Mark Martin, Where Have all the Good Men Gone?

           Just when we think that we have turned the spotlight on government spending abuse, we elect Mark Martin as Secretary of State. In even less time than it took our newly elected Associate Supreme Court Justice to file for divorce, find a boyfriend and take 9 trips with, and fully paid for by him, which many of us thought was a whirlwind record for poor judgment, Mr. Martin goes out and buys a new $27,000.00 car for his office.

            The state has over 8,000 cars and can’t even keep track of those. The Secretary of State has 23 on hand and in less that 70 days in office goes and buys another one, and he’s a Republican! Based on this initial display of his judgment of the taxpayer’s mind frame, he should be a “One Termer.” Oh sure, I know that he can fully justify the need; the other 23 cars in his department are already needed for daily commutes by current staff and he has a new person coming on board that just can’t abide using a “pool” car.

And speaking of all the cars literally running around in the state’s employees’ hands, we were due a report from the Director of Finance and Administration last week as to where the 8,000+ other cars are and what official need, if any, justifies their existence. Have we seen it yet? No. Will we ever see it? Don’t bet your house on it.

           I guess there is some good news in all of this; the new car was a hybrid. I hope that this at least promises that the taxpayer will have to spend less money for the gas that this new employee will use driving this new $27,000.00 car, totaling 24 now in the Secretary of State’s Office, around the highways and byways of the state as he/she heads to and from work.