Here’s an interesting message in the form of a letter to the leadership of the HGEA. It was copied to me, as well as to legislative leaders, by someone within the State Department of Health. It sheds light on how the Lingle administration is, one the one hand, telling the world the financial sky is falling and that this justifies squeezing money and power from public employees, while at the same time grabbing resources under the table for its own favored programs.
The message was accompanied by a more detailed summary of the Tobacco Settlement Fund, following how the money has been used or, in the writer’s view, misused.
Please read on.
Dear HGEA Leadership:
It is good news to hear about a near settlement. It is our concern and hope that efforts during this negotiation address the practices of administration to continue spending and creation of positions and the lack of real faith efforts to cut spending.
We can only address what we see in the Department of Health. The director continues to spend and create positions–at the end of September the director established yet another position for her behavior health initiative–using a “vacant position” number to hide this newly created position. She really believes that in this time of no money that these kinds of actions go un noticed!
The Behavior Health Initiative (BHI) is a billing system that saves those positions who were under the former consent decree–high paid individuals doing duplicative work are now being asked to create a billing system. If there are lots of funds–this may be a good idea–but given the current fiscal condition of the state–this is frivolous spending and duplicates what can be done with current staff.
In addition, there are federal stimulus funds available for these functions. In addition to building up the BHI, the director is also using the tobacco settlement funds to duplicate existing services. She is attempting to dismantle a division to move the chronic disease branch to the tobacco settlement project–supposedly to legitimize their existence (and justify her having duplicated there efforts).
She continues to build a data warehouse that no one uses and a surveillance system that is not needed.
The legislature clearly stated that this should not be done–because they wanted to keep those funds fluid enough to use should the economy continue its downward spiral. She is attempting to stop their efforts and to clean up the organizational mess she created.
The director established a 26 position project under the director’s office–before she leaves she needs to move this into the established department structure. But in doing this, she wastes valuable TSF dollars. See HRS 328L–these funds can be used for economic downturns. The state receives approximately 50million a year–plus interest–this would help–especially since the administration continues to discover errors in calculations.
When are folks going to wise up and understand that to date this administration has clearly demonstrated that they are unqualified to run the government. Take away their power!
We don’t mind taking cuts and contributing our share–but unless the poor administrative practices are stopped–why should we? They break laws–environmental laws; balanced budget laws and they break procedures by using practices such as using psudo numbers and administrative assignments.
Enough is Enough. Stop their power.
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I am wondering if the State is paying for the LT. Gov and parties trip to Rome this month for a Catholic event? I am concerned about separation of church/state.
The start of Lingle’s administration was the slogan: “Make it happen!”. What the administration and the idiots they appointed did not understand was that making things happen is within the boundaries set by the law and the constitution (e.g., Superferry, Ohana Pale, etc.) Misdeeds and flagrant disregard of the law by the Deputy Director of Health Susan Jackson and the Director of Health Chiyome Fukino point directly to the Governor – impeachment proceedings are in order and long overdue.
The New Beginning?
As the end of the “new beginning” approaches, the DOH is scrambling to give their “favorites” temporary assignments to boost their “high three” for retirement purposes: the most blatant of these is the TA of Genny “Superferry” Salmonson as the Chief of the Environmental Planning Office. Because of her close ties to former Chief of Staff Bob Awana, Salmonson managed to be “promoted” from OEQC director to “environmental ombudsman” despite the lack of a college degree and NO planning experience – all this after the “Superferry” debacle and before Awana’s indiscretion in the Philippines. Please stop them from feeding at the trough.
Friends working at the airport talking about the Governor’s sudden approval to recruit two newly created top level executive positions in light of layoffs and talk of furloughs. Will probably be filled with appointed people who traditionally resign at the end of the Governor’s term..
Say Dems did it when Cayetano’s term ended.
Is this practice of placing cronies into key positions at the end of the term a tradition in Hawaii?
The Lingle administration will stop at nothing to terminate DOH “problem” employees. One example is an employee who filed a lawsuit against the DOH. Shortly thereafter the employee was criminally charged by DOH – effectively depriving her of union representation. DOH was unable to sustain the criminal charge and continues to retaliate against this employee. As the recipient of Federal funds, isn’t DOH prohibited from retaliating against whistleblowers? The last whistleblower I recall was Hector Matsuda in the heptachlor incident in the mid-1980’s.
I work at the DOH (aka Dept of Hell). I really was naive in thinking that working in government and in public health was about making a difference, for all people. There are a number of questionable practices. Also, unfair treatment and lack of accountability is rampant. There are lot of dedicated hard working individuals who believe in public health and are committed to making a difference at the DOH. It is quite unfortunate that the system and many ineffective managers only make the dedicated ones disillusioned or jaded. I agree—enough is enough but everyone needs to be accountable.
sosdoh – There are about 1000 other state workers right now, including hundreds within DOH, who I imagine would want your job. Now is not the time to be complaining.
But I think what you are complaining of is common in each of the departments, throughout State government. Silly power plays, withholding of information, and crappy treatment of staff is, unfortunately, not a unique complaint. I dont have any concrete solutions but to suggest you figure out how to best work the unspoken rules of the system to survive.
I do not agree that silence is a solution. Bullies and psychopaths take refuge in the fear and confusion they generate among their subordinates. Let the public know what is happening in your workplace. Call KHON or the media! Shine a light on the bullies and psychopaths in DOH so that they will come crawling out of the woodwork like the roaches they are. Why not complain? Harassment contributes to a hostile workplace environment and should not be tolerated. If the EEO/AAO officer is not doing his job, call the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Comission and let the blogs and media know!
I gave a person who is obviously a manager to the DOH some decent advice that might help this person get beyond that feeling of dissatisfaction that occurs in every single job, state government or not. This person obviously still has a job.
In about one year left in this administration, you are clearly seeking revenge, dare I say blood, against those that I happen to think included you amongst those in the RIF numbers for the DOH. Might I also surmise that you were a part of the letter to the HGEA?
I dont disagree with you that bullies and psychopaths should be rooted out from any system. They are negative and drain any organization. But, really, is this the way to do it? You really believe that the media is going to change that which you seek? But for a bubbling second, I think not.
A rather wise woman once said to me ‘dont bite the hand that feeds you’. That advice stays with me to this day.
And I have a job. Do you?
Aloha Ian, thanks for providing a forum for discussion of the issues related to the Lingle mismanagement of state government. Having been in several 12-step groups, I find that avoiding cross-talks makes for a more lucid discussion (with hopefully less ad hominem attacks) . Newife has directed comments and misplaced assumption at and about me – but I will not engage her in discussion. Hence, my comments are directed to you as the moderator of this forum.
For a state worker, Newife suggests that contacting the media about bullies and psychopaths in the workplace is ineffective. I disagree as her royal highness Linda uses the media most effectively (especially in the issuance of strategic press releases in negotiations with the various public worker unions). Newife then warns that one should not bite the hand that feeds casually noting that he/she has a job.
There is a Latin adage that states “Nemo supra leges” or “No one is above the law.” Government by the people and for the people is guided by the rule of law. While Newife apparently believes that the media (especially the established venues like the Advertiser and Fox News ) won’t change anything, reporting of governmental misconduct will not go unnoticed, for long.
For starters, the media would investigate Susan Jackson’s attempts interfere (beyond personnel and budgetary support) with various attached agencies. The media would do well to investigate how the former director of environmental quality control is tied to the former chief of staff and a local waste management firm. The media would do well to examine possible misconduct by the Attorney General in filing criminal charges against a state employee in retaliation for the employee filing a lawsuit.
I believe that Newife is employed by the State – not in the rank and file, but as a manager, upholding the atmosphere of fear and loathing engendered by the various anti-labor tactics espoused by the current administration.
And yes, Ian, I am still employed by the State in the rank and file and have been for the past twenty-nine years.
Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Thank God for the media.
Im not a manager. I am a state employee. However, I am not employed by DOH. My department is as layered and as complex as is yours. However, clearly, I enjoy a far greater satisfaction in my job than you. I certainly would not attack my managers with such personal venom, though I assure you that there are days I cant stand them either. I understand you have particular issue with this administration, but this last year will slip by quickly.
There was no place in my response where I suggested upholding fear. Rather that as a manager, that individual might try to expand his/her view and understanding of some realities of government, beyond just the DOH to then help that person better appreciate the context of the role that person is in. I happen to think that DOH is no different than any of our other departments. In fact, I understand its far more harmonious, especially comparative to the chaotic dysfunction of DHS, DOE, and PSD.
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