have either maxed out your credit cards; emptied the piggy banks or are just about
broke going after all the sales in play? Remember to pace yourselves. If it is truly
as dismal in the stores as is being said, the sales will probably get better?
I noted yesterday that I was going to talk about an issue here in the absolutely great City of
Vienna. Some folks think I don't like a lot of the people that work for the City when I know it is a Work at Will environment. They do and know of things that should be out in the open but are afraid for their jobs/ pensions if they speak out? I do NOT dislike them as a group.
It has been either my misfortune over the years OR my good fortune to be one who did not shirk from the wellbeing of those who I was paid to and obligated to help/ protect. The obligation as I am about to do is not because I had a requirement by a job to do; it was that of being a God fearing and people loving person who did the right thing rather than the most expeditious in my own best interest thing.
I have at least twice had my careers ruined by standing up and saying this is not right. Once in the military when there was a large loss of property and again with the Social Security Agency when I discovered the misuse of funds by the Districts that make up SSA nationwide. It both cases my job performance was such there was no way to get me for that. So as is the case in a Governmental Agency, I was put down for other things or just flat out not put up for awards or promotions. In one exception, in my last year with SSA, my unit supervisor put me in for a very, very prestigious award. When she told me she had done that, I told her she should not have because it was not going to happen. I knew later that I was turned down as expected because of my exposing the behavior of many of the top Managers/ Supervisors at the Auburn Mega Center plus the issue on misuse of funds nationwide.
But now as then, I am going to again step up for Vienna and what is their right to a safe and well managed City.
As has been noted in the paper, more by accident than intent, I am in the middle of a Law Suit with Mr. Rapp and the City for issues with the Freedom of Information Act. I am not going to say much on that as I do not want to muddy the waters anymore than they are now. I said before the outcome is already suspected by me and I cannot change that at this or the WV Supreme Court level? As I told the man a few days ago, he will have to go to a Federal Court for the resolution he seeks.
But what the City has done in responding to my FOIA that caused this to blow up is they put out what I had suspected and now is provable. In 2014, Mr. Rapp and the City Council passed a change to the City Ordnance that allowed a tremendous easing of responsibility for the City Fire Chief. At this time as we all know it is our jovial Mr. Scholl.
This change was to remove the "shall" inspect each Vienna Business every six months to a "may" do these inspections as time would permit. The change was because Mr. Scholl was so busy, he did not have the time to do the "mandatory" inspections.
My latest FOIA included a question on how many inspections had been done in the past year which was about how long the change was in effect; maybe a little less? The answer has confirmed what I was worried about and it is this: The City of Vienna with two (2) of its finest and longest serving employees now doing these inspections has conducted TEN (10) in a twelve (12) month time frame. Yes, TEN (10), and I did not get a positive answer on how those turned out?
Yet the good Fire Chief has been able to devote untold hours on the County Fire Board pushing for a new fee (tax) on the Community and the County overall. To me, with my Federal background; helping my wife run her small business for some years before my health forced me to retire from SSA and from helping her; plus my exposure to the real world by working in companies large and small, say this:
It would be in my estimation alleged GROSS malfeasance on the part of all in the City concerned with the oversight and actual hands on requirements of fire safety inspections. And we have at LEAST four (4) people that one could call into question as I write this? I do not know at this time how many businesses actually had any type of a fire like situation in the past year? I do know that except for the Grace and Protection of God we have had no injuries or worse that was publicized. And as pointed out, any incident would either not have made it into the media; been white washed if it had, or kept in house by the City itself.
I have pointed out over and over that we have people who could not pass up a photo op; or an interview via the ever present microphone. Those who have gotten themselves on or in a board, committee or group. These have kept them AWAY from the tedious and often mundane parts of running a Department or the City. Have not even noticed any outcry from those who are the watchdogs over both the Mayor and the Fire Chief; our City Council?
With out really knowing what has occurred if anything? I am again going to thank the dear Lord for watching out for us one and all. It is probably (?), more the responsible business owners themselves who have in the end protected us rather than our Elected/ Appointed City Leaders? So maybe they deserve the big hand; the City doesn't.
When this was mentioned to a lady a week or so back, she said the I should contact the State Fire Marshall? Note, the lady ran and hid at least mentally. Her home must be fire proof?
And maybe, just maybe you good people should be raising holy hell with the City. Don't let it put you off that nothing could have happened, we have instant response time. I am fully aware that once this becomes widely known, there is going to be Hell to pay for me with the powers that be.
The City has already shut down the First Amendment because as a gentleman whom I am yet to meet said "because he tells the truth". And the City has also in its FOIA Ordnance which is in conflict with State Law gutted that Law. It has given itself so many ways to delay, deny, defer and decline, that it could take MONTHS to get information if the City did not want it out?
Is it time to start thinking about how we used some of the Millions of Dollars out the door in the past 3 years? Maybe we need to start thinking about a new Mayor, Fire Chief, Police Chief and equally important a new City Council? One that can and will look out for the WHOLE community and not just the City Administration?
But the genie is now out of the bottle and cannot be stuffed back in. Each of you that reads this and hopefully will comment to others? The unbelievers in anything I point out in the City; those who would in any case keep drinking the Kool-Aid, just continue to do so. For those who really care for what we have? well, 'nuff not said.