For those of you scoring at home, Wisconsin’s Civil Service laws need to be repealed because employees can’t be fired even when they do egregious things like maintain a sexual relationship on state time in state facilities. Well, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has had a number of stories about this (here’s the latest) and it seems that Governor Walker’s administration never tried to fire the offending parties…and under the existing civil service laws they certainly would have been able to…if they had…you know…tried. So first I have a problem with the lying…and of course making a thing out of something that they didn’t do but could have done. But that isn’t even my biggest gripe…so here it comes.
What is the most laughable thing is how the administration actually handled it…they put written reprimands in the personnel files…not particularly strong enough punishment considering…but! They later removed the reprimands at the request of the employees. So the governor’s administration couldn’t even stick with the wimpy punishment they meted out…UNINTIMIDATED by foot!
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of the railroad commission case, however, found no evidence that the administration had discussed firing the two workers — they were given letters of reprimand that were softened at the employees’ immediate request and then removed from their personnel file in 2014, again at the employees’ request. State precedent makes clear the employees could have faced much harsher discipline, such as demotions and suspensions, though termination is less clear cut.
So through lies and deceit about an inability to perform an action that they didn’t take although they probably could have…the GOP decides to gut a perfectly good program that was the model for much of the nation…sigh
Plale must have bought George Costanza’s plea to Mr. Lippmann about why he should keep his job.
“We’re gutting the Civil Service because we can, and because some of our wealthiest donors are offended by it. Commoners don’t deserve the truth from us, so here’s this bullshit.”
There. Better.
Perhaps a focused FOIA request about all contact between a certain consultant/lobbyist from the Oshkosh business community and our Republicon Assembly Speaker might reveal more to be concerned about, with regards to protection of we the people, both to our rights and our taxpayer expenditures, than two people employed in service to the state falling in love with each other. Discovery could reveal a very harsh mistress.
Tell me more! I live on the other side of the state. And wasn’t an early Walker high level appointee involved in an up state “love triangle” who subsequently resigned?
I am not surprised by two employees, public or private, “carrying on.” Working after hours one evening, I went to the company lunch room to get a coffee and discovered two employees also working “overtime” on one of the lunch room tables.
I did not get my coffee nor report the incident, but I never used that table again either for lunch or coffee breaks.
NQ- That wouldn’t happen to be a certain former state legislator who ran on “family values” and promptly dumped her husband and kids and shacked up lil ol’ Robbin’, is it?
It’s also not the same lady that gets free air time from fellow adulterer Charlie Sykes without revealing either the lobbyist or personal relationship, is it? 😛
If we’re talking about who I think we’re talking about, she gets free airtime from WPR every few weeks as a “former legislator and small business owner” commenting on the week’s political news without any mentions of her other connections or the source of her insider info. I don’t believe the nature of her small business has been mentioned either, or at least not regularly enough for a regular listener to have heard.