Public Periscope
Gotcha
Sen. Slade Gorton recently caught the U.S. Department of Education in a no-no. Seems a department employee took offense to Gorton’s bill to change the way federal education funds are spent … If the Washington Republican has his way, states could say they’d just as soon get the money directly, bypassing the folks in Washington, D.C., who make sure the money’s being spent the way Congress intended … Earlier this month, an unnamed worker in the department sent colleagues an e-mail call to arms, asking them to lobby against the proposal as “a giant step backwards for women and girls in education.” Not too smart, because in these days of instant communication, a copy of that e-mail quickly found its way to Gorton, who fired off a letter to Education Secretary Richard Riley reminding him that it’s illegal for federal workers to use their jobs for lobbying. One of Riley’s staff then sent out a second e-mail, telling employees they aren’t being asked to lobby Congress.
Gorton wants to know if other violations are occurring. A department spokeswoman said the incident was inappropriate but doubts such violations are common.
A fine state of affairs
Word comes from the American Electronics Association that Washington’s high-tech workers “earned more than technology workers in any other cyberstate,” pulling in an average of $67,000 a year. Which gives us reason to cheer, and to pause … To cheer, because any time we rank No. 1 in something, that’s good; and when it is something connected to wages that’s even better than, say, drinking lattes or running red lights … We are only slightly less cheerful in reporting Washington is No. 4 in high-tech job creation, No. 5 in electromedical equipment and No. 8 in software. We are, the association says, “the 17th largest cyberstate by employment” … Our joy was tempered only by the fact that we had no idea what the heck Washington cyberstate is. An association spokeswoman assured us it is no different than the regular state.
She did protest overmuch
Spokane County Commissioner Kate McCaslin took her avocation as waste-watcher a bit too far last week when bemoaning a pair of patrol cars she never saw in action. McCaslin already was angry that the Washington State Patrol may be trimming its role in county car accident investigations … In a discussion with sheriff’s officials, McCaslin vented about driving daily past a house where she could always find two WSP patrol cars parked. “Any time of the day,” she said. “They never move.” … Fellow Commissioner John Roskelley pointed out that two officers live in that house. And work the graveyard shift.
Start spreading the news
Once upon a time, the outcome of a dispute between a city and its union had to be posted in a prominent place. These days - much to the dismay of Spokane city officials - state law requires the result be announced publicly … That’s what happened last week with a decision on a complaint by the State Council of City and County Employees Local 270. The Public Employment Relations Commission reviewed the union’s objection to a library caretaker moving to management and taking many of his duties with him. Some duties still belong to the union and some could remain with the newly promoted manager, the commission decided … City Manager Bill Pupo joked the announcement was “kind of the scarlet letter approach. We used to have to post it. Now, it’s the public humiliation route.” … City Attorney Jim Sloane chimed in that “Next year, we’ll have to put the city manager in stocks.” That might have some merit, joked Councilman Jeff Colliton. “I’m not adverse to that. Are you?” he asked Pupo.
Oops!
A study of the city of Spokane’s Construction Services Department contains a misprint that many neighborhood activists might consider all too accurate … The city’s pre-development handbook is referred to as a “pre-devilment” handbook.