October 30, 2011 in News

Endangered Spokane department down to one employee

Jonathan Brunt The Spokesman-Review

Tags:2012 budget2012 city budgetConsumer protectiongas stationsMary Vernermeatscales deliSpokane City CouncilSteve ParkerWeights and MeasuresZip Trip

Dan Pelle photoBuy this photo

Steve Parker takes a measured sample of premium gas to check the accuracy of delivery from a pump at the Zip Trip on the corner of Illinois and Perry on Oct. 12.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)

Steve Parker squeezes the handle on the gas pump for a final jolt to hit 5 gallons.

The station’s pump records 5 gallons. If he were a normal customer, he would pay for 5 gallons.

But Parker is not a normal customer, and he didn’t quite pump 5 gallons. It’s short by 3 1/2 cubic inches.

“This is kind of disappointing,” Parker says in a tone that indicates that he truly is disappointed.

Parker is Spokane’s sealer, the last remaining watchdog over gas pumps and grocery scales and scanners in the city of Spokane’s Weights and Measures Department. Each year he checks every scale used to determine how much a customer pays, usually in grocery delis or checkout lines. He checks every regular-grade gas pump. He checks every taxi meter. He checks about half of premium gas pumps. He randomly checks a dozen or so stores to ensure scanners charge the advertised price. He randomly enters grocery stores and weighs packages of meats and cheeses to make sure they’re not charging for the trays and wrapping. Stores and gas stations get no warning when he comes.

On this day, earlier this month, Parker was retesting the premium-grade gas pumps at the Zip Trip station at Perry and Illinois. They were measuring slightly short when he checked them earlier this year. Enough to prevent earning his sticker of approval, but not off enough to be shut off. Gas stations usually fix problems within a day of notification, he said.

Not this time.

On his second check, five of six tanks remained a tad short. If every customer at every tank is shorted by 2 or 3 cubic inches for every 5 gallons, it can add up quickly, Parker said. Someone pumping 10 gallons, for example, would be shorted more than a dime’s worth of gas they paid for.

He informed the clerk that a problem remains and that if the pumps aren’t recalibrated quickly a citation is likely. The pumps were fixed the next morning, and the station avoided a citation.

Parker said his office is more concerned “with compliance than punishment.”

Endangered species

Parker is the last man standing in the oldest of the two remaining municipal weights and measures departments in Washington; the other is in Seattle. Spokane’s Weights and Measures Department was reduced from three workers to two in 1987; budget cuts in 2004 left just Parker.

And next year could be the end of the program unless the City Council agrees to raise fees to pay for it.

Spokane Mayor Mary Verner will present her proposed 2012 budget to the City Council on Monday. In it she will outline her strategy to close an $8 million gap between the money expected and the amount it would take to maintain current employee levels and services.

When she previewed her budget in May, Verner said the Weights and Measures, Arts and Youth departments may not survive unless the city approved new taxes or fees, because her priority is saving police jobs.

Weights and Measures is supported with about $35,000 from fees the state collects on scales and pumps specifically for that program. The rest of the department’s $101,000 budget this year comes from the city’s pool of tax revenue.

Verner said last week that her 2012 budget will include the Weights and Measures Department, but that’s only based on the City Council raising fees enough so that it no longer would need taxes for support.

“If there’s no willingness to allow it to collect sufficient revenue to be self-supporting then we would no longer have the program,” Verner said. “I’m always concerned about anyone having to absorb additional costs, especially the cost of doing business. The balance on Weights and Measures is that it’s a benefit to the business and the vendor to be able to assure the public that they have been inspected and that the customer is getting their money’s worth.”

State would test less often

If Spokane eliminates its program, city pumps and scales would be overseen by the state Department of Agriculture’s Weights and Measures program. Despite the cuts to Spokane’s program over the years, the city’s program remains more robust than the state’s.

Instead of annual tests, the state’s goal is to check 80 percent of scales and pumps once every three years.

Spot checking to ensure packages of meats, cheeses and other commodities are correctly weighed would end. So would any oversight to ensure stores properly price items at scanners. The state ended package and scanner testing this year after losing two of its 15 inspectors as a result of budget cuts.

Jerry Buendel, program manager for the state’s Weights and Measure program, said it’s unlikely it would add an inspector if it had to take over Spokane’s workload. He said decision-makers and citizens should be aware of the implications of cutting Spokane’s program.

But he said he also understands how difficult it is to fight for a consumer protection program when cuts also are threatened to schools and social services, or in the city’s case, police, fire, libraries and parks.

“The choices are really hard,” Buendel said.

Teresa Brum, Spokane’s business and development director, said revenue options will be presented to the City Council on Nov. 7. She said one option is to adopt a model similar to Seattle’s Weights and Measures program, which collects fees from stores that have price scanners. Collecting that fee, however, would mean the city would need to step up its enforcement of price scanners since Parker currently only does about a dozen checks on those a year.

In previous cutbacks, the department gave up annual testing of premium gas pumps. Parker also scaled back how gas testing was done. Pumps used to be tested by pumping slowly and quickly. He now tests only by a full squeeze of the handle, which is how most consumers pump.

Last year, 162 gas pumps out of 1,894 failed his test. None was cited because they were fixed. Only 21 of 565 scales were inaccurate. Those also were fixed before a penalty was levied. He also found 60 packages of meats, cheeses or other goods that were incorrectly weighed or labeled. As a result, nearly 1,600 packages were pulled from sale and had to be relabeled or repackaged.

“We get really good compliance from the merchants,” Parker said.

Scales and pumps that are off are just as likely to be pumping in favor of the customer as they are to be pumping in favor of the business, Parker said.

He writes few citations. He’s only written one this year – to a gas station for not repairing a broken hose.

Citations vs. value

The lack of citations has been used as an example by some City Council candidates as evidence the department is not needed. But Parker says compliance proves it’s worth the cost. Businesses don’t often cheat in Spokane, he said, because they know they’re being watched.

David Condon, who is challenging Verner in her bid for re-election, said he couldn’t comment on revenue plans for Weights and Measure until they’re explained, but said he would consider cutting the program to help preserve police investigations or other higher priorities.

“It is a service that is provided at the state,” Condon said. “When you look at priorities of government, maybe this would be one that would be a valid thing to look at cutting if it means we could bring back the property crime division or something like that.”

Meanwhile, Council President Joe Shogan has suggested raising parking tickets from $15 to $25 to help save the city’s Weights and Measure, Arts and Youth departments.

Councilman Bob Apple said he believes the city should maintain the program, but he would prefer to use existing money for it by cutting the city’s bicycle-pedestrian coordinator or from recent increases in the urban forestry budget.

“It’s a real benefit to the citizens,” he said. “When you buy meat, there’s no thumb on the scales.”

70 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

another_perspective on October 30 at 12:29 a.m.
“because her priority is saving police jobs.”…Lets see if we had fired Thompson and put him in jail 5 1/2 years ago we could have saved a lot of money.
Since we are not investigating property crimes, how about a Pawn shop tax where most the stolen stuff ends up anyway? That should cover it.
How about a non-factual Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) tax? Couple of hundred grand there.
We could reduce Feists salary from $100k+ to what a school teacher makes. Might also task her the same so we get more work out of her. Sell her Lie Machine on eBay.
Dump Treppeddi (who does the work of three men. Larry, Curly and Moe.) theres another $100k+
Give Dorothy English’s non-college degreed $100K+ plus job to a college intern, also getting more efficiency with out excuses.
Any time a cop is put on leave its non paid. Just like you and me. And fired for cause, they lose their retirement bennies That will uncorrupt the boys in blue most ricki tick.
and thats the start….
The weights an measures job is an important safety and economy item for every city resident. Well worth the buck it costs..and saves us too.
drywitt99 on October 30 at 1:16 a.m.
Apparently the teabaggers don’t mind being cheated by merchants.
I disagree.
oneanddone on October 30 at 5:58 a.m.
For crying out loud, all the city has to do is add a couple dozen more red light cameras and VOILA, all the extra funding necessary. And a very happy red light camera company - a plus.
drywitt99 on October 30 at 6:06 a.m.
That’s actually a GREAT solution!!
Let the scofflaws subsidize the law-abiding citizens.
mikeln on October 30 at 7:16 a.m.
Just where are all these regulations I keep hearing the right complain about? I have never seen a environmental law that doesn’t make our costs higher and have the teeth to do anything else. Now, most of what we eat and use gets to us with no inspection. A little more lead for our children, anyone?
karl2002 on October 30 at 7:37 a.m.
Why don’t we put the onus back on the retailers to ensure their equipment is accurate?
Double the fee so the city brings in $70K per year instead of $35K. Also, cite the retailers who’s equipment fails testing rather than giving them just a warning. If the owners of the 162 pumps were each given a $250 fine, that would be another $40K.
To quote OAD: “Voila!”
This is an important safeguard and should be considered a cost of doing business.
Scoutster on October 30 at 7:56 a.m.
The weights and measure man doesn’t create any jobs and is nothing but a drain on society. Don’t you people realize, we are BROKE and a govt worker like this is nothing but a drag on our economy?
This is the kind of public job that makes us all poorer and increases the unemployment rate.
The private sector can be left alone to regulate the scales. It was doing it long before we had this nanny state regulator, and they can do it again when we take our country back and eliminate these costly burdens.
Let the buyer beware. 12 oz. of ham, more or less, or a gallon of gas, more or less, pound of tea, more or less…how’s a small business person supposed to make it?
http://youtu.be/izgc7IhcGG4
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 8:34 a.m.
Ah yes…the wondrous private sector…which operates on the basis of ‘never give a sucker an even break’. If you’re purchasing a good or service in which accuracy and/or efficacy is difficult to confirm (such as volumetric accuracy, weight, or even a pharmaceutical’s ability to produce a given outcome) you can absolutely COUNT on getting gouged. Collusion isn’t even necessary….the paradigm of human greed provides a consistent motive course.
Of course, the aggregate additional largesse that was acquired though each small theft will be spent on job and wage growth, so ‘no sweat’, little people. It’s all good.
Lewis on October 30 at 8:56 a.m.
the government makes us burn ethanol in the winter my truck has lost 3 or more miles to gallon.
give me 100% gasoline at the pump i will take my chances if it is the correct amount.
PassinThru on October 30 at 9:04 a.m.
Oddly, we bash this one tiny percentage of the city budget, saying “too bad, but we gotta let you go!” Yet collectively, we will probably pay more for less at the pump, the meat dept. scale, or the checkout if this guy goes away.
Why give the cheater business two breaks to fix their problem? Tell them once that their scale is off. Return unannounced a week or so later and if it’s still not fixed, levy a significant fine. Either the inspector’s position will be paid by fines, or we will all get what we’re paying for at the store. What’s wrong with that? To assume the store will police itself is kooky.
The state also has weight/measures inspectors but you can be sure they’re also a rare breed anymore.
another_perspective on October 30 at 9:04 a.m.
The weights and measures guy should get a lie detector and require all the attorneys in town to “pass the test”. I betcha more than 3% wont pass. Toss in all our politicians and we could making more money than a red light camera after a Zags home game.
johnclarke on October 30 at 9:04 a.m.
The weights and measure man doesn’t create any jobs and is nothing but a drain on society.
Was he supposed to create jobs? You go ahead and count on the private sector to regulate itself. We have so many examples of that working well recently.
mrd on October 30 at 9:04 a.m.
Weights and measures needs to fine heavily those who do not fix the identified problem with their equipment. The story demonstrates and probably confirms what most believe, many business owners are there to make a profit and a little rip off is just a minor inconveinence.
another_perspective on October 30 at 9:16 a.m.
Another endangered City Office. The Mayors office. If Verner doesnt clean house she will be working at WalMart.
DickAdams on October 30 at 9:38 a.m.
If ever there was an enterprise department, weights and measures fits the bill and city hall should immediately create one. The overloaded trucks in Spokane (wrecking our streets) with a stiff fine would require more employees. Add to the overloaded trucks another fine for the uncovered loads. Even though there is an ordinance for trucks to cover loads, how many have you seen in the Lilac City obey the law?
chefxh on October 30 at 9:53 a.m.
“oldest of the two”
Comparative degree, anyone? Anyone?
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 30 at 9:59 a.m.
oh my goodness, I’m agreeing with DickAdams on something (9:38 a.m. post). I may have to go back to bed…
D Statler on October 30 at 10:13 a.m.
Levying higher fines for non compliance a couple of times and the word would get out fast. I am surprised that there is only one position in that office.We should take a corrupt LEO or two and add them to this important office.That way we could officially disarm the evil portion of the lolli-pop guild. Their excessive aggression could be channeled to the greedy scrooges in Spokane County. The Drug task force has some great candidates for the position also. Experts with crack scales and dispensing free product to informants. The county could make a profit and save on future law suits.
bumblebeetuna on October 30 at 10:21 a.m.
This is stupid. Consumer protection is an area that has the ability to at least be self-sustaining.
How exactly is one supposed to self-check the measurements at the gas pump? Fill your red can before you fill your car? Get it together, Spokane.
misjustice on October 30 at 10:21 a.m.
WHAT?
Businesses cheat consumers?
I’m shocked and dismayed! Oh my!
; )
monkeyman on October 30 at 10:30 a.m.
That is why we need govt. oversight. (Here I mean the govt. as essentially our collective representatives, watching out for our best interest.)
BTW, this guy can make a lot of money for himself, if he gets in bed with the businesses. And those businesses could create a lot of jobs by the money they make themselves ;)
DeadHandsofChe on October 30 at 10:30 a.m.
Ah yes…the wondrous private sector…which operates on the basis of ‘never give a sucker an even break’.
Wrote the guy on the privately owned SR web site with his computer produced by the private sector.
gmorton on October 30 at 11:11 a.m.
It is the job of government to protect against force and fraud in the marketplace. Weights and measures inspections qualify. You pay for it with a small annual fee on every regulated device (scale, pump, etc.) added to the fee for the annual business license.
gmorton on October 30 at 11:14 a.m.
misjustice wrote,
“Businesses cheat consumers? I’m shocked and dismayed! Oh my!”
Methinks you didn’t read very carefully:
“Last year, 162 gas pumps out of 1,894 failed his test. None was cited because they were fixed. Only 21 of 565 scales were inaccurate. Those also were fixed before a penalty was levied . . .
“Scales and pumps that are off are just as likely to be pumping in favor of the customer as they are to be pumping in favor of the business, Parker said.”
johnclarke on October 30 at 11:18 a.m.
with his computer produced by the private sector.
In China.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 30 at 11:25 a.m.
monkeyman @ 10:30 a.m. – hahahahahahaha. Yes, I’m sure that’s what they would do with all that money : )
misjustice on October 30 at 11:38 a.m.
Well, I stand corrected gm; WHAT? Consumers rippin’ off business? I’m shocked and dismayed! Greedy consumers…
; )
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 11:57 a.m.
Deadhands….both of the two private enterprises you mention follow the axiom of ‘never give a sucker an even break’. Thank you for making my point.
Dazzeetrader11 on October 30 at 12:17 p.m.
The only way this works is to fine the businesses who bilk the public out of their money. It might be the governments duty to protect the citizens but when it’s not affordable, the strategy must change. If Spokane needs a pair of these jobs, then the fining must begin. Nothing fancy..it should go to offset salary of the weights and measures people.
Your car has a 20 gal tank. Lots of the time (worse at the Zip Trips) you are charged for 21 or more gallons. Last Summer, I asked the attendant “how is this possible?? when I have a 20 gal tank but am charged for 21 gallons!!!). He turned red and didn’t answer. It’s hard to figure out that you’re being cheated. My Dad’s boat hold 50 gallons…to fill it at the lake last Summer, I was charged for 55 gallons. 10% overcharge…I was furious. I called the State.
meadman on October 30 at 12:31 p.m.
Dazed, why would you call the (nanny) state? I thought all gubmint was evil and unnecessary?? Let us all fend for ourselves…we don’t need no stinkin’ consumer protection!!!!
Dazzeetrader11 on October 30 at 12:45 p.m.
Because it’s WRONG to steal mead. It’s just WRONG.
Of course, in your case ( Mr smartypants) you can always find an honest operator. I did….but I still called. Nothing happened of course…but I try to keep em honest.
gmorton on October 30 at 3:21 p.m.
meadman wrote,
“I thought all gubmint was evil and unnecessary??”
Where did you get that idea?
PlanB on October 30 at 3:35 p.m.
This is the best bang for the buck as far as consumer protection. It’s a valid role and frankly I like the non-confrontational attitude which should be a model for other guvment programs. Get rid of one bad cop (problem would be with trying to pick just one) and double the savings.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 4:44 p.m.
Gee, maybe instead of trying to sweep this under the rug. It might be a good idea, since the audit should be close to being complete, to go ahead and pursue criminal charges. Then if there were a conviction the city might be able to get some of my money back via restitution and help pay for this guys job.
Then again maybe everyone should just forget about it, after all its just a little bit of money and just a little bit of cheating…no big deal right.
Well if the city isn’t going to follow through with criminal charges since it was my money I guess I can. Right Spokane_Citizen?
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/sep/07/east-central-community-center-director-quits-over/
JBlim on October 30 at 5:06 p.m.
“It is the job of government to protect against force and fraud” Geeze, even gmorton gets it. Lesser Republicans like Alan Greenspan said the marketplace will take care of fraud. Well, yeah, I guess, look how the market is still working out the fraud in the housing market.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 5:28 p.m.
Brian, you should follow whatever course your conscience indicates is the correct one, though I don’t know if a court would recognize your standing in this issue. But why ask me? Those weren’t my chickens either!
brianrbreen on October 30 at 5:37 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
Live in the city, pay my taxes. I consider that standing. Shucks if the city as a corporation is the only entity or person with standing in cases involving theft of public funds, why bother. Right!
Any rosters in them thar chickens.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 5:47 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
I don’t think you need standing to make a criminal complaint. I could be wrong and if I am let me know then I’ll refrain from calling the coppers next time I see a burglary in progress, and I’ll leave it up to the homeowner.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 6:21 p.m.
You can most certainly make a criminal complaint, but I thought you’d decided to pursue this case ‘on your own’. Of course, that doesn’t mean that a prosecutor is obligated to act upon your complaint, since they (as do ‘the coppers’) frequently utilize that little thing called ‘prosecutorial discretion’. But you already know that.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 7:02 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
Of course they aren’t. Very aware of prosecutorial discretion. It is exercised often. But I think I might feel better if I went ahead and let discretion fall where it may. I just for some reason don’t like the idea of an individual, no matter who, that is responsible for the publics money stealing it. But that’s just me, a prosecutor may have a completely different view.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 7:06 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
BTW; Coppers don’t have “prosecutorial discretion”, that’s supposed to be left up to the smart people with the JDs.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 7:17 p.m.
But Brian, you and I both know it happens all the time.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 7:25 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
You mean to tell me that now days when a cop has PC for an arrest they let the suspect walk. Wow how times have changed.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 7:36 p.m.
Same as it ever was…..
GDodd on October 30 at 7:37 p.m.
http://spokanehomicide.20m.com/all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
brianrbreen on October 30 at 7:39 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
Not felonies I hope.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 7:41 p.m.
Of course not.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 7:55 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
Good, I think $5,300.00 is a felony. But I haven’t seen the audit yet. So if it is that figure or more I probably won’t have to worry about any coppertorial discretion.
greenlibertarian2nd on October 30 at 8:04 p.m.
Brian, I agree with you restitution is in order (likely) regarding the ECCC overpayments, but we’re talking less dollars that Carl O billed this weekend on the Zehm case.
My Libertarian sensitivities are always acute regarding anything untowards that stiffs the taxpayers, so of course this ECCC matter should not just disappear.
Dazzeetrader11 on October 30 at 8:07 p.m.
On point fellas…let’s get back to the article. I just looked at the 3 pictures SR provides re: this story. I’d fire him for looking ridiculous.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 8:15 p.m.
Dazzee, why don’t you go back to whatever you were drinking 5 minutes ago.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 8:18 p.m.
@Green
Some people would like it to disappear, but it ain’t going to. I understand your comments regarding the Zehm case and I agree. I think if you looked at this honestly you would realize if it was a cop they would be in jail, and rightfully so.
Maybe it just makes me madder then most because of my stints as Santa at the ECCC, and the message it sends to the east side kids.
Let me add this, I’m just looking for a way to find some money to keep this guy on the job.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 8:19 p.m.
I suspect that restitution has been made, a career ended in a foolish way, and that the prosecutor will decide that other matters are more worthy of attention. You do realize that such a decision by a prosecutor is essentially unreviewable by a court?
brianrbreen on October 30 at 8:23 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
I got a back up if the dough doesn’t reach felony level. What do you think of this one?
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.20.070
Albert on October 30 at 8:37 p.m.
Too bad this 1 person remaining was reflective of the SPD. We should be so lucky.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 8:39 p.m.
Doesn’t matter what I think of it…what matters is if a prosecutor decides to proceed. Perhaps the prosecutor, not having been a Santa at ECCC (that I know of, anyway) may have a somewhat more objective and impartial opinion regarding the societal value of subsequent prosecution.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 8:43 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
That’s interesting if restitution has been made, no criminal charges are going to be pursued, and the restitution was consistent with an audit that went back three years. Maybe the city ought let the press know so then I would know.
I’m well aware they aren’t reviewable. But keep in mind there are a couple of “courts” we are dealing with here, one is of course courts of the criminal justice system, the other is the court of public opinion.
If it is the city’s position that you can commit a couple of felonies, steal the publics money and as long as you pay it back we aren’t going to do anything except ask you to leave, then I guess if that’s the way the city is running our business, why should we complain right?
I’m sure you do know that even if restitution was made, it doesn’t at all preclude anyone from making a criminal complaint.
Come on be honest, if they were cops, or garbage collectors, or parking ticket writers, the coppers and the prosecutor would be involved.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 8:50 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
I got you now. It’s okay for some people to steal and not be subjected to the criminal justice system, but not for others. Would it be okay then to just ask a prosecutor to leave if he/she grabbed some public dough because they had a long career fighting the riff raft?
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 8:51 p.m.
I have no idea if restitution has been made, whether the city intends to pursue prosecution, or what the city’s position about such matters might be. What makes you think I would know about the facts of this sad situation?
brianrbreen on October 30 at 8:55 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
Didn’t say you did. There all sad situations when someone violates the public trust.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 9:00 p.m.
Brian, you’re mixing apples and oranges. The fact that not all criminal perpetrators are subjected to prosecution doesn’t make the crimes OK, nor does it make it OK that all individuals involved in a particular class of crimes are not treated exactly equally…but it is a matter of fact. The justice system simply doesn’t have the resources to function that way. In the real world a prosecutor must best utilize the resources available. Don’t pretend you don’t understand the concept well. Coppers and prosecutors use discretion to determine which means serve the best ends. It’s not close to perfect, but nothing that humans do ever is.
Dazzeetrader11 on October 30 at 9:01 p.m.
you guys have no sense of humor.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 9:13 p.m.
Dazzee, could the lack of a favorable response to your ‘humor’ have to do with the fact that you’re taking a cheap shot at a guy that’s just trying to do a decent job for the citizens of Spokane…a guy that is also facing the potential loss of his job? There’s nothing humorous about the story, and your comment is simply mean-spirited.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 9:14 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
I think I’ve always had a pretty good grasp of that. The point is that’s not up to the city to decide nor is it up to the cops to decide when you are dealing with the public trust in a case like this. If the prosecutor decides he/she doesn’t want to charge it, that’s their call.
But the case has to get there first.
You of course do realize there has been other city employees that have been subjected to the criminal justice system for somewhat similar conduct that just didn’t quite have the stature.
Got to find some money for this guy.
Spokane_Citizen on October 30 at 9:18 p.m.
Well, one thing we both agree about, the misappropriation of public funds (particularly in such a venue) are extremely disturbing, and cannot be tolerated.
brianrbreen on October 30 at 9:19 p.m.
@Spokane_Citizen
I think we both have that one right.
philipgregory on October 31 at 8:02 a.m.
Endangered Spokane department down to one employee.
Of course! What do you expect? This is work meant to protect citizens’ consumer protection. Obviously something only of concern to those with limited funds.
So, not a concern to wealthy? Then give it the axe. Save those taxpayer millions for more worthy concerns.
JGee on October 31 at 12:01 p.m.
The State Dept. of Ag collects the same fees from Spokane retailers and service stations and should provide the same level of service as the other communities receive. Spokane and Seattle are the only two cities remaining that charge the retailers and service stations two fees for the same activity!
brianrbreen on October 31 at 1:18 p.m.
@JGee
I’m assuming you don’t really want to argue that point. Perhaps you don’t remember but the Department of Agricultural used to be responsible for enforcing the food stamp program. Back in the day, when you could exchange food stamps for drugs or what ever,
the DofA had the responsibility of investigating food stamp fraud. That changed when the feds decided that “no shucks” they can’t handle it, they better stick to just doing the agriculture stuff.
So I guess what I’m saying is why not keep this guy around, even if it means dumping some of the SPD civilian staff that are there to make things look good. Why not take a good look at the civilian staffing on the SPD and the SFD, or perhaps decide that maybe the Chief doesn’t need a patrol person to deal with the media and might be able to do it herself and let that person go back to patrol (might free up a property crimes Detective). Or let the Sgt. on Officer Moses shift handle the media instead of giving him a pump for being the PIO( not sure how much that has cost).
BTW; As you well know I’m fully prepared for the lie about investigating property crimes, because “Crime Analysis” develops patterns etc. Bring it on.
Marco on November 03 at 2:46 p.m.
So, if 162 pumps were out of whack this year, that’s significant, over 8%. And if they’re checked every year, then those pumps were accurate last year, with the exception of those newly installed (can’t imagine there are that many). So, if the out-of-whack factor on a year to year basis is 8%, won’t that effect A) affect more or less every pump sooner or later, and B) be cumulative? Is it possible that the 2 or 3 cubic inches is 4 or 5 next year, and 6 or 8 the next, etc.?
Presumably gas stations have some sort of their own control mechanism, right? It’s stated that often the miscalculation is in favor of the consumer, and the stations wouldn’t want that to happen, so would they (or do) hire a testing service themselves? And then who pays for that? Money doesn’t just come out of the air; gas prices go up by 1/2 a cent and that’s that.