Earlier this week, both Jeff and I had our own takes on the story of Ron Blair, the Capitol facilities director who allegedly accosted a woman protesting in the Capitol, in the process cutting himself with a pocket knife he had used to slash the woman’s heart balloon.
While Jeff called Blair a “Republican thug”, I noted that under Wisconsin’s new concealed carry law Blair could simply shoot any stray balloons he comes across, but I did want to take a few moments to point out a fact that while Jeff labeled Ron Blair a “Republican thug,” who was appointed to his position by the Walker administration, the irrefutable facts are that Ron Blair has been a state employee for over 30 years. According to Tony Galli of WKOW, Blair was hired as a state employee Nov. 19, 1979, a fact that flies in the face of any assertions that Blair is a Walker appointee or a “Republican thug.”
Can anyone direct me to a link regarding employee benefits and workplace conduct for state employees?
Ron’s not a Republican thug. He’s just a lunatic thug. Just imagine someone in your workplace destroying someone elses’s personal property and endangering their safety with a cutting blade, then physically assaulting them. What do you think would happen to that employee?
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_bd5f1ffe-b95b-11e0-940e-001cc4c002e0.html?sourcetrack=moreArticle
depends on if your name is David Prosser or Scott Fitzgerald.
Zach,
I wanted to let you know that I thought your posts in response to the “republican thug” post were thoughtful and logical. I appreciate that you placed logic and reason above the emotional response of bashing the other side. It’s one reason that I continue to read your blog.
SI: note it was most regular lib commenters here, not just Zach. Only point being that liberals, in general, due to brain wiring, tend to be quite reasonable and open minded as a feature.
Stress works differently on different people. Mr. Blair and the Solidarity Singers are reacting to their interpretations of civic affairs. Mr. Blair, after 30 years of stewardship, has internalized the theme “Our House” with an excess of unsubstantiated personal fear for the physical capitol environment. It stress is fanned, no doubt, by republican propaganda and lack of fair-minded leadership qualities within the “capitol family”. He needs vacation time away from his job responsibilities and some gentle conversations so he can see that his fellow citizens are not marauding mobs ramming the barricades of his beloved building.
Palli-
A lot of people work under incredibly stressful situations each and every day. Stress is an unconvincing excuse and an feeble reason.
I’ll ask again- What would happen in your workplace if someone destroyed your personal property and endangered your physical safety with a knife, then physically assaulted you? What would happen to that employee?
I would venture to guess that immediate dismissal would be the appropriate action. I know it would be in any of the places I’ve worked over the years.
The Capitol is full of police and sheriffs. He could have easily contacted building security yet conciously chose not to. Bad call.
For him to remain in his position would send a terrible message about what behavior is acceptable for anyone who visits the State Capitol.
He should honorably resign or be dismissed.
My thoughts were in regard to the continuing “enemy in the house” situation the republican lawmakers created and sustain. The fact that no one noticed that Mr. Blair was ready to burst speaks volumes about the sensitivity of the people in power. I know that Solidarity Singers and 99.9% of the anti-Walker citizens are personable with everyone and respect their House.
I don’t disagree with the contention that he should resign or be resigned…but I doubt that kind of responsible thinking is going on in the Capitol. Now that it seems he has been arrested the only remaining logical route has been taken. Surely now he will be placed on indeterminate leave as legal actions occur. But I am sympathetic to someone 30 years on the job- these are troubled times. Our side is the Right side and compassion and understanding are the tools of trade.
While Jeff doesn’t appear to have any proof of Blairs being a republican, his assumption is understandable. It’s hard to imagine a 30 year state employee getting so upset over a balloon that he would stab it with a knife and then, allegedly, physically assault the woman.
If this is just the normal state of Blairs temperament it seems likely he’d have run into some kind of serious trouble before now. An alleged physical assault, a knife, blood on the floor. Can this be a standard work day for him?
He may be a republican thug after all.
“his assumption is understandable” No his assumption is reckless.
Had he could checked the data base for campaign donations he would have seen that on 10/02/2006, Ron Blair donated to a Dan Naylor’s campaign. Naylor is a democrat so, how does that make Ron Blair a republican?
One donation to one democrat does not a democrat make. Your assumption is a bit reckless.
Rick Perry was Al Gore’s 1988 Presidential Campaign Chair in Texas.
Just saying your argument itself is meaningless. People change affiliations all the time (or strategically give to opposing or both parties for personal reasons). Not defending the assertion of Blair being a Republican, either. Frankly, I don’t care.
Regardless of his political affiliation he’s been arrested.
http://gazettextra.com/weblogs/latest-news/2011/jul/28/wis-state-worker-arrested-balloon-flap/
I think we both agree that is a good thing.
Also, the political donor to Naylor you cited is a Ron Blair from Waupaca who, in 2006 anyway, worked for the department of corrections.
Is this the same Ron Blair
Not likely.
One of the things I like about this blog is that we dont always all agree 100%. It is good to have differing perspectives and makes me rethink mine. That being said if anyone checked, I did walk back my original story somewhat:
Jeff, we agree.
a new wrinkle in the saga of smoldering anger
the State Journal story clarifies Blair’s boss one time dem Jeff Plale:
Former Democratic Sen. Jeff Plale, who voted against his party during a lame duck session on state contracts last month, has joined the administration of Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Plale will earn $90,000 a year as the administrator of the Division of State Facilities, according to the Department of Administration.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_a57eb178-23f2-11e0-abda-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1TecoWfnP