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Ryan Quarles’ Bold Plan For Bringing Back Customer Service To Kentucky Government
“I want to bring a ‘customer service’ environment to all of state government just like we have done at the Department of Agriculture. Together, we can get government out of the way and unleash the American spirit.”
Government should work for you, not the other way around. As Commissioner of Agriculture, I’ve prided myself on running the Department of Agriculture as a customer service agency, and as Governor I will do the same for the rest of Kentucky government. All too often, people in office forget who they work for and we must change the attitude and culture so that state government works for you, the citizens. Under Andy Beshear, calls don’t get returned, emails get ignored, and sadly favorites are played with political supporters. During COVID, 400,000 emails were ignored and to this day, over 10,000 claims have yet to be processed which reflects an “I don’t care” mentality. Recently, the Beshear Administration sent tornado relief checks to people not connected to natural disasters whatsoever, displaying incompetence. As a taxpayer and a citizen, you deserve better. And that’s why I want to make state government a customer service agency that works for you.
As a citizen, if you reach out to a state agency, you should get a response the same day. All too often, I hear stories of Kentuckians getting lost in the system, not getting connected to the right person or agency, and sadly I hear about people who just give up because they don’t know where else to go. That will change under the Quarles Administration because we’ve already improved that at the Department of Agriculture. We will also cross-train employees so that when a citizen calls in, they can be swiftly connected to the appropriate contact in Frankfort. I want to create a culture of problem solving and proactiveness across state government so that when you have an inquiry, we will do our best to serve you in the most efficient way possible.
If you are a business owner, employer, or are looking to come to Kentucky to grow our economy, we will create a one-stop-shop to help you navigate the labyrinth of Frankfort. This means assigning you one point of contact that will help you get all of your permitting, registrations, and other necessary paperwork together as quickly as possible. Currently, I hear from employers from all across Kentucky who are frustrated with senseless delays and unreturned phone calls and emails which reflects a “I don’t care” mentality. Worst off, during COVID shutdowns, those with political ties to the Governor’s office got special treatment and that was simply wrong. Beshear shut down main street Kentucky but big box stores and those with political connections stayed open. As Governor, we want to simplify the process of running a business in Kentucky, and we will do that with our one-stop-shop.
Thirdly, whenever new laws or regulations are proposed, we want to make sure that we reduce the regulatory burden on our job creators across Kentucky. That means having a seat at the table during policy discussions and secondly an economic review of proposed changes such as what is currently required by the REINS Act. All to often new rules come into place that increase the cost of doing business without any input from the public. That needs to end. And finally, we need broadscale regulatory review. I’ll direct my team to go through the various regulatory agencies and have them find redundancies and unnecessary regulations.
As a public servant, I know we have many wonderful state employees who need elected officials who have a “can do” attitude. In fact, we should review and reform the entire merit system in Kentucky to create career ladders and a more vibrant place to work. Our government exists to serve you, not ourselves. We need a governor who believes in getting government out of the way and reducing the regulatory burden on our taxpayers. This is why I want to bring a “customer service” environment to all of state government just like we have done at the Department of Agriculture. Together, we can get government out of the way and unleash the American spirit.