Coercion of state workers not new

Our new governor’s recent accusation that some members of the past administration had coerced rank-and-file state employees into making political contributions reminded me of an occurrence a close male family member witnessed years ago.

I called him up, and he still remembered because it was, as he described, a strange occurrence. In 1983 or 1984, he was attending a state technical school studying electronics in the Ashland area. While in class one day, a woman carrying a stack of envelops in one hand entered the classroom and asked the instructor if he had anything for her.

The instructor looked up at her for just a moment and replied with a curt no. She turned and walked out of the room. The instructor sat in his chair for a few moments just staring at nothing. The students were puzzled. Then the instructor, who looked visibly upset, looked up at his students and told them that the person who had just come into their classroom had wanted him to contribute to a political party in exchange for his job security.

I wonder how many other state employees have been asked “have you got anything for me?”

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Coercion of state workers not new."