Phil Craft - forced to retire.

[valleyman]

Dodgerdoob,
you are exactly correct. Billy Ray was one of the best ever. I knew him personally, great person. Since the office has almost been nonexistant.

I would like to encourage everyone who knew Phil Craft or had any dealings with him to either call or email James Comer and relay your feelings to him about the forced retirement. His office answered when I called, and I was given a voice box of Holly so I left a message that Mr. Craft was a very good state employee. I reccomended that they rehire him or replace him with someone of equal competance. Comers phone # is 502-573-0450. His email is www.james.comer@ky.gov
I also have spoken to Shaun Burgess @ Kelleys and they are going to get involved somewhat in helping to make sure the office is not abolished. I also spoke with Dadant in Frankfort and they are likewise involved. Politicians only listen to numbers of voices. So if you want to help get involved.

[valleyman]

Bumping this back to the front page. Please read and consider trying to influence James Comers descision on this matter. As before, but differient wording, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."
Brent Cook

[fleur-de-bee]

Just released article re: status of KY State Apiarist from WFPL, Louisville's public radio news station

http://www.wfpl.org/2012/01/17/state...on-for-office/


State Beekeeper Fired; Comer Plans ‘New Direction’ for Office

by Erica Peterson on January 17, 2012


Agriculture Commissioner James Comer is not eliminating Kentucky’s beekeeping program, even though he fired the state’s honeybee expert last week.

State apiarist Phil Craft held his position for 12 years, under both Democratic and Republican commissioners. When Agriculture Commissioner James Comer took office, he laid off 16 of the office’s political appointees, including Craft.

Comer’s office says Kentucky isn’t eliminating the state’s beekeeping program—he just wants to appoint his own people to positions. But the dismissal of an experienced, nationally recognized and admired apiarist is raising eyebrows in the agricultural community. It also has people asking why the state beekeeper is a politically-appointed position.

As apiarist, Craft helped beekeepers around the state raise bees and keep them healthy. Apiculture researcher Tom Webster says Craft was great at his job.

“I was involved in the interviews for that position and I recommended that Phil get the job because he had the attitude and the energy and the background and everything, so I was very happy that he did step in,” Webster said. “And he really made beekeeping a whole lot better in the state, because he was involved in a lot of outreach, pest identification…”

Craft himself doesn’t know why his former position is a political one.

“I wasn’t one of the typical political hires,” he said. “I always considered myself an agricultural specialist. I went through an interview process with about eight candidates, including apiary people from other states.”

Craft estimates there are anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 beekeepers in Kentucky. Besides producing honey, the insects are responsible for pollinating flowers and crops in the state.

Phone calls to the agriculture departments of Kentucky’s neighboring states reveal that none of their honeybee programs are led by political appointees.

[hpm08161947]

Hmm... wonder if the Ag Comm has a good beekeeping buddy that needs a job... could be... worth watching.

Don't know what they pay Chief Beekeepers in KY, but here in NC it is not too attractive. According the State of NC... the Chief Apiarist was paid 42,000 bucks in 2011. It is also listed as a full time job. That sounds extremely low given the skills necessary!

[valleyman]

In my opinion it will be hard to find anyone as dedicated to his job in state goverment. I might be wrong but I will watch and see. As a democrat I voted for and supported James Comer, but I doubt that he will get that from me in 2015, just because of this obvious political move without beekeepers best interest at heart. He is prepping himself, and his carrer to run for higher offices, and he is already making bad political decisions. I hope he proves me wrong! I do have some influence over some votes other than just mine.

[dr.buzz]

As a democrat....

That might be the problem right there.

But in post #21 above, you might want to fix the "e-mail link" as "www." is not a part of e-mail addresses, so the link is bad...........

[valleyman]

That might be the problem right there.

But in post #21 above, you might want to fix the "e-mail link" as "www." is not a part of e-mail addresses, so the link is bad...........

Thanks dr.buzz. Yes he is a republican, but at the time he appeared to be the best of the two by far, and now has done made me regret it!
You're right about about the www., I never even thought about. So used to posting web sites it just came natural. James Comer's email address is:
james.comer@ky.gov

[wheeler88]

Glad to see this post as I didn't know about this. I read the article in the paper last week about Farmer and his girlfriend and some missing computers from the AG Dept that didn't get turned back in. I will be going to the Eastern KY Beekeeping School on Sat. 1/21 in Hazard KY. Don't know if Phil will be there or not, but I should be able to find out more about whats happening. I think its all political and I'm going to send an email to Comer and may even call his office. KY had a good bee keeping program, through grants my neighbor got half of the money back that he spent last year on bees and I had plans on applying for a grant this year.

[rlsiv]

Here is what I sent:


Mr. Comer,

I am a small beekeeper living in Missouri (just south of St. Louis), and am a board member of the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association and a member of the Missouri Beekeeping Association. Even this far away, I had gotten to know Phil Craft over the last couple of years. I subscribe to his newsletter, have corresponded with him regarding mutual problems and challenges, and have even written to my own state's administration using Phil as an example of what we need in our Missouri agricultural department. I have travelled to Kentucky to hear him speak, and enjoyed hosting him (at our expense) at an EMBA meeting last year.

Phil was a valued resource to all beekeepers, not just in Kentucky, and was an ambassador for his office and his state.

I know just a bit about what is rumored to have transpired in the Kentucky Agricultural Commssioner's office prior to your taking control, and I certainly cannot fault your political desire to "clean house" upon assuming office. As a lifelong Conservative who has been consistently vocal about reducing the size of government, I can also empathize with a potential cost-cutting associated with the elimination of Mr Craft's position. Beekeeping has a large impact on our economy, and the pollination performed by these "domesticated" insects has a measurable and dramatic impact on the quantity and quality of virtually all of our agricultural plant and food products, and thereby on our economy. As the number of diseases, pests, and pesticides threatening bees increases, and the number of inexperienced hobbyist beekeepers grows, stewardship of our efforts becomes an even greater necessity.

I'd ask that if you have not done so already, please give some careful deliberation and evaluation to both the tangible and intangible contributions of Kentucky State Apiarist, and either reappoint Phil or replace him with someone who is, at a minimum, similarly competent and driven to serve his fellow beekeepers, his community, and his state. Surely there are other positions that are dead weight and should be eliminated before having had to take this dramatically negative step during your first week in office. If you fill the State Apiarist position with your own new appointee, please do all of us a favor and at least properly vet your candidates... bees are equipped with excellent senses and beekeepers can smell BS pretty well also.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Ralph L Samples IV
(followed by my address and contact information)

[wheeler88]

Nice letter Ralph, I emailed him also and here is the reply I got from Mr. Comer.........

"We will be naming a new beekeeper in a few days that will be a significant improvement over craft. Thanks for your message."

thats all he said, so I guess we will just have to wait and see.

[Michael Bush]

>"We will be naming a new beekeeper in a few days that will be a significant improvement over craft."

I have trouble imagining any improvement, let along a "significant improvement"...

[Slow Modem]

"We will be naming a new beekeeper in a few days that will be a significant improvement over craft.

That is a very bold statement.

[indypartridge]

Nice letter Ralph, I emailed him also and here is the reply I got from Mr. Comer.....

You got a reply? I sent a letter similar to Ralph's but didn't receive any acknowledgement or reply.

significant improvement over Craft

That's a very dismissive attitude toward Mr. Craft, from someone who probably knows nothing about Phil.

[sqkcrk]

here is the reply I got from Mr. Comer.........

"We will be naming a new beekeeper in a few days that will be a significant improvement over craft. Thanks for your message."

I have no dog in this hunt, but, if that is a direct quote, I would say that the person who wrote that response isn't qualified to evaluate potential candidates. Whereas, in my opinion, someone w/ a strong beekeeping background should be hired as State Apiarist, no matter the State, saying a new beekeeper instead of a new State Apiarist tells me the person doing the hiring doesn't know the difference.

There are plenty of excellent and knowledgable beekeepers who have no business being State Apiarists.

It will be interesting to see who y'all get. Best wishes that you get the right person. Maybe, if y'all push hard enuf, it will be Mr. Craft.

[valleyman]

I recieved an answer from James Comer the new Ag Commissioner. He wasn't so bold and and acknowledge that he had recieved several hateful emails regarding his decision. His answer to me was that it will be interesting what the audit shows. He ordered an audit of the office soon after taking office, which was a wise move. If Phil Craft was abusing the office (which I doubt) in any way it would justify him being replaced. Not saying Mr. Craft was one of them, but the abuse seemed to be the norm under our former Republican Commssioner Ritchie Farmer. I asked Mr. Comer in return to inform the state of any abuse from the State Apiarist office under Mr. Craft. It will certainly be interesting. I feel sorry for whomever he appoints as he has some huge shoes to fill, and will be highly scrutinized.

[wheeler88]

"We will be naming a new beekeeper in a few days that will be a significant improvement over craft. Thanks for your message."

That is a copy/paste of the reply from Comer. I also tought is was a bold statement, how can you get a 'significant improvement' when you already have one of the best. My email to Comer was in no way hateful, I can forward a copy of the entire email if anybody wants it.....

[hemichuck]

I suspect that there is a lot more to this story than meets the eye. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.I've met Phil several times and heard him speak numerous times and it would certainly not be very easy to fill his shoes. I have met Mr Comer briefly a couple of times and he seemed pretty level headed so I would love to hear the logic behind this decision. I certainly agree with his decision to ask for an audit of his department because of some of the things that Mr Farmer did in the previous term.Since Mr Comer is a republican and the state auditor is a democrat you can bet that the audit will be pretty thorough and I applaud the fact that he chose to do so. That way he will be starting his term with a clean slate.

[wheeler88]

Update on Phil Craft…

I attended the Eastern Kentucky Beekeeping School yesterday Saturday 1/21/12 and got to attend one of classes on varroa mites that Phil was teaching, on his own time. I got to talk to Phil after the class and he told me to tell everyone that he wasn’t going anywhere. He is setting up a web site that should be up shortly and would email everyone on his email list the site address. He also stated if anyone needed any help feel free to contact him by email philcraftbeekeeping@windstream.net or give him a call and he would get back to you. We had a nice conversation and it was good to hear that he will still be available to us beekeepers when we need help….

Matt Noble.....

[beekeeper1]

Due to my job I will not get into the politics of this decision. Phil was an employee of the Ky Dept. of Ag not the University of KY or Ky State University, both Land Grant Instutitions. His position was a non-merit which means in KY State Govt. they serve at the will of the Commissioner.

By the way my e-mail to the Commissioner was not answerd either. All I asked was "what his plans were for the position".

Just to show everyone what a person Phil is, he is honoring his committments to the Bee Schools that he had already committed to. How many people would do that?????

[valleyman]

beekeeper1,
That is correct Phil will be at the Allen Co. Ky bee school today 2/4/12. I intend to tell him how much I appreciate him and wish him the best. I sure would like for him to get his job back, Which could happen. If the auditor doesn't find any improprieties I would like to believe it to be possible. But, the audit will take as much as 6 months and I feel like Phil will be grabbed up by someone who appreciates his talents before that.