Ford County Commission Chair Now Lobbyist To -- Duh -- Ford County Commission

Noted that Kim Goodnight is now Area Manager for Local Government and Community Affairs at ITC Transmission -- and still on county commission.

Paid lobbyist as county chair...now that's a great hire for ITC Transmission -- but how can Goodnight vote on anything to do with ITC ? Ever ? Two guys now from the electric industry -- doing business with Ford County -- on the three-person board. Fun stuff for some writer !~ Or does anyone care ?

You went about it all wrong, you need to put fireballs and conspiracy in your thread title!!

Sounds like a conflict of interest to me. Sort of like building the north sewer plant on Goodnight's land. Coincidence? You decide. You decide if the ownership of a parcel of land for such a huge public construction project would go unnoticed if it is owned by a sitting commissioner. You decide if it would be more convenient to just sweep such minute facts that a sitting commissioner would reap huge financial gain for such a land sale underneath the back door rug.

As long as someone watches to be sure he doesn't vote on issues regarding his land and/or the ITC, then there's no conflict. He's a big boy - he oughta know that. He can always abstain from those votes.....

COMMISSIONER KIM GOODNIGHT UNDER FIRE

http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/loca...permit-for-wind-farm-in-northeast-Ford-County

ITC Transmission lobbyist Kim Goodnight voted for this -- wonder if it is being hooked up to the ITC Grid...really. Yup.

Western Plains Wind Project LLC

wonder who/whom owns this ? Hmmm.

Old Timer and Commander raise valid points. Goodnight is only interested in what he can do for Goodnight. Kim is a likeable enough guy and I do like him as a person, but politically he is out for himself. I am positive that we now have an event center because Goodnight was the swing vote on keeping the appeal for the repeal from going forward. His payoff was obviously the city buying his land. Since he is a Republican, some local District#2 Repub needs to step up at election time and take him down. He dominates the commission as chairman, keeps Co Administrator Ed Elam in tow, and literally runs the county single-handedly. Now this conflict of interest comes up. Having no ethics is no stranger to Kim Goodnight and will continue as long as he is allowed by the electorate to remain in the position he is in.

We have an event center because the citizens voted for one.

http://www.itcgreatplains.com/1_whykansas.html
I dont now if Kim voted on this or not but he shoud not have

Bubba, not to be argumentative....lol oh hell sure i do...but we do not have an event center because the citizens voted for one. We have an event center because after it was voted on, there was a repeal vote scheduled and then undone due to Kim Goodnight's swing vote to not pursue an appeal for it. My point was....that action was what finally allowed a vote of the people to carry through to construction.

Funny, I could have sworn a judge ruled that it had to be built because it was voted on, along with the other projects that had already been built.

Given that even the possibility of gain (not just money, either) requires elected officials to not vote on issues coming before them -- not sure how Kim Goodnight can remain on the Ford County Commission at all -- given that his job is to affect -- himself -- to vote for ITC Grid issues in a positive manner. I will find out how to file a complaint, given that Kim will probably not want to see the truth that his new job being in total conflict with his elected position. See: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/government_ethics/introduction/lobbying.html as a start.
"The most obviously unethical (and illegal) practice associated with lobbying is paying a policy maker to vote in a favorable way or rewarding him or her after a vote with valuable considerations. If this practice were allowed, people and organizations with money would always win the day. ' Hmmm, so if the company gaining on the vote is paying the commissioner his salary, gee, gosh, does that equal a reward ? Hmmm. Yup.

Old timer this may help
http://www.kansas.gov/ethics/

Bubba, you are correct, but what I meant was that judge's decision was about to be appealed when Goodnight suddenly went the other way and became the swing vote to stop the appeal from going forward. I am sure he did this because of a deal worked out with the city on his land. Had Goodnight went the other way, the appeal would have went forward and all the legals I heard talking said the conventional wisdom was that his decision would have been overruled. Thus no event center had that happened. The main point is that Goodnight is as crooked as a snake.

Regardless of how Goodnight has voted, just the perceived conflict of interest should be enough for him to honorably step down and recuse himself from his position but he has not. Many things get voted on because they are kept quiet in discussions held in open meetings and then they are quickly swept through when no one is looking and and listed as vaguely as possibly on the agendas. I don't think Goodnight keeps Elam in check but rather Elam has his foot on the throats of many....who is supposed to be in charge here? We as citizens have a duty to show up to commission meetings and hold these people responsible and that includes contacting the office and insisting that the agendas are posted in a timely manner on the county website. Often they are NOT posted until AFTER a meeting has happened and things are done and sealed up. I try to stay on top of things and I know how hard it can be with work, family, and other duties but we have to do it because I'm tired of finding out things after the fact when I can't do anything about it. It will be interesting to see the candidates for the next election.....anyone know how to get on the ballot?!!

I received an email the other day about a new radio show that is supposed to give agenda and meeting information on the school board and DCCC and I think also the city and county commissions....this may help us keep track of what is going on???!!!!!