Workplace Safety

Garrison Keillor famously wrote about a place called Lake Wobegon, where "all the children are above average."

Under the Blunt administration, the people who run the state have apparently worked very hard to make sure that we have an opposite Lake Wobegon effect.  Bluntees have rigged the system so that state employees are always adjudged average or below. 

Blunt administration appointees have invented and implemented an employee rating system called PERforM, on which they will presumably make "merit" pay increase decisions for workers.  Because pay for working people hinges on the ratings, Bluntees have to be very careful to make sure that even employees who earn high marks don't get scored that way. 

Consider the discussion of the PERforM system from this email, sent earlier this year by a manager from a state facility in southeast Missouri...

Intra-agency battles at Missouri's Department of Mental Health between career staff and Governor Matt Blunt's hand-picked ex-consultant privatizers have now spilled over into the everyday lives of working Missourians.

The Post-Dispatch today chronicles the internal bureaucratic fighting, which saw contractor-cum-administrator Bernie Simons of the Division of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability square off with Mental Health Director Keith Schaefer after Simons tried to fire 29 Mental Health employees in one fell swoop.

If one thing has become clear in the disgusting case revolving around Matt Blunt's cover-up of the Fred Ferrell, it is that Matty obviously does not understand the seriousness of sexual harassment in the workplace. Blunt spokeswoman Jessica Robinson said that

"After reviewing the matter, the governor moved to terminate Fred unless he complied with a series of disciplinary sanctions that included apologizing, suspension, appropriate and extensive sensitivity training"

How can Matt Blunt expect his subordinates to act appropriately if he himself does not know what constitutes sexual harassment. It is imperative the the Governor immediately begin his own "sensitivity training."

Luckily for the Governor, there is a renowned sexual harassment training organization located in Springfield, and since he likes to be there so much, it only makes sense that he attend a seminar while at his home. However, there are also other organizations that will come to his office for a training session, and this might be a better idea so the whole executive staff can take part. Matt Blunt, it is time to be a leader and begin the training you so desperately need.

Ah, memories.

In an interview with MissouriNet conducted at the end of August 2006 --some three months after the Highway Patrol sent him its investigative report on Agriculture Director Fred Ferrell's sexual harassment activities-- Governor Matt Blunt personally defended Ferrell. Contrary to his current claims, Blunt sounded not at all appalled with Ferrell's history of sexual harassment. To listen to the interview again, Blunt sounded downright proud of the man:

"Fred Ferrell continues to serve as the Director of Agriculture. I think he's doing a very good job." --quotation at 0:36 into the Brent Martin interview

 In 2001 Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon told the Knesset:

“I want to tell you something very clear: Don’t worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it.”

In the midst of all the good natured and well deserved heat that our beloved Veep is being subjected to this week, this report actually seems to have some serious things to say about the Cheney hunting mishap on Saturday last: 

http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2006/02/questions_about.html

This story appears credible and evidences Cheney's apparent culpability for, at the very least, a serious lapse in judgment.  It is also unfortunate that the local sheriff was, according to some unconfirmed reports, not allowed to make an assessment of Cheney’s blood/alcohol level probably in the interests of national security.  Assuming the validity of this critique, I really wonder if there is even the tiniest aspect of the lives of our benighted rulers that is above reproach.  It would seem that these guys not only have a total disregard for the letter of the law, but also possess a pathological inability to allow any glimmer of good sense or human decency to penetrate into even the smallest acts of their daily lives. 

The latest buzz at the Capitol is that Matt Blunt was warned about the error in the workers comp law back in March and still chose to sign it, even though plenty of time remained to veto the bill and fix the problem in the regular session instead of wasting $100,000 on a special session. Maybe this is why Blunt spokesperson Jessica Robinson tried at all costs to avoid this very question before eventually lying about it to the KC Star.  

Shortly after the shooting death of suburban St. Louis Police Sgt. William McEntee, KATZ-FM DJs Kaos and Syllli Asz talked with on-air callers about how to injure police officers and take away their radios so they couldn't call for help.

KATZ-FM is a Clear Channel station owned by recent Blunt Tourism Commission appointee Lee Clear.

In this weeks Labour Tribune for St. Louis /Southern Illinois, on the frount page at the fold "Governor Blunt lives up to his word: will veto 'RTW' bill" The writer tells us the news paper had a meeting back in October of 04 with mr. Blunt, and did not print the story. And waited to see who would win ,the race and then to see how  Governor Blunt would keep his word. It evens gives information from Hugh McVey Presdident of the AFL-CIO of Missouri, to say in words he was happy the Governor would keep his word. That Blunt will veto the bill. I think we need to look at this a little more. Granted the bill has not been assigned to a committee as of yet,or even a hearing date. And in Missouri we have the right to have collective bargaining it is in our constitution. And it looks due to its late introduction means it may not go far. If by chance this bill goes in to over drive is not watched, and is passed. Yes the worker will be in trouble. We need to keep in mind that October is veto over ride time! We need to get the word out and have up-dates so all can see where this bill is going.   For as I understand things the Governor is Republican and the legislature of both houses are controled by the Republicans. Any thing can happen Hugh McVey, Who will keep a watch on this bill for us? And let us know what the bill is doing. The Labor Tribune E-mail address is laborinfo@labortibune.com phone number is 314-535-9660 To get a copy of this information so you do not think I am just writing to be writing.