Detroit health department chief fired in corruption probe

[English]

There's probably tons more corruption unrevealed, considering that the strong mindset of 'justification' branded into these thieves minds. No need to worry about outsiders stealing Detroit's 'jewels' [[as the term goes) when they are being stolen from the inside... Crazy!

Girl, when I run into those old "Black Slate" black nationalists these days, I just *look* at them.

If you are going to talk the talk, you ought to walk the walk. And I am sorry, but those running present-day Detroit have acted almost as if they've existed in anarchy. People are getting tired of it. You can't continue to blame the Man for everything. As a comedian once said, "Racism doesn't force you to buy $500 shoes on a $22,000 salary."

I don't get why people who want to make money, drive a certain car, etc. go into the public sector anyway. Stop being so worried about flossing and start WORKING, folks!!!

[Zacha341]

Yep. I tune much of that out as I tend to vote and think independently. Much of the talk is 'high profile', vote culling rhetoric. Yet the justification of bold-faced corruption continues... and is too often 'winked' at.

Meanwhile some of the same folk who claim to be "down for the peeps" look out ONLY for self -- servants to their own greed. This is especially annoying with the big salary crowd! Like why for example can't you make it on $93,500 a year, when so many others make far less and choose not steal!

Girl, when I run into those old "Black Slate" black nationalists these days, I just *look* at them.

If you are going to talk the talk, you ought to walk the walk. And I am sorry, but those running present-day Detroit have acted almost as if they've existed in anarchy. People are getting tired of it. You can't continue to blame the Man for everything. As a comedian once said, "Racism doesn't force you to buy $500 shoes on a $22,000 salary."

I don't get why people who want to make money, drive a certain car, etc. go into the public sector anyway. Stop being so worried about flossing and start WORKING, folks!!!

[LeadCzar]

Yes, there's always been corruption, but there have been leaders who make it a priority to root it out. When you have someone that has a proactive strategy which includes a strong human resources department, you may not eliminate it, but you can definitely keep it in check. That's what Bing is not doing. He has never taken control of the City as the Mayor should, and most of the corruption is not coming from appointees he has fired. It's coming from union/contract employees who were there before Bing came in and will be there when he's gone unless he does something about labor contracts. These people think they are invincible and that's why they behave so recklessly [[aside from the fact they they also have character flaws). The crazy thing is that Bing has fired a LOT of good people and he has kept some very questionable characters who only worry about saving their own hides. They could care less about the citizens of Detroit.

Case in Point: Yvonne Anthony should have been fired in March of 2010 when she ignored the Chief Medical Director, CDC, and State regarding the treatment of children with lead poisoning, but Bing wouldn't listen to anyone and she was allowed to keep doing her thing. He fired the people that were warning him, and he kept her! Why hasn't anyone thought to ask who was responsible for authorizing her daughter's time sheets every week? Yvonne Anthony got her daughter hired, but her daughter didn't report directly to her. Whoever was the daughter's manager has to sign time sheets that are submitted weekly [[or at least every two weeks) by every employee. So the big question is who was forging time sheets for the ghost daughter/employee and who was signing off on them? At minimum two or three other people had a direct hand in pulling this off. The media ought to be knocking on the doors of Bill Ridella & Audrey Smith. If they did not know, they should be fired for habitual negligence. If they did know, they should be fired for conspiracy to commit fraud. Yvonne Anthony was NOT alone on this. The fact that Bing & the media overlook things like this all the time tells you that all they are trying to do is close Detroit down. Once they get the Financial Manager in here, he/she will have the power to fire all these criminals - power that the Mayor apparently does not have or has not exercised. If you want to follow the whole health department debacle from 2009 forward, check this out.

[Zacha341]

Interesting details. When Detroit goes under an EFM [[which seems to be where we're quickly headed) much of this is going to be sorted thru: the bosses and the subordinates et al. The city's largest union is going to be forced to submit to some of the same applied to the DPS union: more layoffs, pay cuts, severe contract revisions or worse...

Perhaps even the joyful check for 'ghost employees' and the discovery of fraudulent paper trails [[most which are probably poorly disguised - due to the long-held systemic 'nonchalant' approach to fraud).

As this has been going on so long: fraud related to payrolls, doctored time sheets etc, 'friends and family' hook-ups etc., it will require only minimal investigation to uncover.

And it's tough to try to damage-control broad-spectrum fraud once investigations start. The parties would have to try to recall/ unravel a matrix of stealing...

Those who've looked the other way may have to account for a great deal too. It's not going to be pretty.

Yes, there's always been corruption, but there have been leaders who make it a priority to root it out. When you have someone that has a proactive strategy which includes a strong human resources department, you may not eliminate it, but you can definitely keep it in check. That's what Bing is not doing. He has never taken control of the City as the Mayor should, and most of the corruption is not coming from appointees he has fired. It's coming from union/contract employees who were there before Bing came in and will be there when he's gone unless he does something about labor contracts. These people think they are invincible and that's why they behave so recklessly [[aside from the fact they they also have character flaws). The crazy thing is that Bing has fired a LOT of good people and he has kept some very questionable characters who only worry about saving their own hides. They could care less about the citizens of Detroit.

Case in Point: Yvonne Anthony should have been fired in March of 2010 when she ignored the Chief Medical Director, CDC, and State regarding the treatment of children with lead poisoning, but Bing wouldn't listen to anyone and she was allowed to keep doing her thing. He fired the people that were warning him, and he kept her! Why hasn't anyone thought to ask who was responsible for authorizing her daughter's time sheets every week? Yvonne Anthony got her daughter hired, but her daughter didn't report directly to her. Whoever was the daughter's manager has to sign time sheets that are submitted weekly [[or at least every two weeks) by every employee. So the big question is who was forging time sheets for the ghost daughter/employee and who was signing off on them? At minimum two or three other people had a direct hand in pulling this off. The media ought to be knocking on the doors of Bill Ridella & Audrey Smith. If they did not know, they should be fired for habitual negligence. If they did know, they should be fired for conspiracy to commit fraud. Yvonne Anthony was NOT alone on this...

[LeadCzar]

....the crazy thing is that Bing has fired a LOT of good people and he has kept some very questionable characters who only worry about saving their own hides. They could care less about the citizens of Detroit.

Case in Point: Yvonne Anthony should have been fired in March of 2010 when she ignored the Chief Medical Director, CDC, and State regarding the treatment of children with lead poisoning, but Bing wouldn't listen to anyone and she was allowed to keep doing her thing. He fired the people that were warning him, and he kept her! Why hasn't anyone thought to ask who was responsible for authorizing her daughter's time sheets every week? Yvonne Anthony got her daughter hired, but her daughter didn't report directly to her. Whoever was the daughter's manager has to sign time sheets that are submitted weekly [[or at least every two weeks) by every employee. So the big question is who was forging time sheets for the ghost daughter/employee and who was signing off on them? At minimum two or three other people had a direct hand in pulling this off. The media ought to be knocking on the doors of Bill Ridella & Audrey Smith. If they did not know, they should be fired for habitual negligence. If they did know, they should be fired for conspiracy to commit fraud. Yvonne Anthony was NOT alone on this.

The Detroit News picks up the story today with the Mayor's announcement of the firing of Audrey Smith [[I told you this would happen eventually). Bill Ridella was also released quietly in recent weeks. Next question: "What did Kirk Lewis know and when did he know it?"