Two "slick Willies" are on their way out - one for certain, Willie Molini, Nevada Division of Wildlife Chief, who is finally being forced to retire by Governor Bob Miller; the other, our amorous president, who is rapidly finding himself friendless. Rats always instinctively know when it's time to abandon a sinking ship.

I was not going to write any further about Molini, whose last day is Sept. 24th. I have written several columns dating back to 1994, showing the incompetence of him as an administrator, and did not want to rub salt in the wound, so to speak.

However, as if to cap off his career and validate all the concerns raised by his critics, Molini in his last few days left as administrator once again demonstrated his ineptitude.

As the Associated Press reported "Legislative auditors say the Division of Wildlife failed for the last SIX YEARS (emphasis mine) to properly monitor the work of a Fallen company that handles its $9 million-a-year hunting tag program."

That's more than $50 million of taxpayer money Molini failed to watch.

The AP goes on: "Auditors said the Wildlife Division didn't hold Systems Consultants to contract requirements that the company submit financial statements, buy liability insurance and get a bond to protect the state from any losses."

In effect, Molini and his financial officers turned over $54 million without contract-required safeguards against theft fraud —not even requiring a yearly financial statement to see exactly how the money was spent! If any money had turned up missing, who would have been forced to pick up the tab? That's right -- you and I, the taxpayers.

Fortunately for Molini, the Fallen based Systems Consultants were honest businessmen, who accounted for every penny that passed through their hands. Because of this, Molini claimed no harm done, no foul.

Right?

Wrong. Even if this was one isolated example of mismanagement, it would be a very serious breach of an administrator's job. But with Molini, even a modest review of his tenure as administrator reveals a consistent pattern of such inexcusable blunders.

On the financial front, Molini has a track record unrivaled by the head of

any state agency. As early as the late 80's, Molini was the target of a massive state audit that found a series of mishandling; Molini promised a complete overhaul to comply with the audit. In spite of his promises, the problems never abated. He again failed to monitor his spending, and exceeded his legislatively allowed spending limits by hundreds of thousands of dollars in 1996, which constituted, as defined in state law, malfeasance in office. Now, on the eve of his departure, yet another legislative audit reveals he has failed to properly monitor the taxpayers' money.

Molini also managed to lose $291,000 of taxpayer money in not one, but two separate sexual discrimination lawsuits against his agency. Currently, the State of Nevada is facing hundreds of thousands in payments to an NDOW employee, Bart Tanner, who successfully proved in court deliberate harassment and misuse of power by Molini's law enforcement division, which punished Tanner for daring to tell the truth in court. This case also involves perjury charges against Molini's law enforcement branch, which intentionally lied in sworn statements in an effort to "get" Tanner.

Molini was aware of these efforts, and even after having lost in court, has failed to punish any of his henchmen. This stands to reason; after all, Molini appointed as his chief game warden a man involved in big game poaching. Molini has also been well aware of a long series of deliberately told, publicly distributed lies his law enforcement division has published — and done absolutely nothing about it.

By failing to act, Molini has in effect said lying is OK and now in the Tanner case, the taxpayers will be footing the bill for Molini's liars, who continued their behavior even when under oath

On a more personal note, Molini in

1996 was caught driving a state vehicle to a bar in Fallen, a very serious violation of state law brought to light only because a fight ensued, with Molini having some of his ribs broken. Once again. Governor Miller and Nevada's Chief Law Enforcement officer, Attorney General Frankie Sue )Del Papa, did nothing beyond a meaningless "letter in his file" response, rather than prosecuting him for a criminal violation of state law.

At the very least, he should have been removed from his office for violating the public trust. But no, Molini had once again been elevated to a position of being above the law.

Molini was also charged by an Elko County Grand Jury with misusing his powers, but the statute of limitations had expired and no indictment was handed down. Molini & co. howled long and loud about this, but. given the opportunity to take their case before a jury of their peers when the DA and district judge both agreed to waive the statute of limitations provision, he declined, choosing instead to hide behind Frankie Sue Del Papa's skirts.

All this represents a brief synopsis of Molini's self-inflicted wounds Sept. 25th cannot come too soon Nevada's State government can only improve now that it is purging out its version of Slick Willie. Goodbye Molini --and good riddance.

Ira Hansen

Sparks Daily Tribune, Sept. 13, 1998