newsobserver.com projects - Office of Administrative Hearings - Comments

Re: Trooper photo case heard

beachbum3 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:29:21 -0400

the only other place that i have ever hearded of anything like conduct unbecoming anyone is in the united states miltary this is just another trumped up issue that shouldn't even never be allowed to be used in a state employees hearing especially when it is dealing with an employees future employment. so the man made a mistake they act as if he had committed a muder or something sure he was wrong but i personnaly do not feel that it rises to the level of termination after 19 years of good an faithful service to the taxpayers of this state As to the isue of conduct unbecoming this is just state mangers code speak for anything that they decied it is regardsless the circumstances surrounding any issue where that mangament has already predetermined that they are going to take action against an employee an they are determined to run his a-- off of his job just because they have been given the power & authority to do As i have found out from my own personal experiences they mangament in a lot of cases tend to abuse an mis use their new found powers an lord help you if you should just happen to piss on of the members of mangament for any reason for they surely tend to hold a grudge against you for the rest of your life an they never let anyone live down a honest mistake should you happen to make a mistake. in my personnal opinion they are all just a bunch of bitches with vendentas to grind. glad to be gone thank you

Re: Judge takes top post again

Cicero02 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:08:33 -0400

A little known fact:

- Outside of the Chief Administrative Law Judge's quadrennial appointment, there is NO mechanism in place TO REMOVE a sitting chief administrative law judge for judicial mis-conduct in North Carolina during his term.

- A convention that Judge Mann arranged. The Chief ALJ's lower administrative law judges, etc., are subject to removal if the National Association of Administrative Law Judges' code of ethics is breached--as deemed by the NC Chief Administrative Law Judge. This convention comes from a law sought by Mann in 2000 and negotiated with the Hunt administration for passage.

Fortunately, Judge Mann has known good relations--at his time of appointment--with all appointing Chief Justices of North Carolina's Supreme Court. He is known for high social skills exhibited in Chief Supreme Court Justice deference.

Re: Judge takes top post again

Isaac136 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:05:09 -0400

Congrats to Julian Mann. He's one of the good guys.

Re: Easley appoints two judges

FFC1304 — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:16:19 -0500

Righto! When might he be indicted for all the various 'activities' that go without comment?

Re: Easley appoints two judges

FloydTurbo — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:31:03 -0500

..... "bring dignity and wisdom" ...... those words coming from this spineless flimflammer are a joke. He was just doing what he did for eight years ...... taking care of his cronies. A crooked end to a crooked era in state politics. BE GONE BOY .... BE GONE .....

Re: Easley's office looking into DOT rehiring

Isaac136 — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:41:28 -0400

The Governor's office has no business interferring with who is hired or fired. NONE. Just what do you think "looking into" means? You mean they're going to second-guess the judge and jury?

Oh you really think a newspaper would say "Easley's office is silent on the rehiring of a racist." The norm is that the governor's office doesn't "look into" whether a judge and jury knew what they were doing.

This is not over-scrutinizing, and this isn't about the Democrats. But let's say it is. Whose fault is it if the Democrats are getting bad press lately?

Easley's behavior stinks. To hell with the Democrats if they can't keep their house in order.

Re: Easley's office looking into DOT rehiring

scharrison — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:04:20 -0400

I was really just using the story as a platform for a joke, but...okay, from what I've read, Easley's office had nothing to do with the guy being fired, they're just looking into his "rehiring". Considering the fact that the Secretary of Transportation was appointed by and answers to the Governor, as does the Office of Administrative Hearings, I'm not sure I see how the Governor is being out of line by "looking into" this.

Frankly, since this story was made public and hit the papers, what do you think would happen if the Governor said or did nothing?

"Easley's office is silent on the rehiring of a racist."

I'm not real happy with some of the things our Governor has (and has not) done, but to over-scrutinize everything he says or does, at this current time, is more about damaging the Democratic Party in an election year than it is about monitoring our public servants.

Re: Easley's office looking into DOT rehiring

Isaac136 — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:41:54 -0400

Don't miss my point, there, Scharrison. The point is not whether this guy is a good or a bad guy; the point is that there is a legally established process for how people get fired, and it doesn't include the govenor's office or his PR department.

Also bear in mind that just because you read something in the paper doesn't mean that every allegation is rock solid, or that you have a complete picture.

Sounded to me like the guy was a real kook, and, based on what we all read in the papers, I'd say he was a menace to himself and others, but again, the determination as to whether he violated the law or whether the driver's allegations were borne out by evidence or whether he otherwise deserved to lose his job are not made by newspaper readers --- and they aren't supposed to be made by the governor or his PR office either.

Re: Easley's office looking into DOT rehiring

scharrison — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:19:30 -0400

"The driver testified that Schmidt cursed at her, uttered a racial slur and bumped her with his car."

Oh, yeah. That's what we need in the Department of Transportation: an engineer who believes using your car to bump somebody is an acceptable argument method. ;/

I bet he drives a Dodge Ram...

Re: Easley's office looking into DOT rehiring

Isaac136 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:29:55 -0400

Yup, here we have Gov. Easley, who thinks nothing of taking a plane to Jesse Helms' funeral (why was a plane necessary for the governor - whose residence is Raleigh?), wanting to show us how "principled" he is by questioning an employee's right to question his firing.

I don't know what the story is behind this guy who got fired after showing his behind in an altercation with a bus-driver, but what I do know is that Easley is all about Easley, and he sure as hell doesn't give a rat's behind about state employees who are routinely asked (by the governor's office) to circumvent the ordinary process of our state laws when it comes to hiring or firing his particular favorites.

I read about the altercation and thought what a complete jerk this guy must be, yet was comfortable with the idea that the evidence was what it was and that legal challenges were available to this guy if he had the case to make.

But OMG, I forgot that this was Easley's state. If he thinks it suits his image, he can make a few phone calls and make some sweet arrangements and "POOF" fergit about the legal processes that are in place. After all, EASLEY has an image in need of polishing.

But ya know, I've been watching Hizzoner for a while now, and can't help but notice that if there's a question about authority and a state employee, and the authority in question happens to be a fat cat donor to Easley coffers, why these little issues about who is right and wrong are easily resolved.

Ain't it funny how that works? If Mr. "I don't wanna lower them flags" Eason had only had the forsight to donate a few thousand dollars to Easley's campaigns of the past eight years, I reckon there's have been some flags flying at full mast on the day of Ole Jesse's funeral.

Re: Easley's office looking into DOT rehiring

FloydTurbo — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:46:22 -0400

Lord Mike picks the darnedest issues to "look into" .... don't he.

Re: Easley's office looking into DOT rehiring

dianadarling — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:00:16 -0400

Well the governor wants to interfere in personnel matters again. He had the state trooper fired without due process. You can argue that he should have been fired, but there are personnel policies in place for a reason and should be followed. Now, those policies have been followed for Mr. Schmidt, and Mr. Easley wants to circumvent those, too.

Oh, just like getting around the regular policy for raises and nepotism for his wife.