CAMDEN 9-30-05

AT - WILL EMPLOYMENT

In a backroom vote At-Will Employment
was approved by certain (not me) County
Commissioners. Proof is the fact that it
is part of employment applications in
Human Resource Office. So much for
open government. (Thanks to Agent X
for information)

DISTRICT ATTORNEY CLEARS
EX-FIRE CHIEF DANNY DANIELS

We have been advised that former
Fire Chief Danny Daniels has been
cleared by District Attorney Kelley
of all charges. For background
read
http://camdenganews.blogspot.com/2005/04
/fire-districtems-investigation.html

Will he be offered his position back?

CHAIRMAN RAINER TO STEP
DOWN AS INTERN MANAGER?

In a legal opinion obtained by this
publication ACCG (Association of
County Commissioners of Georgia)
legal staff advises that "a County
Commissioner cannot act as a
County Manager."

Will Rainer step down?

DURANGO SITE

Stories still persist that the mill site
is full of contaminents. We await
definitive reports from the agencies
responsible.

If so, will it be covered up to make
a sale or will honesty prevail?

AIRPORT

The question of who will own the site
and how much local taxpayers money
will be needed for the project remains
a question.

Hang onto your wallets.....

AT-WILL ILLEGAL?

See Georgia Law 45-20-1, 45-20-2,
45-20-6, Code Section III, paragraph
II of the constitution and article Z of
chapter 2 of this title also chapter 3
of title 1. See also 36-1-21. Opinion
one might infer that by adoption of
the personnel poilicies by resolution in
2001 (which incorporated guidelines
for hiring and firing) the County created
a Civil Service System, and cannot
unring the bell.

Anyone terminated under At-Will
should show this to their attorney.

***************************************
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
***************************************
I. writes about gas prices:
WHY DOES THE COUNTY LET BOSSES
TAKE COUNTY CARS AND TRUCKS
HOME WE THE TAXPAYERS NEED
A BREAK FROM BUYING GAS A
CONCERNED TAXPAYER ST MARY'S GA

R. writes about At-Will Employment:
Hey Commissioner,I understand that the
applications for employment currently
being used by Camden County indicate
that the county employs people on an
"at-will" basis. Seeing that this policy
hasn't been voted upon but has already
been put in place, it seems that our elected
officials have made a decision for the
people without waiting for the input of
the people, as promised. But of course we
didn't expect anything less, did we? If this
keeps up and I keep making noise, I'll
probably end up in the gulag, comrade.

J. writes about At-Will:
I wanted to tell someone about an incident
I witnessed the other day. As I am an
employee who wishes to keep his job, I
can't tell anyone about it. Except maybe
you. Just to set this into proper context:

Several years ago a deputy was in charge
of some trustees. This deputy took one to
see his family, then left him there for
several days. Of course, the trustee fled
to be later caught. The deputy was
reprimanded, and I believe was given
some time off. I don't remember if it was
with or without pay. Well, the other day
I saw another deputy, or perhaps
S.O. employee will do. This man does not
wear a uniform and indeed does not do
any of the duties of a deputy. EXCEPT he
is in charge of several trustees. This
employee is also a former
commissioner. 'Nuff said about THAT.

As I was driving down MLK going towards
Kingsland, I noticed this employee walking
down the street away from his vehicle
where several trustees were lounging,
smoking, and talking with several other
people who were in their cars. The man
"in charge" was too far away from them
to be able to stop them from taking his
vehicle or even stop them from getting
into any of these vehicles and leaving the
area. I say, who holds them accountable?
A trustee is still someone who has
committed a crime and is not a free
person in the proper sense of the word.

But then, neither are the county
employees. We are held hostage
by the new policies about to be
voted on...

Thank you for listening to us.
Keep up the good work.

R. sends humor:
Yes, just a simple question. How could
an innocent question like "Do you know
me?" end up like this? And why lawyers
should never ask a witness a question if
they aren't prepared for the answer.
During a trial, a small town Southern
prosecuting attorney called his first
witness to the stand; a grandmotherly,
elderly woman. He approached her and
asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"
She responded, "Why, yes I do know you,
Mr. Williams. I've know you since you
were a young boy, and frankly, you've
been a big disappointment to me.
You lie, you cheat on your wife, you
manipulate people and talk about them
behind their backs. You think you're a
big shot when you haven't the brains
to realize you never will amount to anything
more than a two bit paperpusher. Yes, I
know you. "District Attorney Williams
was stunned. Not knowing what else to
do, he pointed across the room and
asked "Mrs. Jones, do you know the
defense attorney?" She again replied,"
Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley
since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy,
bigoted, and he has a drinking problem.
He can't build a normal relationship
with anyone and his law practice is
one of the worst in the entire state.
Not to mention he cheated on his wife
with three different women, one of
them was your wife. Yes, I know him.
"Bradley, the defense attorney, almost
died.

The judge asked both the District
Attorney and the defense lawyer to
approach the bench, and in a quiet
voice, said; "If either of you bastards
asks her if she knows me, I'll throw
your sorry asses in jail for contempt."

Sandy Sez:
I give endless amounts of
credit to St. Marys for their
open government policies
and the structure of their
public meetings. However,
the endless rhetoric and
failure to finish debates
on important issues is indeed
troubling. Especially when
so many of the councilmen
are running for re-election.

"Actions speak louder than words."

Sandy Feller
County Commissioner
District 4

"Working for the future without forgetting the past"