"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Monday 10 December 2012

Secrets that Seeth

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Huff and Puff and Blow The House Down":
Extremely well done!

But what is the $186,000 regarding another aspect of the matter? Have I missed something? 
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I cannot answer the question. Sounds like  evasion,,,right. 

Not so.  Employee privacy is a legal obligation. . 
The sum or thereabouts was paid out of the treasury in direct connection to the issue. 
In  the entire scheme of things, was the expenditure justified?
Absolutely not.
Any more than the rest of it.   

Once I had the unhappy choice of having to vote in favour of requesting  resignation from someone liked. It was  hard.
My responsibility is  to the people who pay the bills. . .
I committ to the principle, taxpayers are entitled to receive value. f
The late and former Mayor Dick Illingworth  was in the media by this time.
He knew the individual. Had the same friendly relationship. He concluded the decision was unfair. 
Illingworth demanded reasons.. 
He had the bully pulpit.
He chose not to acknowledge the legal obligation.
It sounds like a contradiction but it's not.    
The reasons could not be made public without causing harm. 
Illingworth knew that.  .
He chose to flail away.at the easiest target.
The disaffected employee ran for Mayor against the incumbent, John West. in the next election.
He lost.
Irony there. John had voted against  the request  for resignation.
In the last term, a  significant number of employees took their leave.
One had  eighteen years of service. All of a sudden ,.. he didn't  work for us any more.
No information was provided to Council.
It is not a singular matter when a long-term employee leaves involuntarily.  
Costs are involved. 
Logic dictates  if a person' s performance  has been satisfactory  for many years,  reason for separation is relevant. 
A court would award  a minimum of a  month's salary for each year of employment.
More if the employee's reputation was damaged  by loose lipped politicians. 
Municipalities tend to  avoid court battles.
They're expensive and  sympathy tends towards  the little guy.
Also, if  years  are taken from a person's working life, compensation is due. .A settlement is offered 
I sought to understand the circumstance.
I  heard the employee  left with a smile .
The  family mortgage was paid off , lovely new vehicle  was bought and a new job with  a neighbouring municipality for better pay commenced  without  pause. 
A good man is hard to find. 
Enlightenment I sought was refused.
Normal recourse would have been to Mayor and Council. 
It was not an option. More likely it was the problem.The secret that needed to be kept.
It's not an option now either.                  

1 comment:

Anonymous said...


It depends on the size of the mortgage and the make of the vehicle, but one might conclude that the $186,000 was severance.

And if this is the case one might even guess to whom it was paid.

I realize you are forbidden from commenting further.