sickof it all, You are right. I have applied numerous times in the last 9 years to get a city or county job full time but have never made the grade. They are some of the best paying jobs in the county for working people. I must not be too worthless as I had 5 years in Dec. at the current job and I am not laid off yet. Never know when it may happen though?
Rands, you did not outline your law enforcement experience. I was a corrections officer for 5 years at the Yakima County Jail in Yakima Washington before moving to Steamboat 11 years ago. I was not a "real deputy" as I was not qualified to do street patrol or carry a fire arm. As you say, I was a people manager. This was a 600 bed jail with a huge drug problem in the county. We had 6 to 10 murders a year, a drive by shooting every other day, and a bank robbery every other month. All this in a town of 50,000. I had my life threatened numerous times, was assaulted once for which the inmate recieved one year in state prison. All that said, I agree with 99% of what you said. My problem comes with the lack of professionalism of Gary Wall, his personal conduct (dwai) and then accusing the State Patrol of "setting him up" and his hostility towards the county commissioners. As I have said before in this forum, I do not know Wall or any of the county commissioners, But if what I read in the newspaper is true, Wall is a pathetic excuse for a sheriff.
Amen. That is about the only reason I write on these postings. I am hoping that maybe I can sway one voter in the next election to elect a competent law enforcement officer as sheriff, not an ex private detective/ ex Vail police chief. As for the commissioners, I do not think they are that bad but the threat of taking away the benefits of the sheriff's office was foolish, bad publicity and probably illegal. Their roots are sunk so deep in the old courthouse probably no one can uproot them. Too bad the voters of this county did away with term limits. That is the biggest problem in this country. We are governed by a bunch of professional politicians from top to bottom.
I am happy to see that no one called Wall a "great man" as I have seen in other discussions. Let us only hope that the taxpayers of Routt county see that we can not afford Gary Wall at the next election.
Good for the commisssioners. I just wish they had announced this on the day the announced the pay cuts. Wall continues his war with the commissioners which started almost on the day he was elected. The first go round was that the county was not going to pay his friend undersherrif Bustos enough money when Wall hired him. This is the same Bustos that took a county car to Utah and wrecked it while allegedly buying office furniture. Never did hear whether it was furniture for the sheriffs office or his personal office? Why did he have to go to Utah for furniture? No furniture in Steamboat? What happened to buy local? But Bustos looks like a choir boy compared to Wall who as we all know was convicted of DWAI. Was the jury in on the "set-up" which Wall accused the State Patrol of Inflicting on him? I have never met Wall or Bustos and hope I never do because I would probably be thrown in jail for my comments. I do know a little about the ethics and workings of a jail and sherrifs office as I worked as a corrections officer for 5 years at Yakima County Jail in Yakima Washington before moving to Steamboat 11 years ago. Sherrif Wall has turned his time in office into a giant soap opera in which the viewing public anxiously awaits the next installment. I can only hope that the voters elect some more like John Warner than reelecting Gary Wall. I also have never met John Warner but he appeared to be very professional in his conduct , a far cry from what we are subjected to know.
If I consulted a lawyer as often as Gary Wall does, I would have to sell my house to pay my legal bills. Oh, I forgot. Our tax dollars pay for most or all of Gary's consultations!
I still say that the commissioners and any other elected official who refuses to share the pain of a 10% loss of wages should be removed from office at the next election.
The snowplow drivers and all the other employees of Routt County who do the real work have served this county untiringly also. It takes more to keep this organization running than shuffling papers! They were handed a 10% pay cut by two commissioners who so far refuse to share the pain. One commissioner did the right thing. What is holding up Mrs. Stahoviak amd Mr Monger from doing the right thing?
Another fine example of your tax dollars at work. Gary, since you are such a "great man" are you going to return 10% of your tax paid salary to the county and suffer with the other county workers? Dianne Mitsch Bush and Jeanne Whiddon have said they will. Jeanne Whiddon was quoted as saying "didn't think she could face her employees without participating in the pain with them." Is she a bigger woman than you are a "great man"? Can you face your deputies who put their lives on the line without "participating in the pain"?
Excellent column. Someone correct me if I am wrong but the elected officials do get county benefits. Does Nancy Stahoviak have any idea how much her extended illness raised the health insurance rates of the county? My private sector company would have forced retirement on me or fired me or put me on disability with an illness like that. Only with tax payer dollars can you afford to keep someone on the payroll for years when they are not producing. I am sorry she had such a terrible illness but it is a tough world out there. Ask some one who has lost their job and can not buy groceries for their children. Maybe she can contribute 10% of her salary to the lift-up food bank so those children can eat.
Sue Lewis: Favoring furloughs
sickof it all, You are right. I have applied numerous times in the last 9 years to get a city or county job full time but have never made the grade. They are some of the best paying jobs in the county for working people. I must not be too worthless as I had 5 years in Dec. at the current job and I am not laid off yet. Never know when it may happen though?
April 30, 2009 at 5:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rob Douglas: Practicing gutter politics
Rands, you did not outline your law enforcement experience. I was a corrections officer for 5 years at the Yakima County Jail in Yakima Washington before moving to Steamboat 11 years ago. I was not a "real deputy" as I was not qualified to do street patrol or carry a fire arm. As you say, I was a people manager. This was a 600 bed jail with a huge drug problem in the county. We had 6 to 10 murders a year, a drive by shooting every other day, and a bank robbery every other month. All this in a town of 50,000. I had my life threatened numerous times, was assaulted once for which the inmate recieved one year in state prison. All that said, I agree with 99% of what you said. My problem comes with the lack of professionalism of Gary Wall, his personal conduct (dwai) and then accusing the State Patrol of "setting him up" and his hostility towards the county commissioners. As I have said before in this forum, I do not know Wall or any of the county commissioners, But if what I read in the newspaper is true, Wall is a pathetic excuse for a sheriff.
April 30, 2009 at 5:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
All 3 county commissioners to donate 10 percent of pay
Amen. That is about the only reason I write on these postings. I am hoping that maybe I can sway one voter in the next election to elect a competent law enforcement officer as sheriff, not an ex private detective/ ex Vail police chief. As for the commissioners, I do not think they are that bad but the threat of taking away the benefits of the sheriff's office was foolish, bad publicity and probably illegal. Their roots are sunk so deep in the old courthouse probably no one can uproot them. Too bad the voters of this county did away with term limits. That is the biggest problem in this country. We are governed by a bunch of professional politicians from top to bottom.
April 25, 2009 at 4:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
County presses Wall
I am happy to see that no one called Wall a "great man" as I have seen in other discussions. Let us only hope that the taxpayers of Routt county see that we can not afford Gary Wall at the next election.
April 25, 2009 at 11:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
All 3 county commissioners to donate 10 percent of pay
Good for the commisssioners. I just wish they had announced this on the day the announced the pay cuts. Wall continues his war with the commissioners which started almost on the day he was elected. The first go round was that the county was not going to pay his friend undersherrif Bustos enough money when Wall hired him. This is the same Bustos that took a county car to Utah and wrecked it while allegedly buying office furniture. Never did hear whether it was furniture for the sheriffs office or his personal office? Why did he have to go to Utah for furniture? No furniture in Steamboat? What happened to buy local? But Bustos looks like a choir boy compared to Wall who as we all know was convicted of DWAI. Was the jury in on the
"set-up" which Wall accused the State Patrol of Inflicting on him? I have never met Wall or Bustos and hope I never do because I would probably be thrown in jail for my comments.
I do know a little about the ethics and workings of a jail and sherrifs office as I worked as a corrections officer for 5 years at Yakima County Jail in Yakima Washington before moving to Steamboat 11 years ago. Sherrif Wall has turned his time in office into a giant soap opera in which the viewing public anxiously awaits the next installment. I can only hope that the voters elect some more like John Warner than reelecting Gary Wall. I also have never met John Warner but he appeared to be very professional in his conduct , a far cry from what we are subjected to know.
April 25, 2009 at 10:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Sheriff's letter to county has little impact
If I consulted a lawyer as often as Gary Wall does, I would have to sell my house to pay my legal bills. Oh, I forgot. Our tax dollars pay for most or all of Gary's consultations!
April 15, 2009 at 3:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
County adopts pay cuts
I still say that the commissioners and any other elected official who refuses to share the pain of a 10% loss of wages should be removed from office at the next election.
April 7, 2009 at 3:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
County adopts pay cuts
The snowplow drivers and all the other employees of Routt County who do the real work have served this county untiringly also. It takes more to keep this organization running than shuffling papers! They were handed a 10% pay cut by two commissioners who so far refuse to share the pain. One commissioner did the right thing. What is holding up Mrs. Stahoviak amd Mr Monger from doing the right thing?
April 6, 2009 at 5:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Sheriff Wall's legal bills top $40,000
Another fine example of your tax dollars at work. Gary, since you are such a "great man" are you going to return 10% of your tax paid salary to the county and suffer with the other county workers? Dianne Mitsch Bush and Jeanne Whiddon have said they will. Jeanne Whiddon was quoted as saying "didn't think she could face her employees without participating in the pain with them." Is she a bigger woman than you are a "great man"? Can you face your deputies who put their lives on the line without "participating in the pain"?
April 3, 2009 at 7:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rob Douglas: Routt County's April fools
Excellent column. Someone correct me if I am wrong but the elected officials do get county benefits. Does Nancy Stahoviak have any idea how much her extended illness raised the health insurance rates of the county? My private sector company would have forced retirement on me or fired me or put me on disability with an illness like that. Only with tax payer dollars can you afford to keep someone on the payroll for years when they are not producing. I am sorry she had such a terrible illness but it is a tough world out there. Ask some one who has lost their job and can not buy groceries for their children. Maybe she can contribute 10% of her salary to the lift-up food bank so those children can eat.
April 3, 2009 at 6:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )