Scandal at MNDOT

Apparently even Republican appointees are capable of questionable behavior. Sonia Pitt, a career employee of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, was elevated to a senior position in 2003 by republican governor Pawlenty. In charge of emergency management for the department, Ms. Pitt declined to return to the state after the 1-35 W bridge collapse in August 2007 because she was hanging out with her boyfried in DC. The boyfriend, a federal transportation department guy, was the recipient of hundreds of emails, cell phone calls and visits, all paid for by the tax payers of Minnesota. And Ms. Pitt apparently was so blinded by luv that she didn't have the grace to show the flag after the bridge collapse. "I can work from here just fine" was her response to questions about her whereabouts.

Here's another example of how the insertion of politics into what should be merit-based positions hurts the rest of us. Ms. Pitt was a marketer when she was promoted to head the emergency prepardeness section at a cost of $84,000+ and very nice state benefits. In the Northstar state, that's a good salary. And, as a marketer myself, I know that such jobs are good preparation only for other such jobs.

That's why we are supposed to have a civil service. The so-called experts are protected from political retaliation, in return for which we are supposed to believe that they are working hard for us. In Sonia's case, she was clearly using the state dime to get her own needs met.

And apparently that's only the tip of the iceberg.