The Council has a new set of gonads…
Good morning, Netizens...
Oh my God! Without so much as a flicker of anticipation, last night the Spokane City Council stood up and made a statement regarding Sgt. Brad Thoma and the potential for a lawsuit over his firing that may have surprised some and perhaps infuriated others. Regardless of how one views this event, it can easily be said that the new-and-improved Spokane City Council and Mayor David Condon seem to have a difference of opinion regarding the controversial firing of Sgt. Thoma and all the other legal baggage this may ultimately involve.
The plan was to rehire the fired police sergeant and give him $275,000 in back pay but it was rejected by an outraged Spokane City Council on Monday.
“I not only say, ‘No,’ but I say, ‘Hell no,’ ” Councilman Mike Fagan declared, drawing applause from some in the council audience, an act that would have rendered former Council President Joe Shogun warped by his gavel, irate and speechless, but only aroused a mild-mannered rebuff from current Council President Ben Stuckart.
Make no mistake about what is at stake here. Despite what Bob Dunn, Thoma's legal body armor may assert in his public statements, Sgt. Thoma was driving drunk as a skunk, was involved in an auto accident while intoxicated and then compounded matters by leaving the scene of the accident. If you or I were caught thus, we could easily still be serving time in the clink, not collecting $375,000 dollars in back pay plus legal fees. All of the rest of this soap opera is pretty much legal hijinks by Sgt. Thoma's legal council and the brand-new set of gonads recently acquired by members of our City Council.
A newer wrinkle that has been suggested by his legal council is that Sgt. Thoma is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act since he is an alcoholic. I thought the only people who qualified for that protection were members of our fine city's Prosecuting Attorney's staff. Oh wait a moment. That has perhaps changed since The Globe is closed and no longer is holding legal council meetings during the lunch-and-martini hour.
My, isn't this a wonderful turn of events! Of course, your opinions may differ.
Dave