Hire homegrown, lower-paid people, governor suggests
Gov. Phil Bredesen says he wants Tennessee lottery chief Rebecca Paul to stop stacking her staff with former employees from the Georgia lottery and paying out top-dollar salaries.
"I honestly think we have enough Georgians now and we have enough high-salary people, and I'm anxious to get on with the business of building this lottery," Bredesen told reporters yesterday.
"We've accommodated what she wanted, but enough is enough."
Paul has so far hired five executives, including two who worked for her when she was head of the Georgia lottery. Three on the staff are making $180,000 each, plus yet-un-specified incentive bonuses.
Because of the nature of a lottery start-up, more out-of-state lottery executives, such as a vice president of security, might still be hired, said Will Pinkston, lottery vice president for corporate affairs.
"In certain jobs, it's important to have previous lottery experience. But the vast majority of employees in the organization definitely will be Tennesseans," Pinkston said.
Bredesen credited Paul as "the best lottery manager in the United States" and said, "I think we have given her enormous deference in putting together her team."
As governor, Bredesen appoints the seven-member lottery board but otherwise does not control the lottery.
"I don't want the whole top management being people I don't know, who don't have roots in Tennessee, who, for all I know, might go off with Rebecca Paul five years from now to some other lottery," he said.
"I really would like some solid people from here."
Paul plans to hire 250-300 lottery employees, but she has not said how many people will serve as her senior staff, what remaining senior positions she plans to fill or what their salaries will be.
The salaries "you will see from this point out generally will be lower numbers than what you've seen so far," Pinkston said.
Paul is looking for a management team with "the best possible mix" of lottery experience and an understanding of Tennessee and its marketplace, Pinkston said.
The governor said he supported state Treasurer Steve Adams' move to the lottery. As governor, it will be up to Bredesen to appoint an interim state treasurer until the General Assembly convenes next year to elect one.
Bredesen plans to fill the position early next week.
I think she should stop doing that too. It seems as if she is picking her friends to fill those top jobs as if there is no one in Tennessee with those qualifications. We need someone in case she decides to jump ship again. I hope she doesn't think that Tennesseans are dumb...far from it..That is one thing I have never liked..since she is going to get a good salary, she is moving all of her friends here as if this is a big gravy train...She had better ask someone..Gov. Bredesen is ALL BUSINESS!! The moment he knows she is not doing her job, her butt is GONE!
Why should this surprise anyone? This happens all the time in alot of other industries. $180K is pretty steep though. Makes you wonder what you have to do to become a lottery exec.
You all may want to check out this article in the Tennessean today which is critical of Rebecca Paul's overstated "accomplishments" regarding the GA lottery. It also states that while ticket sales rose, monies to fund education did not rise at the same percentage sales did, and alluded to the fact that expenses were too high. (Remember all those slick TV ads they don't give away??????) Also other lottery directors were saying that other states ran their lotteries for less, salaries were not as high as we were paying and there was more left to work with after expenses.
Site loads very slowly, however is highly worth the read.
its not her money
I think she should stop doing that too. It seems as if she is picking her friends to fill those top jobs as if there is no one in Tennessee with those qualifications. We need someone in case she decides to jump ship again. I hope she doesn't think that Tennesseans are dumb...far from it..That is one thing I have never liked..since she is going to get a good salary, she is moving all of her friends here as if this is a big gravy train...She had better ask someone..Gov. Bredesen is ALL BUSINESS!! The moment he knows she is not doing her job, her butt is GONE!
she need her friends to cover the lotto games fraud that exist everywere
Why should this surprise anyone? This happens all the time in alot of other industries. $180K is pretty steep though. Makes you wonder what you have to do to become a lottery exec.
She running a very tense&
money has to go back t
Sounds like the GA players were right about her.
Crooked?....hmmmm
Look guys, while Gov. Breed
You all may want to check out this article in the Tennessean today which is critical of Rebecca Paul's overstated "accomplishments" regarding the GA lottery. It also states that while ticket sales rose, monies to fund education did not rise at the same percentage sales did, and alluded to the fact that expenses were too high. (Remember all those slick TV ads they don't give away??????) Also other lottery directors were saying that other states ran their lotteries for less, salaries were not as high as we were paying and there was more left to work with after expenses.
Site loads very slowly, however is highly worth the read.