Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Why fired?

Liked this letter to the editor by Steve Lenox that ran Sat. I understand the position of elected officials when they do not release personnel records, but sometimes there are overriding public interests and some information can and should be given. The law does not appear to forbid the release of such records or information, but rather it allows them to be exempt from release.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okay, so does that mean you will tell us why JJ got fired after he was first suspended for a week?

charles said...

Maybe just try staying on topic here. The PD Officer discussion is a sobering one.

The silence will become local legend over time. Arkansas City does not have a strong history of telling stories with a positive spin when matters are left to imagination.

Anonymous said...

So JJ was fired????

Anonymous said...

Check Newscow...it should be there a day or two before it hits the Volkischer Beobachter.
(Google it, DA)

Anonymous said...

Yes, jj was fired. He has a new blog that tells his side:

http://arkcityrevived.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Just like employees in private business, City employees have certain rights when it comes to employment matters.

Anonymous said...

The transparency being asked for in the Letter to the Editor is impossible under current state and federal laws. Personnel issues are not allowed to be disclosed to the public. If you want that changed, you can't ask Chief Wallace to do it, that would be asking him to violate the law, which we as citizens have to uphold. Maybe a review of the law might be in order to prevent further heat on issues such as this.

charles said...

I am not sure I understand the tenor of the discussion.
Regularly, news stories are reported about officers whose actions are called into question.
When they fire a weapon, are involved in high speed chases or even in the rare instances when they are suspected of breaking the law.

When my niece was hit and killed by an off duty police officer in Topeka, his name was in the Cap Journal and the matter was reviewed to assure that there was no foul play such as alcohol involved.

The police chief in Kingman had an issue that has been public news for a few months now. So, I am not sure what the law states in that some matters do get aired and others do not.

In the end, the honor of the police who serve each community is preserved by evidence (not avoidance) that they are scandal free. Same as with the clergy. It is the dealing with and remediation of wrong that stills the wagging tongue.

At this point, the matter in AC has become stale. The folks who continue to serve acknowledge and withstand the public scrutiny.

Now, I say I just wish they had a few more ethnic minority officers in AC and with the Sheriff dept. also.

Anonymous said...

Charles ends every post wishing there were more minorities working in the city.

THEY HAVE TO APPLY FIRST! I'm sure if they had qualified applicants, they would hire them.

Anonymous said...

Charles ends every post wishing there were more minorities working in the city.


Every post? Hyperbole perhaps?

charles said...

I think you hit the nail on the head. There are simply no qualified candidates.

But why do I have to stop wishing and dreaming. Then I would become like all the bitter citizens of this community who just tear at others until there is nothing left to tear.

Let me hope, wish and/or dream, please?????

Anonymous said...

"Then I would become like all the bitter citizens of this community who just tear at others until there is nothing left to tear."

Maybe you can't see it, but that is exactly how you come across. You sound like a bitter minority, always complaining about how "the man" keeps "your people" down.

The truth is that this town has had many fine employees and mayors and officers that were minorities. But all of them had to first apply to get the job. The way you phrase it makes it sound as though you blame the city for not hiring minorities, when in fact you admit that they are not getting the applicants.

While we are on the subject, I do not condone the practice of hiring a minority over a better candidate simply because they are a minority (affirmative action), but I also would never stand for NOT hiring a minority if they were the best applicant simply because they are a minority.

Anonymous said...

David, I appreciate that you have not said anything bad about JJ publicly.

charles said...

You are right. I can't see it. I see me as holding to hopes and dreams of opportunity for others.
I see me as wishing that some of my relatives could get those opportunities and stay close to home.

I consider bitterness to be all the name calling and baseless accuations that people make on here. The kind of stuff pepoe have written about Mell, Snell and, oh well, you know the rest.

I reviewed my posts (I always copy them to Word so that I can keep them after the topics are removed) Don't see any reference to "my people" in any of my comments.

That would be stupid since I know the racial make-up of my own family (though you don't)

Don't see where I mentioned "The man" as if there was some superior being. "The man" I refer to is Jesus who is my source of love and joy and contentment in whatever state I might be. He makes me better and not bitter.

My comments address an observation of circumstance. Yours are directed in a negative fashion towards me. That, my friend, is what I call bitter.

I respect your opinion but I assert that you hopefully inadvertently misrepresented my words and inferred some of your own onto me. Please accept full credit for your own thoughts and leave mine unadulterated.

As an aside, you might want to consider a job at City Hall yourself. You thought proces is strikingly similar to that of a current Dept head. If he leaves, I think you could step right in and they wouldn't know the difference.

I will, however, allow you to have the final say - as much amnd as often as you like - as I move away again and attend to things I can influence. Your opinion is clearly not one of those things.

charles said...

synchronicity

Anonymous said...

How do you know I'm not the Department head you speak of?

And Syncronicity is a great album.