All Eyes on the Fort Wayne-Allen County Health Department

Amanda Iacone reports its more secrecy, when the FORT WAYNE-ALLEN COUNTY HEALTH Department would not release the name of a returning employee. It's called control in implementing discriminating practices among select personnel. It's definitely not about competency.

The investigation, which involved GPS tracking devices placed in vehicles, led to the resignation, firing or retiring of six employees and unpaid suspensions for two others.

The person more than likely was wrongfully terminated and was going to sue them big time.

Two other employees were suspended for “loafing on the job” and using work vehicles for non-work related purposes. The pretext was unauthorized use of a company vehicle.

Pruitt was among the six health inspectors the department threatened to fire because of the investigation. She said she retired instead.

She said the punishments were uneven and that the department’s policies were unevenly upheld. Those who were terminated were accused of the same violations as those who were suspended, Pruitt said.

Waldron said the disciplinary procedures were fairly and impartially applied in each situation.

“The actions that were taken were based on each individual’s situation and the egregiousness of the offenses,” Waldron said in a statement Friday.

From Michael Schroeder of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette:

At the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health, the recent in-house investigation led by Mindy Waldron relied on GPS equipment secretly hidden in cars to track workers’ movements. The investigation began after Waldron heard comments from the public that some of the department’s employees weren’t where they were supposed to be. The probe’s findings led to the firing or resignation of six workers. Two other workers were suspended without pay and the department late last week was taking steps to fire another worker.

Unlike the health department, most employers who use the technology do so in full view of their employees. That means they must sell employees on the technology that some construe as an electronic baby sitter by showing other aspects of its usefulness, including safety.

Can we say criminal action..read here,Folks.

Disclaimer here. More stuff that did not make sense here and here

More babbling from the Allen County-Fort Wayne Department of Health

In the latest tidbit from the newspaper, (although the free flowing from the mouth department head when they call a press conference for damage control is now not talking), is that the nine persons who were fired and replaced with the one and half staff members, more help is a coming. It has become apparent that the less is not necessary best theory is not working, three new hires will joint the one and half staff members. But you had to be able to think quickly on your feet to have figured that out. Quick thinking was not part of the covert operation to rid the department of employees in a plot that took nine months of planning, so it was reported. The newspaper headline screams three food inspectors will be hired !!! As a friend of mines says, Whoopee-doo !!

And if it was not bad enough that the media here , and here supported the action against folks who were more than likely not given their due process. The Allen County Council member Paul Moss and future Mayoral contender F. Nelson Peters commends the action, according to the newspaper's article, "County Council member Paul Moss, who serves as a liaison to the health department, also voiced his support for Waldron’s handling of disciplinary matters, as did County Commissioner Nelson Peters."

"Based on the probe’s findings, 'I think that … (it) is a step in the right direction,' Peters said last week, lauding Waldron’s management during a difficult time. Deserved or not, he added that terminations are hard on all involved, not least of which are employees and their families." (bold added)

But, its the other folks who clearly do not believe in nepotism or cronynism that should have the last word on this issue. What happen to ethical standard instead of self-interest? Oh I forgot Allen County is ran by a republican body, which believe in lying and staying the course in government even if a decision is wrongheaded. These folks were targeted.

I know, somewhere out there in Allen County folks believe public safety is an issue of concern with the Allen County Department of Health. Ha, it was and is all about them, saving their jobs from a possible scale back. I now fully understands why competent folks are beating the path out of the great progressive town of Fort Wayne.

There are laws against discrimination against the aged, disabled and ethic groups. There are laws against not following your companies policy and procedure and one can be found liable. Oh, and by the way can you volunteer time while on staff without liability issue involving when it involves government property,

"The investigation was prompted by calls from the public about employees not being where they were supposed to be, Waldron said"? Using her own money, she purchased three global positional system devices for about $250 each. She devoted an estimated 500 hours to reviewing movements of 16 employees – all when she was off work, she said."

What does Allen County government policies and procedures have to say about this covert operation? Hmmm, can anybody tell me?

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Allen County and Government Efficiency

The voters have spoken on the lack of accountability of their elective leaders. The voters voted for a change in both the house and the senate after scandals that occurred under the old administration. Locally, for the status quo is worried and in order to maintain control a push for consolidation is in the works. Consolidation is hyped as cost-efficiency to cut back on waste and for streamlining government. Some cities opt for limited consolidation with simply consolidating departments to maximize its talents by cutting duplicity and increasing accountability.

But slackers in this restructuring of government will be not go away quietly. Fearing healthy competition, the status quo attempts other means in order to retain positions for their friends and family members. For example, Allen County recently issued a proposal to consolidate certain departments and this may have given folks in certain departments an ideal to protect their jobs. The Journal-Gazette provides a story about the housecleaning of staff members by Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health. According to the story, "GPS equipment [were] secretly placed in county cars by health department administrator Mindy Waldron, who led the investigation." In doing so, as many as six employees were terminated or resigned. The reasons were varied but one that stood out was that these employees were wasting taxpayers dollars.

This is interesting because, another story reported that the administrator supposedly purchased the GP devices, placed them randomly on County-owned vehicles, monitored the activities of county employees for over 500 hours over a nine-month period. Does this time period violate Allen County policy and procedure for an employee to notify law enforcement of criminal activity?

Another question, is an employee of the county allowed to work off the clock in conducting official county business? Another question why would an employee of the county spend her own money for an investigation on devices that were not authorized by the County? Another question if this was a random act in an investigation how was it that the devices captured nine employees of only two areas in the health department out of the 16 staff members? Another question why was there no coaching for corrective measures for those employees who had no previous disciplinary problems? Another question who is going to reimburse the taxpayers for the number of attorneys who sue the department for wrongful termination, invasion of privacy, and defamation of character?

To many questions, and how will those fired, retired, suspended workers be replaced read here in the New-Sentinel. Nine employees replaced with a part-timer and another employee with a different job title will step in to replace the director of another area. Makes you wonder, it only takes 1 1/2 persons to do the work of nine? Red Flags are all over this story. Ghost Employees, Felonies.....could there be more to the story?

Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health

The most surprising point of the story coming from the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health is not that folks are being fired, but that more folks are not being fired for violations. I worked in this department as an independent contractor. Those who were left in charge were afraid of outsiders. As an independent contractor, they tried to order my steps and as most folks who will tell you ordering my steps does not come from incompetent folks. They wanted to oversee my creativity juices. They just did not understand I'm a free agent.

I was told that African-American women did not make it through the interview process because they dressed liked they were going to church with their flowery prints. Flowery dresses are better than jeans any day. They needed someone more professional looking. From me working with this group for a brief time looking at one wearing an Easter dress for a maternity dress or one just got out of bed look wardrobe, I think they should have been happy to see some sista dressed with pride. But, no, these women were competitive, and they did not won't educated sista up in their mix. I think the undercurrent of finding fault with the churchgoing women , was more than like these women would not work under the unethical work habits of these folks and would blow the whistle. Of course I was not a print wearing sista, but I still had ethic which explains why we parted company quickly and they paid.

Yes, you need to clean house Paul Moss and you just scratched the surface. And try to hire qualified folks instead of folks who like each other, you know the saying birds of the saying, corrupt together.