In another sign that state government is in trouble, birds of prey have begun circling Smith Hill.

Literally.

A state Department of Health employee reported last week that a hawk had killed a seagull in the north parking lot. The hawk was apparently picking at the gull’s remains on the roof of a silver Honda Thursday morning.

“If this is your car, you may wish to check on its condition since remnants of the kill have been left on the roof. The hawk has now moved onto the roof of a red station wagon,” employee Brenda Sullivan advised in an e-mail to various state employees.

Sullivan’s message prompted a pun-laden response from Health Director David R. Gifford, who had determined the carcass-stained car belonged to a state employee.

“I hate to tar and FEATHER [her] any further, but I did check with DOA and she can not submit her car wash BILL due to the budget crises at hand,” Gifford wrote Thursday afternoon. “Though I am sure that this event will SOAR to the top of employee complaints about problems with our parking lots, I am not sure we can solve this problem.”

Political Scene obtained the e-mail exchange from Rep. Raymond E. Gallison Jr., D-Bristol, who did not appear to be amused.

“While Rome burns, aka the State is facing a huge deficit, this is what is going on at DOH,” Gallison declared in an e-mail to various media entities Friday.

--By Steve Peoples
Journal State House Bureau