common.. much more to this story employees union etc...

A Republican plot, Bobo?  That was really your best spin?  Oh Bobo, how the mighty have fallen.  Flush your office chair.

Last edited by Hamatron5000 (2009-08-26 21:00:16)

i wonder how slager got his off the record "life changing" info if the town didnt even have the info?? does he expect us to believe the da leaked info to he? hahahehehaha peeing my pant hehehe

anonymous  sources equals brenda and bruce .

LIz... If you have more info on this please share (:

PShooter

Last edited by PShooter (2009-08-26 21:38:43)

Alright, I can't comment on the factual accuracy of much of what he's saying here, as nobody left me an anonymous letter or called and left me coded phone messages.  However, some of his traditional tactics are evident here, and since the Sox look like they're going to extra innings, I have some time to chat about it...also, note that this is off of  a version retrieved about 9:30 tonight, so it might (read: probably will) change by the time you read this.

...it was revealed during an illegally broadcast executive session meeting of the Board of Selectmen

It's ridiculous, and more than a little sad, that he continues to parrot this "illegally broadcast" line over and over and over.  If it's illegal, how come nobody was arrested?  If it's illegal, why haven't you yourself turned in the perp?  The fact is that it was an inadvertent broadcast, not an illegal one.  The fact is that the people in the meeting could have disabled it if they asked for help, but they didn't.  The fact is that when a blogger like Slager constantaly repeats that something is illegal, that does not make it illegal no matter how hard he tries.

The Observer has also learned that Gifford and the Municipal Maintenance Department has been under investigation by the Inspector General’s Office for allegedly improprieties for more than six months. Deputy Inspector General Mike Callahan has led that investigation.

No mention of the source here, and his references to the anonymous sources later are for the DA involvement.  I'm not saying he's lying here, but it wouldn't surprise me if this was incorrect. Also, Rob, it's "alleged" not "allegedly" in that context.  You see, adverbs are used when....ahhh, nevermind.  Just start labeling your stuff "draft" until you make the changes after I proofread it for you.

Repeated references to people being Republican - This appears to be an effort to inject some controversy into a story where none (or not enough) exists.  Sort of like he did when he injected himself into Brady's meeting, and made up a bunch of crap about money missing from the library.

When contacted by phone a few minutes later, Sauvageau reiterated that Town Counsel had told the board not to speak publicly about the issue. When told by the Observer that Middleton said her office had issued no gag order on the investigation, Sauvageau replied “that is not what we were led to believe.”

Gag order from the DA or not, if these guys were my clients I'd be telling them to shut the hell up too.  They're so deep in at this point that just getting them to stop digging would be a moral victory for the legal team.  I'm not sure why Slager seems to think this is contradictory.

Side note:  RED SOX WIN!  BIG PAPI IS BACK!!!  Don't worry, though, I'll still finish this post :)

He did acknowledge his frustration over the lack of progress in the DA’s investigation as well as what he called a lack of communication between the DA and the town.

My first reaction to this, and I'm 100% pulling it out of my butt because I don't have any sources, is that such behavior by the DA might be indicative that the Board itself is being investigated.  That would explain the silence...

Police Chief Thomas Joyce and Acting Library Director Susan Pizzolato both resigned shortly after the computer audit was launched.

It's really starting to piss me off that he keeps repeating this, as if there's a connection.  It's another example of him trying to draw connections where none exist, and it drives me batty.  Hey Rob, I pooped shortly after the audit was launched.  That has just as much to do with the audit as their resignations do.  Let it go.

IT SEEMS  TO ME THAT IF THE DA HAS TAKEN OVER THE COMPUTOR ADUIT FROM THE SELECTMAN , THEN THE SELECTMAN ARE BEING INVESTIGATED AND NOT MUNCIPAL MAINTENANCEAND BO BO IS THROWING UP A SMOKE SCREEN TO PROTECT THE SELECTMAN , I KNOW HOW THIS  BASTARD WORKS.

ihateliz wrote:

IT SEEMS  TO ME THAT IF THE DA HAS TAKEN OVER THE COMPUTOR ADUIT FROM THE SELECTMAN , THEN THE SELECTMAN ARE BEING INVESTIGATED AND NOT MUNCIPAL MAINTENANCEAND BO BO IS THROWING UP A SMOKE SCREEN TO PROTECT THE SELECTMAN , I KNOW HOW THIS  BASTARD WORKS.

i would think the bos are being investigated or they couldnt do the job right..

PShooter wrote:

Anonymous phone messages and unsigned letters received in the night. WTF Bobo, do you think you live in a dime store novel?

PShooter

If I was him, I'd start looking for new sources.

The real sad part of this is that no one supports abusing tax payer dollars, whether it is an ITA ordering up costly computer audits or employees who do things they aren't supposed to do (such as run Ebay stores from work or download porn for fun).

The critical blunder here was that the BOS did not investigate an actual allegation, such as "Mary has been downloading Playgirl".

Professionally I represent over 1,000 public employees and I am often a part of these types of investigations, so I have a pretty good idea of how it works. Here is how an investigation is typically handled:
1. Report comes in, sometimes the reporter has pictures or other documentation to back up the claim.
2. Employee is notified in writing that they are to appear before the appointing authority on specific date and time to answer to the allegation.
3. Often employee is suspended, most often with pay pending the outcome, until the hearing. The employee has no access to their computer or anything else for that matter.
4. We (employee and myself) attend hearing, answer to the allegations, review evidence, etc. State our case and/or present our own evidence, witnesses, etc.
5. Await a decision that is usually forthcoming with one to two business days.

I have been a part of every type of employee investigation you can imagine (from sexual harrassment, discrimination, one case where a police officer was being investigated by the State Police, theft, need I go on) and they all follow the same general guideline. Why the BOS deviated from what is a widely accepted practice throughout the Commonwealth is a mystery to me. But, I will say for the record since I am not privy to any results, if someone was doing something they shouldn't have the conduct of the investigation would make it difficult for any discipline case to stand up at civil service or before an arbitrator, I say that based on my own experience of how I have seen civil service and arbitrators rule in cases.

The DA involvement is something I have never seen before. I cannot comment of that part of it, however, I find the comments someone posted about the Gifford's being investigated strange. I googled it and found nothing. Does anyone know where that information came from?

Personally if there is nothing to be found from the computer audit then I think the BOS owes the community an apology, that is a terrible waste of money in these dire finacial times. If they have something they should deal with it. This type of thing should not hang over the heads of the employees (or the taxpayers for that matter) endlessly.

What the BOS fails to understand is that the more secretive they behave the more suspicious the whole thing appears. If there is nothing to hide then out with it already!

Molly wrote:

Ok, I have to chime in. This all just proves that reading ragboy is a waste of time and is what is keeping him going.

Yep, ragboy is clueless. I heard about it over a week ago while talking with someone I knew shopping at Home Depot. I tried to post a subtle hint, but I think most missed it.

Well, since we are all putting in our two cents:

If Slager is called to testify before a grand jury, it's because he ran his mouth about the audit in several comments in his website. There is only two explanations for this: 1. he lied. 2. he received bogus information.  In either case, a solid veteran journalist wouldn't have been caught with his pants down. Even now, he twists the story and makes allegations against people that may cause him to lose more than his office.

One of the problems I have with the current administration is the "tell on your fellow employee" syndrome. This type of behavior may have contributed to the audit and it certainly has contributed to the terminations and resignations. This is not the good management and it certainly is no way to run a town. While I don't condone illegal activity on town computers, I am VERY opposed to witch hunts that encompass that are expensive and lead to a Grand Jury and DA investigations. Cara is right. There are rules and procedures that need to be followed. This is another example of poor management and leadership.

I get really tired of "they resigned during a computer audit."

Verifiable Fact - Chief Joyce was subjected to one indignity after another, leading up to him being suspended for writing a letter to the editor - a peculiarly timed suspension, likely a rouse to get him out of the office while the BOS SWAT team rifled through the police department files.  No doubt, this was the last straw for him, and he wasn't going to stay in a position where scumbag politicans were going to constantly undermine his authority.  He worked out a deal to become Marion's Interim Fire Chief and finish his time till retirement in a town not run by wack jobs.  Good for him.

Cronie is on tape, saying it's "perfect timing" that he chose to resign now (gives a sense of undeserved credibility to a bogus witch hunt) and lamented that the town didn't have him sign anything to force him to keep quiet.


Verifiable Fact -  The finance committee cut Susan Pizzolato's position.  She lost her job because of political payback.  There was an opening in Mattapoisett.  She took it.

Last edited by Hamatron5000 (2009-08-27 09:12:29)

I'm still laughing at Bobo's lame attempt to spin.  "A Republican plot."  Bobo, you're such a dumbass.

BREAKING NEWS: Republicans on the attack!  Trent Lott just gave Bobo a wedgie, Rush Limbaugh is running down Main Street naked, and Lindsey Graham just started a biker gang!  Run!  Run!  The Republicans are coming!!!!  Run for lives!  The Republicans are coming!!!!

Hey uh, to all you peeps who seem to be in the know, is there any chance that any of these scumbags could be outfitted in neon orange, or is that too much to hope for?

Don't get Ham's hopes up...Like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa, I'll be up every night hoping the next day's paper will have perp walk pictures on the front page.

MY sources tell me it's a criminal investigation by the Grand Jury. Should the Grand Jury find probable cause, we will be looking for five new Selectmen.

God, I love it when I get to use this three times in a week:

When the people that have testified are sweet brucie and sanguinet I think everyone can see who the investigation is about

THE SELECMAN BEING INVESTIGATED   BY A GRAND JURY, WOW AND I DID NOT VOTE FOR ANY OF THEM , WILL THEY GO TO JAIL , WILL BIG BERTHA TAUNT BRENDA WHEN SHE YELLS EXCUSE ME IN THE LUNCH LINE IN PRIZON , BIG BERTHA WILL KNOCK HER IN THE HEAD , I WONDER IS THIS INVESTIGATION ABOUT JUST THE COMPUTOR AUDIT , I HOPE ITS ABOUT BRUCES LIES ABOUT HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH SWIFTS BEACH ALSO  AND BRUCE AND BRENDAS LIES ON THERE LOAN APPLICATIONS TO THE BANKS ABOUT THERE EMPLOYMENT WITH THE TOWN . BOY HOW MANY TOWNS SELECTMAN GET INVESTIGATED BY A GRAND JURY.

Just a thought... if there are any audit results released that are subject to the Freedom of Information Law and the BOS tries to release them in dribs and drabs to the public as they see fit I expect that the Standard Times will file a request for the entire report through the Secretary of State's office.

Now that the S-T announced they planned to do this in the future I would think that the Wareham Courier will follow suit if the BOS doesn't respond to their requests within the legal time limit.

Real newspapers taking real action to get out the truth...

Link to Aug 30 Standard Times editorial - obviously they are not real please with the Wareham BOS!

(edited to add link)

Last edited by urneighbor (2009-08-31 08:27:12)