This little item appeared on City Beat's blog yesterday. Needless to say, we should not be selecting critical positions in our criminal justice system, or anywhere else, based on how hard people worked on individual political campaigns, or how many yardsigns they planted.
We have so many good people who work for the County. But especially at this time of tight budgets and tough cuts, the impression that hiring and personnel decisions at the County are all about politics is incredibly damaging to the public's view and ultimate integrity of the County's work.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
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23 comments:
Two things - how did City Beat get this letter and if it was available why didn't the Enquirer do a story.
Why would the courts even be considering filling a position that has been largely vacant and whose duties were being performed for - what - years by the court administrator until Clancey needed a "holding position" until she was knighted Clerk.
And a third thing - we think the Governor of Illinois is corrupt? Look at this stuff that goes on without a blink of an eye in Hamilton County and noone even cares to report on it. Talk about seats for sale - Illinois just hasn't shored up the media arm like Hamilton County's GOP has.
I've gotten several comments that discuss specific county employees by name. As a policy, I've decided not to put up comments that name county employees--unless they are elected officials who've clearly opted to put their names in the public sphere.
Please resubmit comments without particular names.
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Sounds HypocRitical Protectionist ?
There is not one public employee whose complete file isn't a matter of public record, PERIOD !
Once someone has even pursued public employment their file is public record, regardless if they have received the position or not.
But, to placate you:
Hiring those that work on a campaign is an excellent way to get to know their work habits.
There may even be some county commissioners who have individuals that work closely for them that are connected politically or worked on their campaign.
Won't you agree DAVID ?
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Anon #3:
Do you believe it would be appropriate for me to hire the County Administrator, budget director, deputy county administrators, or positions that work for them based on their work for political campaigns (mine or others')? Or even for me to ask/encourage them to be involved in such campaigns?
That type of political hiring was tried in the Heimlich era, and it ended in incompetence, bad deals and wasted millions.
One thing City Beat didn't mention is that this employee probably signed a pledge card to work on Republican campaigns and contribute monetarily as a requirement of their job.
So you are saying that civil service managers/directors who hold positions should not pressure lower civil service managers to hire a relative or a good friend? If I read correctly then you should really check out JFS and the past hiring habits. One word clearly decribes it nepotism
There seem to be a lot of whiners in the blogosphere. And so much half truths it is unbelieveable. Most county workers are good, hard-working people. Most are NOT political appointees. They received their jobs fairly and work hard to serve the public. This person is an exception. As are many of the other instances stated here. For example, JFS is one of the best run departments of any JFS in the state. Do the comparisons. Ask people in Columbus. I just hope people don't read these things on blogs and think someone's uninformed, bitter opinion is truth.
We're discussing this a little bit over at the Cincinnati Blog. Whether justified or not, many people clearly EXPECT their campaign contribution to get them something in return (other than good government). Maybe it's just access. Maybe it's a job. Why else would folks donate over a half million dollars to two Commissioner candidates who were virtually unopposed?
That's not to imply that either Commissioner Portune or Commissioner-elect Hartmann did anything to encourage a pay-to-play expectation; to the contrary, neither has done so, to my knowledge. But clearly there's something amiss in HamCo political culture.
Any solutions?
Ask some courthouse employees about the pledge cards. They are real. Some soon to be laid off employees will probably tell you about the practice and how performance evaluations and raises were directly related.
Maybe it should be clarified - each elected official is permitted under state law to have a couple, loyal employees that are essentially expected to be bias and likely from the ranks of their campaign. Maybe that didn't need to be said.
But, almost a decade ago, I did a study of the hiring practices in Hamilton County - particularlly focusing on JFS. I found a 46% rate of nepotism/favoitism - new hires - often not even qualified for the jobs were hired, passing over significantly more qualified candidates - the common denominator was that they actually had the nerve to list on thier applications the names of relatives working at JFS. 46%.
The county refused to address the violations of state and federal law - I took it to the feds who directed the state to do a compliance review and order the county into a corrective action plan.
Today, they are doing the same thing they did then - and again, nobody cares without outside intervention ordering correction.
David Pepper said...
Anon #3:
Do you believe it would be appropriate for me to hire the County Administrator, budget director, deputy county administrators, or positions that work for them based on their work for political campaigns (mine or others')? Or even for me to ask/encourage them to be involved in such campaigns?
YES, if qualified !
Good luck getting campaign volunteers !
Do you think people should work for any campaign, for free ?
Isn't everyone entitled to a return on their investment ?
We would rather hire a known individual, who was willing to give of their time, money and effort while maintaining the same ideology, goals and direction, PERIOD !
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Anonymous #5 you sound defensive.
Columbus does in fact have many corrective action plans in place with JFS due to not meeting state mandates.
46% hired are relatives/friends that were not qualified to receive a job at JFS? This is true. Look at the new staff hired within the last two years and who they are related to or are friends with.
Not a whiner, just stating the clear facts.
Anonymous 6:48: I have hired two people at JFS in the past two years. They are related to no one here. Please state how you have achieved these facts. Please show us your proof.
To my knowledge, JFS has never been under any corrective action regarding its hiring practices either. I agree with the other anonymous, there seem to be a lot of untrue things said in these forums.
I hired 8 new staff within the last two years and all are related/friends to a higher manager. I did in fact feel pressure to hire them. I could and would give names but this forum is not the place to blog employee's names per Commissioner Pepper's rules of the blog.
Children Services is currently under a corrective action plan from the state for not following mandates.
Mr.Pepper
You are always trashing Phil Heimlich. As if all of the problems Hamilton County now has were caused by him.
My opinion...Portune and Pepper together would not equal the intelligence of Heimlich. I have never voted for Portune or you and never will. I now expect that both of you who worked for the City and helped bring the City to a point from which it will never return, will do the same with the County. I left the City after 35 years. I should also have left Hamilton County. I do still have that option, I am not one who is forced to stay here for financial reasons.
I respect your opinion and critique. Without "trashing" anyone in particular, the truth is that prior commissions made some very poor decisions that carelessly blew through millions of dollars and left the County with little wiggle room to deal with the current economic situation.
Despite that, we're doing the best we can to get through a difficult predicament.
(I'll put you down as "undecided" for 2010.)
Children's Services has never been under a corrective action plan for its hiring practices.
If what you say is true, and this is something I have never heard of at JFS, then you should take your complaint to Human Resources. All job candidates are screened by Human Resources and most are hired after panel interviews so more than one person makes hiring recommendations. If you feel pressure to hire any one person, please discuss with Human Resources.
(I'll put you down as "undecided" for 2010.)
lol, lol, lol
Now, now, now someone's fibbing - the corrective action plan for illegal hiring practices was independently verified by the Enquirer and so published the fact and the story behind it.
Until you posted that little lie - I was actually questioning the veracity of some comments - but clearly, you either don't know what goes on in your own dept or you just make things up.
Either way, you lost on the credibility factor.
(I like it when people id which "anon" they are responding to by the time stamp - makes it more convenient than having to go back and count down to the right anon.)
Again, you are wrong. Neither Children's Services or any other part of JFS is under a "corrective action pan" for hiring practices. Please stop misstating facts. Or, better yet, offer up the proof. I can't prove what has not happened, so I will leave it up to you. Perhaps a link to this Enquirer story you cite?
You were right to doubt the veracity of some of these statements. I can't tell you how many times I read outright misstatements on blogs.
Commissioner Pepper, I believe you are under an obligation to ensure as much truth as possible is reported on your blog. Please check with the director of JFS and state emphatically whether JFS is under a corrective action plan for its hiring practices. Thank you.
Children Services is under a correction action plan for not following state mandates in regards to the children in the county's care. For instance, when this summer QA was rushed in to review cases which they should have been doing all along not just this summer.
I was not stating Children Services is under a hiring practice that was Human Resources.
I appreciate the back-and-forth, but do want to provide clarity before people get or disseminate the wrong information:
JFS is NOT under a corrective action plan for its hiring practices.
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