how "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis and Mark Pryor got lumped together, the hot primary contest between state Rep. Fred Allen and incumbent Sen. Joyce Elliott and the end of Occupy Little Rock — all discussed this week. /more/
-
Lawsuit filed over lottery ticket tampering
April 27, 2012State Rep. John Walker of Little Rock, who is also a lawyer, filed a lawsuit today in Pulaski Circuit Court alleging tampering with lottery scratchoff tickets created a situation in which an unknown number of gamblers could have been sold $20 scratch-off tickets without a chance of winning. /more/
-
The Arkansas lottery's very bad deal
April 18, 2012A tout today for some items in this week's issue of the Arkansas Times. * LOTTERY AND ERNIE P.'S LEGACY: Lindsey Millar's cover story explains in detail how the Arkansas Lottery got put into a very bad deal with major lottery vendors by former director Ernie Passailaigue. /more/
-
The ghost of Ernie Passailaigue
April 18, 2012Deals made by the former lottery chief cost Arkansas millions. /more/
- More »
Comments (15)
Showing 1-15 of 15
Dianne Lamberth better lay off my boy, Ernie, or I’ll sic the Blog Girls on ‘er!
like
dislike
Ernie's salary was supposedly so high because he could get us started quickly. Well, now we're started...
Bullshit Ernie was paid so much to do what? Easy work, bankers hours?
We're paying Bullshit Ernie $100,000 more than his next best offer.
Ol Pork Chop Huey never had such a cushy, high paying job in the State troopers office.
Ah the privileged few. Only the Arkansas legislature can do that up right. U da man Robbie.
How's about those stressful exec's get a visiting massage therapist to drop by the
office daily. Productivity increases for sure.
They earn their pay. Got everything going rather smoothly in a state that knows little about the inner workings of such an endeavor. Issued about 27,000 scholarships after one year. Worked out most of the wrinkles. Had to put up with all the carping and bickering from the losers at the polls as they now began to seek Divine Intervention to circumvent the vote of the people. Hats off, Commissioners and Directors. Thus far, job well done.
(How's that, Durango ?)
If you are getting paid $240,000 in salary in a state job, or any job, you don't deserve comp time. I've known many state employees make 1/3 or less than that that were classified as Exempt that put in 70-100 hours of OT to get a project done and got to claim none of the extra time.
If he is too stupid to just let some folks have a day off, he deserves to be fired.
Cato, my friend, that's a helluva great post. You've provided all the facts. But to heck with facts. Why bother with facts when it's so much easier to criticize the high profile guy, the leader?
Methinks, Cato, that some of our friends here are a weeeee bit (nay, VERY) envious of Ernie's success and salary. Especially the latter. To the point of being downright resentful, even. How petty.
It's also apparent that they think they could do Ernie's job better than Ernie does it. Silly people. Don't want to put my words in your mouth, Cato, but I bet you'd agree with me on this: If Ernie's critics performed their own jobs half as well as Ernie performs his, it would be one smooth-sailing world. And a lotta happy bosses.
P.S. Durango. I bet what really scorches their balls he makes enough to get the wrinkles out of his belly and become a Republican!
This is exactly why I, along with a lot of other Arkansas Bloggers, including the Boss. opposed this lottery. Gambling breeds corruption.
Putting together a state lottery with cronies and favored vendors while AR ends up with the 3rd lowest net money and hundreds of non-traditional students out in the cold is not "success." This greedy guy came here to "help" craft the rules/regs, grabbed $100k more than the last job he applied for AND DID NOT GET, overpaid his loyal "keep mouths-shut" staff and skates past all the rules other state employees live by. Other agency heads manage larger piles of stuff, do it far better, make far less and respect our state. Ernie P and his peeps need one-way tickets back to wherever. Ask lottery retailers how they feel about ole Ernie. "Job well done?" That's what the foreign vendor making millions and ad men --- from SC and AR, raking in 15% commish on the untargeted, not necessary TV buys -- are crowing.
Unreported from today's commission meeting: the expense for prizes in August was 62.5 percent, down from roughly 67-68 percent in previous months. What this means is the percentage for scholarships will rise accordingly. As for advertising, 0.7 percent of lottery revenue is spent on marketing. 1.7 percent goes to staff compensation. 5.5 percent goes to the Arkansas retailers who sell the tickets. This business of roughly 80 employees is generating well above $100 million in its first full year of operation for college scholarships. A little perspective, please.
Lord-Amighty, ND '75! Don't you understand the aginners on this here blog hate hearing facts like those? Shame on ya for spoilin' their evening! Go away, you bad puppy, and don't come back till ya got some negatives to share! Positive lotto news ain't welcome here. Scat!
SCAT, I say!
They maybe making money and kids getting scholarships. That is what they are paid to do. But honestly, is Ernie P the reason arkansans buy lotto tickets? I think we would be buying them regardless.
But how many salaried employees out there make comp time for working over 40 hours a week? I know I didn't (but that was before I was laid off...maybe our economy is so much better now that it's the norm)... Any supporters out there?
More by Author
-
Republican candidate's tax problems become campaign issue
Rep. David Sanders, battling with Rep. Ed Garner for the Republican nomination for a state Senate seat, has distributed a mailer hitting Garner for his long-standing tax problems.
- May 21, 2012
-
Turn the Broadway Bridge into a park
I wrote yesterday of my support for the recent push by Mayors Mark Stodola and Pat Hays for turning the Broadway Bridge into a pedestrian and bike corridor, plus plaza, connecting the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock.
- Apr 5, 2012
- More »
Event Calendar
-
Re: New attention to Tom Cotton, no press champion
His comments were made from the perspective of an infantry officer under fire downrange, responsible…
- on May 24, 2012
-
Re: Riverfest eve open line UPDATE
I think Max has summed up very well the future of newspapers in Northwest Arkansas,…
- on May 24, 2012
-
Re: Surgeon general strikes deal on disturbance charges
I am all but sure that Joe never imagined this could happen. Even those of…
- on May 24, 2012
Top Commenters
Blogroll
Slideshows
-
Police close the Occupy Little Rock camp, perhaps the last Occupy encampment on public land.
Site Index
News
Cover Story / Arkansas Reporter / The Week That Was / Smart Talk / The Insider / The Observer / Editorial / Max Brantley / Ernest Dumas / Gene Lyons / Bob Lancaster / Words / Guest Writer / Letters
Entertainment
A&E Feature / To-Do List / In Brief / Movie Reviews / Music Reviews / Theater Reviews / A&E News / Art Notes / Graham Gordy / Books / Media / Dining Reviews / Dining Guide / What's Cookin' / Calendar / The Televisionist / Movie Listings / Gallery Listings
This Week's Cover
Quick Links
Special Publications
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
