Do you believe the Daily Times was right/fair in publishing the names of County Employees and their salaries?
County Executive Rick Pollitt wrote a letter to ALL County Employees stating he was concerned for “the safety of our employees who work in sensitive, possibly at-risk, positions.” He went on to say, “Unfortunately, our efforts and requests were ignored and the failure of The Daily Times to respect the privacy of some of our employees, despite the verbal assurances of the editor to the contrary, is extremely disappointing.”
The Daily Times published the following article in defense of Pollitt's letter, HERE.
40 comments:
We pay the salaries we have a right to know..
these people are public servants they work for us therefore their salary is public information. the fact that they are afraid to reveal this information is a problem
Freedom of information act at it's best!!
Public info but posting it was in poor taste.
Rick isn't smart to question the integrity of the editor of The Daily Times. It appears there was a miscommunication between the two men. Oh well, let the war begin.
We have a right to know what the salary is for a position.. Not sure that extends to the name of the person in that position tho...
Absolutely, they should not be afraid to reveal this information and because they don't want to is cause for concern.
since I pay their salaries; I need to keep up with the latest figures. again; they work for me and I need to review this every year.
so yes; these salaries need to be published each year for all to review...
Absolutely !! It is my taxes that pay their wages, the Times should also publish the costs of their benefit packages and what they get as paid benefits.
Also I would like to know just how much time is spent at the office by Gary Mackus, for the kind of money he is making he should be forced to live there!
Absolutely
that lardball just doesn't want us to know how much loot they're all raking in! that's why he always wants to jack up our property taxes so he and da boyz can get another cost of easy livin' increase!
Yes and Pollitt responded like a cry baby.
Totally WRONG for anyone to even hint that salary disclosure of publicly paid employees is not right. Besides, the Daily Times is too incompetent to find, investigate, and report on news; they must have content that is pre-edited, pre-printed, and pre-verified in order to continue fleecing the public.
Absolutely. RP does not pay their salaries; we do. Perhaps someone needs to remind RP that he is also paid by he taxpayers and not immune from termination. A very arrogant and condescending fellow to say the least!
Like it or not, it is public information and the people have a right to know.
Rick has become more arrogant and condescending since he was elected as Executive. He use to be tolerable so now he needs to be unelected and show him how the rest of us live. We don't have a credit card paid by the government to buy our lunches, coffee, and other things that should be paid for on his dime.
There are also many State and Federal employees living in Wicomico Co. How about listing their names and salaries as well. Let's see how far they get with that. Bet you will never see it.
off topic but something that needs to be looked into: how many board of education employees send their kids to private school...
Position, person & salaries ALL a Matter of Public Record people !!!! As are property taxes etc.
I say yes, because they shouldn't be making that much for what little they do...
Also, if you're a public servant working for the public then their records should be public...
IF gun owners are made public and other people want them public then yes this would fall in the same category...
Meaning that if you can post personal info such as locations of where people live who own firearms kinda like new york did, and it brings violence or people to their doors for the other person releasing the info then yes,
if you expect us to not have privacy then neither should public workers who work for the public... and if they don't want their info out then don't work for the public...
Here's how I feel about this matter.
IF someone like Mike Lewis, Matt Maciarello or Barbara Duncan came to me after knowing I was going to publish such a story and asked me to keep a select few names out of publication I do believe I would have respected their wishes.
Now that might tick some of you off but you have to remember, some of these people are in very dangerous positions under cover. And those would have been the ONLY names I would have withheld.
I believe the Daily Times delivered a public service by delivering an investigative news article. Unfortunately they did so only after Salisbury News exposed the situation weeks ahead of the Daily Times. Yeah, I had to throw that dig in because Salisbury News was USED by the Daily Times as their main excuse for having their hand forced to do the article in the first place, how convenient.
Nevertheless, I tip my hat for them doing so as we feel the public should be made aware of the money being spent.
That being said, I'm very disappointed that the Daily Times very conveniently and purposely did NOT publish the hundreds of thousands of overtime dollars spent in the Sheriff's Department on a VERY select hand picked group of Officers there. THAT should have been exposed and it was not.
10-23-13
If you knew R/P, you would know the reason he is acting like the juvenile spoiled brat he is, is because he didn`t want ANYONE to know his ASSISTANT makes $40,000.00 MORE a year than HE DOES.
How misguided and inequitable IS THAT? This just shows the general public a cross section of the organizational structure of the Wicomico County Government. It would be a DIFFERENT matter If Strasburg was WORTH IT. Sorry, NO Cigar!
anonymous 11:14, with all due respect, if ANYONE is worth the money it's Strasburg and not Rick Pollitt.
Wayne is a worldly businessman, Pollitt is not. If Wayne was not there, Pollitt would be so lost it isn't funny.
Unfortunately, Wayne should be the County Executive but the job doesn't pay enough. Wayne could easily teach ALL of the other political County Executives across the state a thing or two, believe me when I tell you.
There is another legal issue to look at. My wife has a registered firearm in our home. I do not. If someone publishes her name and address that the gun is listed here, is that not an invasion of my privacy?
No, positions suffice, to publish names serves no purpose.
OC is sure glad that the heat is off of them :).
As a County Employee, I have a problem with it. If any one of these employees were mugged, their children kidnapped, or spouse intimidated, I believe that Gannett should be sued. I understand and have no problems with publishing titles, an employee number, and salary. However when a name is associated with salary, it has the potential to make any of us a target. Uncomfortable? Yes. Not because of what I make, but the safety of my family they have potentially endangered. These are tough times, and it's not like we live in Mayberry folks.Crazy people do crazy things.
Hey, they know when they're hired that their salaries are public information so if they don't like it, including RP, then they can resign and go to the public sector for employment. And why hasn't anyone looked at the perks for certain county elitist employees such as take home cars, etc. Example: Why does the Warden of WCDC require a take home car when this individual is making approximately $94,000/year? How many locations does WCDC occupy and how much mileage is involved as this does appear to be a gigantic waste of taxpayer funds for a very high paid employee? What's the catch with this as this seems to wreak with arrogance?
anonymous 12:08, REALLY, SERIOUSLY?
You LIBERALS will come up with ANY excuse. Scare tactics is all you liberals know any more. The what if's. I'm sure there are MANY more who would target someone like ME than ANY County Employee. Personally, I think your not a County Employee at all.
I agree with posting all governmental position salaries along with overtime; and leaving out current position holders names.
I know it's been said, but I think all bonuses, perks, cars and how they are supposed to be used, "free" coffee, water, sodas or anything else that is paid for. how about seasonal parties, travel and lodging. i'm sure I've missed more but you get my drift.
we really need to get a "full" disclosure on all expenses in every department. it's my money and yours; not theirs.
Take home cars - why does Mackes need an expensive SUV to take home and use as a personal vehicle. Is it all the "emergencies" at the Civic Center, parks and tourism. Give me a freaking break. Way too much pork in this county and he is the biggest hog at the trough. If RP had any gonads - he would fire him. The truth is he is insubordinate and buddy, buddy Wayne can't keep him inline no matter how hard he tries.
It is completely fair to have full disclosure. If they don't like it, go get another job. No one has shackled anyone to their desks. It is an "At Will" employment relationship. And, they serve at the will of the taxpayers, who pay their wages. NOT, DUMBO.
Albero, I wish too God Almighty someone would target you. The world and especially the shore would be a much better place.
That's a great question! I would also like to know
12:39 hit the nail on the head!
Total compensation breakout is warranted. To include salary, overtime, benefits cost, pension contribution, and for those with vehicles the cost attributed including business miles and personal miles.
Excepting LEOs, they could keep one or two mid-sized sedans to be checked out when employees go across the bridge. The rest of the time they're just driving to/from home or within the county. Smallest/cheapest wheels should suffice for almost all other uses.
4:59 you are so right!!!
Solve the problem completely... eliminate the County Executive position entirely.. we do not and never did need it. Save a bunch of money and all of the frustration he and his office creates.
My thought is that each public servant has a job description.
It would have been in better taste that in conjunction with each of the "job descriptions" that salary's, salary ranges and number of employees "occupying" those jobs be posted... but not in association with names of individuals.
If I was some of these guys I would be embarrassed too if everyone knew what I earned. lol
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