No Kidding

Here is a piece of breathtaking reporting from the Sun this morning:

During 2003, the year that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. took office, 207 at-will state workers were terminated, more than triple those fired by his predecessor the year that he was sworn in, according to data provided by the Department of Legislative Services.

The information, which was culled at the request of the special committee investigating Ehrlich's personnel practices, shows that while the number of people leaving state jobs under Ehrlich was essentially on a par with those who left under former Gov. Parris N. Glendening, there was clearly a spike in the number of at-will and special-appointment state employees who left their jobs when Ehrlich took office.

In 2003, more than 800 at-will workers -- a category of people who serve at the pleasure of the governor -- left their jobs. Under Glendening, that number had peaked at approximately 650 in 1996.

Gee, perhaps the fact that Maryland has its first Republican Governor in 34 years had a little something to do with employee turnover, both involuntary and otherwise.

I can only think back to a scence from The Usual Suspects, where Hockeny(played by Kevin Pollak) is being questioned by police:

Cop: I can put you in Queens on the night of the hijacking.
Hockney: Really? I live in Queens, did you put that together yourself, Einstein?