Sunday, September 1, 2013

There's a lot of Crap at the Sewer Plant

Comment Up

Even sewer employees have to deal with another kind of crap--anonymous complaints that can cost you your job.

When there's a lot of money involved in a facility that uses taxpayer funding, you will have politics, you might have corruption and you will have disputes. The Sewage Plant is no exception and not immune. Two top managers, the sewage plant manager and the plant superintendent, were ordered off the job by an anonymous complaint to West Palm Beach and sent home without pay. Prior to that, two others were ordered off the job but later reinstated. Joesph Carlini was promoted last year but recently blamed for the friction. He has been reassigned. Read more...

Back on January 20, 2011, I was part of a tour to the ECR plant located on Haverhill in West Palm Beach where Lake Worth controls 18%. Others on the tour were Commissioners Jo-Ann Golden, Scott Maxwell, Christopher McVoy and Robert Waples of our Planning & Zoning Board. It was an impressive experience as was Mr. Carlini. Photos from the tour

City manager Michael Bornstein is the official representative of the City of Lake Worth. The shares of control are:
Palm Beach County 34%.
West Palm Beach controls 29%
Lake Worth has 18%
Riviera Beach with 11%
Palm Beach has 7%

When it costs someone their job or their reputation, how can anyone be held accountable for an accusation in an anonymous complaint? We don't even allow that for code violations in Lake Worth. Anonymous complaints are just bully personal attacks and should be given no credence. Anonymous complaints should not be accepted by any company or governmental body. By not accepting them, it will lessen the likelihood of frivolous complaints or complaints filed with ill-will or malice or the credibility of the complainant which can and does make a difference.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Regardless, anonymity has its place. Much of your comments are given anonymously and even though sarcastic, reveal a different perspective. Additionally, some are in lock-step with your twisted views.

When it comes to code complaints, you should be able to report them anonymously. The retaliation to you or your property for reporting someone who is a bad neighbor by bringing the whole neighborhood down, is not worth it sometimes.

Your readers should know that they can report these violations to their commissioner or the Mayor and ask them to forward the complaint to code keeping your name out of it, therefore remaining anonymous to all but your commissioner.

All commissioners except one would be more than willing to do this.

Lynn Anderson said...

Your comment is fine, anonymous excepting where you call my views "TWISTED." I am imagining that you disagree with me either on national politics, local politics or both. LOL. Let's agree without the "twisted" comments. I let the comment go as some of what you said has merit. Name calling doesn't cut it with me and not encouraged here. Please remember that in the future. xxoo.

Anonymous complaints should not be allowed. If you can't stand up for your beliefs, then they should be ignored. There can be too much abuse with anonymous complaints and one neighbor hating another and blowing things out of proportion. There are laws protecting whistle-blowers so government workers should not have to get in employment problems because someone doesn't want to give his name and made to defend himself. People are entitled to know their accuser in our system of law. There is always jealousy in the workplace and those who are power driven who want to run a good worker off.

Carol said...

It's sort of like all those anonymous posters on wes' blog who personally attack and lie all day long about people. If they were forced to post under their own name, it would stop.

Lynn Anderson said...

For the person who just came over here to say that I am WRONG ON so many levels--I worked for two public corporations and anonymous complaints were not taken. PERIOD. Perhaps where you worked they took them but the work environment must have been the pits.

Anonymous said...

Things have changed since you worked. Please do some research and you will find that anonymous complaints are investigated but are not acted upon without further facts. And 3:31 posting under Carol is right next to anonymous, probably a few hundred Carols in L.W. On a final note generous pensions were routinely handed out years ago, no longer. So things change.gh

Anonymous said...

3:31 alot of obvious lies and distortions are posted under the name carol, how brave.

Lynn Anderson said...

Anonymous at 5:58--WHERE'S YOUR NAME????????????????????????????? People do have balls. A lot of lies and distortions are posted under "anonymous."

Anonymous said...

It is too easy to sabotage others by just "complaining" with no basis in fact. The HR is there to protect all the rights of employees, not just a complainer.

If they are that unhappy and have a valid complaint then they need to pony up and handle things the right way if they want a company or city govt to take them seriously. Complain in writing with their name.

They need to stop wasting everyone's time filing anonymous complaints. It has nothing to do with when Lynn retired. Things are the same now as they were then.

Anonymously yours,
TJ

Anonymous said...

Lake Worth HR takes anonymous complaints (internal and external) against employees. Why do you thing so many are leaving? If they want you gone, they make accusations based on so-called anonymous complaints and employees are put in an endless circle of trying to defend themselves against an unknown accuser.