Here are my questions for this $100,237 appointment.
- Does he have a college degree or not? (According to his resume, he has spent four years at Edinboro University and now is taking online classes at Bellevue and expects to have a B.S. in Criminal Justice by Spring, 2015)
- Why has he bounced around at so many different positions (six of them) in the prison industry since 2000?
- When did he tour the jail with Cathy Allen?
- Is he aware of the staffing shortage at the jail? What is his position on staffing needs?
- Did he make promises to reduce personnel and staffing in exchange for this appointment?
- Is he going to move his family, and if so, where?
43 comments:
He should move his family to Easton to avoid the commuter tax and get to meet his future tenants at the prison.
the college degree doesn't bug me that much.. is he otherwise qualified? some of the best subordinates i ever had didnt have degrees.
With all the other bludders....should we really believe that this guy was "checked out"??? I think not.....
I am bothered by paying someone over $100,000 with no education.
There are doctors and lawyers who dont make $100K...excessive and thoroughly insulting.
Lack of education does not bother me nearly as much as the job hopping. Either he is an outright hit man or totally incompetent.
I think this is a combo job offer. When Buskirk leaves..this guy then runs the whole show and then is probably worth the price tag. Will the adm. admit that this is the plan? Your guess as good as mine.
http://articles.herald-mail.com/2011-04-14/news/29420011_1_jail-warden-prison-board-warden-wetzel
http://www.franklincountypa.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Press%20Releases/2011-04-11%20Warden%20Keen%20Press%20Release.pdf
Fortunately no one cares what "you" want to see.
You have a couple of degrees and bang out an obscure, albeit interesting, blog from an apartment. Who cares about a college degree? Look who gets them these days anyway. I possess a degree and work among professionals who've worked their way up with significant experience and are much sharper than the college grads. I earned my degree at night in five years. I graduated with men and women who'd taken as many as eight or nine years, due to various family situations. Again, though, a college degree isn't what is used to be. Many are like today's Participation ribbons. Don't be a degree snob. You're not very good at it. The job hopping is far more concerning, but perhaps easily explained because of the nature of these positions. Just a guess, as I don't know anything about the prison biz.
He's a hired gun. it is obvious. Brown only does things for corporate reasons..bottom line stuff. He will slash and burn his way thru the jail and drive out the near pensioners and hire guards for low wages and non existent benefits. This scenario is common place all across the country. Beware the grim reaper comes.
In regard to being worth $100,000+, I don't see it, especially since the current Director isn't even there yet being a 20+ year employee of the county. If you do a bit of research you will find that State Inspectors for county jails is right around $60,000. Didn't do the research on Franklin County yet but other county jails with about the same population are right around $70,000 for a warden. Hell Carbon County although smaller is paying there new Warden $51,000. Hopefully council does some quick research, in my opinion, (which doesn't county for a thing), nothing over $85,000.
3:33, It is not about being a degree snob, and I happen to agree that many people with a college degree are educated idiots. But in the absence of a lengthy work history and the presence of evidence indicating this guy is a job jumper, I'd want to see a degree before giving him $1000,000 per year. Also, I believe a degree is part of the job description.
The degree does not bther me either. He can either do the job or not. The job hopping does seem extreme. He might be one of those with aJB mgmt style. One where they go in gun ho and make such a mess that they can no longer BS their way. He should not come in at a higher pay than what Mr. Matos 's starting pay had been.
2:47, Your links are very persuasive, but do not answer my questions.
These are all VERY GOOD questions. I hope Council Republicans are reading this blog. They do have the rubber stamp of all Browns appointments. Please Phillips and Benol, step up here and slow this train wreck down!
I believe Brown is entitled to deference, but Council should set the salary to be more commensurate with the Warden's education and experience.
Great questions, one and all, Bernie. Maybe you could ask them during Courtesy of the Floor.
I wouldn't expect any answers from Brown, however. He'd blather something about open-ended questions, spout off a bunch of psycho-babble, and sit down. Or he just wouldn't respond. These are his two methods of communication - pretty pathetic!
Did Allen take him on a tour of the prison. She spends her time at Gracedale. Her travel time was to and from Gracedale.
These Questions should have been raised during the election of John Brownpants. What IS his job experience? Househusband? But Gov Callahan had the race wrapped up early, and no one questioned the brown Clown.
What is the procedure to recall an elected executive? If we got 23,000 sigs for Gracedale, Im sure we can double that to rid the county of these thieves.
As I have explained several times, the recall provisions in the Home Rule Charter are unconstitutional.
If the HRC is unconstitutional, how do we get the process started?
It's amazing this guy is getting over 100,000.00 and the the career service employees who work at the jail have been put on a three year pay freeze and are having this horrible insurance forced on them.
It's called adding insult to injury!
This is what big corporations do to maximize profits. Cut the workforce at the expense of services and pay somebody huge money to do it in the name of budget economics. This is what happens when you elect corporate types instead of leaders.
"If the HRC is unconstitutional, how do we get the process started?"
You don't. The place to recall John Brown is at the ballot box. There is no legal way to recall any elected official in Pa. It was tried years ago in Hazleton, and the state Supreme court negated it. An elected official can onlybe removed in accordance with the state constitution.
The best way to counter Brown is to come to meetings, stay informed, get your friends registered and make your voices heard. He is ultimately accoutable to you, not J.B. REILLY.
I was just informed by someone who is a lieutenant at the jail and was told that brown has taken their uniform allowance from them. This allowance is used to maintain their uniforms ie: replacement of items such as shirts,pants etc. This is the newest form of screw the employee anyway you can. Take everything you can. But Cathy Allen can have a county car free gas and get payed 93,000.00 a year. And hire a new director at 100,000.00 plus a year. Oh wait that's where there uniform allowance went too. This is truly disgusting.
Uniform allowances are in the contract. They can't just pull it without an unfair labor practice being filed. It is part of the negotiated wage and can't just be stopped.
Another way of screwing a Lieutenant is as they are promoted, the posting for the position would have salary range listed from starting to top. Once the officer was promoted and saw his first pay they found it didn't even come up to the starting wage. When the county answered questions regarding this the newly promoted Lt's were told that is for outside applicants, internal promotions only go up to the next pay step.
Lt's are career service, so no contract
Not just at the prison also at Human Services. We need to do something! What happened to everyone showing up at the meetings?
Anyone who does not have a contract like managers at dhs are screwed. I hear even those who have retired are trying to organize.
Save some valuable $$$ and approve this fraud at $80 K.
Bernie,
To be fair, if he's doing classes 1 or 2 at a clip online wile managing a family and full-time work, 6/12 years may not be unreasonable.
The SALARY IS unreasonable. I think the the job hopping is also an issue, and perhaps there is a good explanation for it as well.
So I'd be willing to defer to the Exec on the appointment, but not the salary.
Does he get a county car?
For your information all you people who responded and are making a big deal about not having a degree..... Current Director Arnie Matos doesnt have one???? Why make a big deal about now? From one uneducated idiot to another. That's Northampton County for you.
Thanks Bernie for the info on the recall or lack there of. This is another thing our leaders in Harrisburg has failed is on. Don't worry, everyone I know will not be voting for Brown next election.
#stayvigilant
3:38'
I hope the plan works.
"For your information all you people who responded and are making a big deal about not having a degree..... Current Director Arnie Matos doesnt have one???? Why make a big deal about now? From one uneducated idiot to another. That's Northampton County for you."
This does not bother me for the following reasons: !) Arnie spent his entire career at NorCo, starting as a CO, and working his way up; 2) He was not being paid $100,000 per year, the salary being proposed for Keen.
The difference is night and day. One spent his career in one place, while the other is a job hopper. One was willing to work at a modest salary, while the job hopper wants to get big money from a county that may very well be denying uniform allowances to its Lieutenants.
I am not saying to reject the nomination. i am simply saying the salary needs to be lower.
Bernie, the current rumor and this is just a rumor is that after the current warden retires and that is maybe in the spring, that the new Director will be taking over not only the Director but also act as the warden. Brown will not be replacing the warden position at the jail. This is the only way this guy can come in make $100,237, because brown is not only cutting the current Director of lets say 80k, but also the current warden lets say 100k+. 180k to 100k that's a deal for brown. All for all I don't think he should be starting 100K doing two jobs or not.
My problem with this selection is There are more qualified people out there even within the Jail. However, the job was never posted inside the county. It was obivious Mr. brown wanted to hire a yes man. If he had looked within the county he would find correctional staff with 20 + yrs of experience and college degree's. Its sad that the county doesn't want to promote within their own dedicated pool of employees. Sad !
This is an exempt (cabinet) position and does not have to be posted.
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