Vets board turns down rule change
to insulate secretary from discharge
--By Gary Fisher
The Veterans Affairs Board Friday retreated from changing its rules to require a unanimous vote of all seven members to remove the secretary, and only for cause, giving the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs secretary virtual lifetime tenure.
The ill-fated effort to provide the secretary with a free ride was a short-round as the board prudently decided to keep the status quo.
In other words, it still takes a vote of five board members, not seven as originally proposed, to remove the secretary.
Significantly, money from the Veteran's Trust Fund cannot be used to pay the legal fees of a secretary facing removal from office for misconduct.
Board member Kathy Marschman, who proposed the arcane rule changes, was visibly absent at today's board meeting in Union Grove.
John Scocos, WDVA secretary, who would have immediately benefited from virtual lifetime tenure, reportedly left the meeting early before the vote was taken.
UPDATE: The board also voted to keep the stipend paid to participants in military funeral honor details at $50, rather than cut it to $35 as had been proposed.
UPDATE 2: The Associated Press story includes this denial:
Right. Without the attention generated byGary Fisher's dogged reporting on this issue, virtually ignored by the mainstream state media, the proposed rules would have slipped right through a month ago. -- Xoff.Board chairman Ken Wendt said the backlash against the proposed rules did not influence Friday's decision.
"We're a nonpartisan body, and we do what's best for the veterans," he said. "By having a policy in place to remove a secretary or hire a secretary, we're doing our job."
posted by xoff @ 2:57 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Dear Mr./Ms. Freedomfighter:
I have deleted your comment.
Making personal attacks while hiding behind anonymous comments is cowardly.
Gary Fisher, Marv Freeman and I all have put our names on anything we have had to say about this issue.
How about you?
Just for the record, the Swiftboating in 2004 was done by the Republicans.
Feel free to make any arguments you want, even behind your cloak of anonymity. Just leave out the sleazy personal disparagement.
Just what is it you are pissed off about? That Scocos will be treated like everyone else who has held that job in the history of Wisconsin? Or that anyone dared to question him?
If you had seen the deleted comment you would understand. Free speech on the internet does not include the right to slander someone anonymously.
Tim, I'm not talking about the kind of comments you made. I am talking about vile personal innuendo that was was over the line. That is what was deleted.
I still don't see anyone explaining why John Scocos should be treated differently, with lifetime tenure, from every secretary who has ever headed a state agency in the history of Wisconsin.
That's what this has all been about. The attempt to give him that status is indefensible, which is why his supporters have talked about everything except that.
Dear xcapman:
You can nitpick all you want, but as long as you are anonymous I have no idea whether you are a vet yourself, either.
Your comment: By the way, rumor has it that Gary Fisher isn't even a real veteran. If that's wrong, maybe he can straighten the record on this one. I don't want to spread nasty rumors if they aren't true. Maybe Gary can straighten the record on this one. Or maybe you can delete this comment as well because you feel it is a personal attack. Using your words, I am only asking because you brought it on yourself to claim Gary Meyer is a veteran.
I'll let Gary Fisher answer that himself if he chooses to. I don't know who this Gary Meyer is you're talking about. I assume it's a simple mistake, but if I made it you'd use it to try to discredit everything else I've said.
Still waiting to hear why Scocos should be treated differently from every secretary who has eve headed a state agency in the history of Wisconsin. Every is strangely silent about that.
Post a Comment
<< Home