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D. Taylor wrote on Oct 5, 2008 2:21 AM:
To DEE DEE: You really don't get it. The clues are right there, (almost) in plain sight. You either know Freeman, the Mayor, or someone else with a vested interest in seeing this issue go away. Your city is being run by some people who could care less about you, or anyone else outside their small group of business cronies. I really hope that before the election, you get off your ass and find out what is really going on in Coosbay. Until the people of Coosbay take an active interest in deciding the direction of your city's future, history will keep repeating itself.(Home Depot, etc?) Howard's story never should have hit the paper until after the findings of all investigations were complete. Due process? Civil rights?? Like I said, you don't know what's really going on in your own small town. A matter of trust? In anybody's town, this was a political hit, plain and simple. You wait for your enemy to make one mistake, and they're toast. You haven't heard the last of this story. And, no, I don't know Howard personally. Do you actually care what goes on in city government?? Just nonsense, I hear.
the honest are outraged wrote on Oct 5, 2008 1:07 AM:
I resent paying the salary and PERS for this crooked public employee. Who knows how many times she has done this.
She wasn't charged because the stolen items were worth less than fifty dollars. That doesn't mean she didn't do it.
Those who defend her must be her relatives or shoplifters themselves.
She wasn't charged because the stolen items were worth less than fifty dollars. That doesn't mean she didn't do it.
Those who defend her must be her relatives or shoplifters themselves.
dee dee wrote on Oct 2, 2008 5:28 PM:
D.Taylor, you will have the last word. I can't stand to listen to ignorance any longer. You say this happened because of who she is, YOUR SO RIGHT!! Ms Howard handled the City finances. How right you are. Ms Howard made herself look bad, noone did that for her.I listened to her taped version, she placed more than one bag of deli items in another bag and covered up two gallons of milk, that was not an error. As far as charged, WHO CARES? Ms Howard admitted to taken unpaid items. As far as paying Ms Howard to go away? Let me guess Ms Howard told you that? She is a trust worthy source if I ever heard one. Maybe instead of being so angry at those who are trying to protect the City you should look at Ms Howard and Thank her for a News story and giving you some thing to do during the day, talk nonsense.
D.Taylor wrote on Oct 1, 2008 11:58 PM:
DEE DEE: There were no shoplifting charges filed, as she never left the store. And they wouldn't let her pay for the items. WHY? This incident happened because of who she is, and the small group of people that wanted her removed from her position. They needed her to make herself look bad. Any little mistake, and they could blow it up into a "mushroom cloud". That sure happened, didn't it? They didn't wait for the report from the state police to terminate her on "a matter of trust". Years of spotless (at least at this point) city audits? That means EVERYTHING to a professional. I hope she kept copies of thse audits.
They paid Mcclure, and made him sign a non- disclosure form. What did they want kept secret? Howard didn't sign one. I wonder why?? I bet Freeman and Mayor Mac wondering, as well.
To BANDONWOMAN: Joyce Jansen is NOT the answer for City Manager! She's part of the "good ol'boys, er, girls" club. Coos Bay needs people running the city government with ideas on the sucess of the city as a whole, instead of the sucess of a chosen few. That's not her.
They paid Mcclure, and made him sign a non- disclosure form. What did they want kept secret? Howard didn't sign one. I wonder why?? I bet Freeman and Mayor Mac wondering, as well.
To BANDONWOMAN: Joyce Jansen is NOT the answer for City Manager! She's part of the "good ol'boys, er, girls" club. Coos Bay needs people running the city government with ideas on the sucess of the city as a whole, instead of the sucess of a chosen few. That's not her.
WOW wrote on Oct 1, 2008 11:05 AM:
Eveyone on here that are praising the city, wow. I hope you dont ever forget to return a stapler at work and someone accuses you of stealing. You just forgot to return it right, in your own eyes, your a thief and should be fired for being one. No one is perfect, Not even all of you.
All of you that are saying she is using her kids as an excuse, even when you dont have kids you still have other things you are thinking about, and dont just think about what you are doing. Trying to jugle a thousand things something always falls.
All of you that are saying she is using her kids as an excuse, even when you dont have kids you still have other things you are thinking about, and dont just think about what you are doing. Trying to jugle a thousand things something always falls.
frank wrote on Sep 30, 2008 11:56 PM:
I think Westmire said it best. It was a moment of overload and now she's had to pay with her livelihood.
Shame on the city and the world for letting this get so blown out of proportion.
Perhaps the World should investigate why folks in the finance department are dropping like flies. Sounds to me like the employees know something the public doesn't and are getting out after they see the way their finance director was railroaded.
Shame on the city and the world for letting this get so blown out of proportion.
Perhaps the World should investigate why folks in the finance department are dropping like flies. Sounds to me like the employees know something the public doesn't and are getting out after they see the way their finance director was railroaded.
Porter wrote on Sep 29, 2008 2:21 PM:
Since Chuck Freeman considers himself a "CEO", I guess he thinks running Coos Bay is like running a large company. If that's the case, he needs to be fired as his "company" is such a monumental failure.
The previous city manager lasted only 2 years in the job because progress was moving too slowly. Better check the calendar Mr. Freeman.
The previous city manager lasted only 2 years in the job because progress was moving too slowly. Better check the calendar Mr. Freeman.
dee dee wrote on Sep 29, 2008 2:03 PM:
Attention D Taylor== You scare me. You started out your blog sounding a little intelligent and then you lost it. Who cares if her past Audits were clean? Has she been stopped for shop lifting in the past also? What does Scott Mclure have to do with this? What does him being let go have to do with this? Are you trying to say if he was still here Ms. Howard wouldnt have walked out of WalmArt with unpaid merchandise? Scott Mclure is in the past also. Lets look at what happened last month and go from there and by the way no one is digging for anything, Ms Howard did this to herself.
proud tax payer wrote on Sep 29, 2008 9:19 AM:
Run Mr. Freeman and don't look back. It is obvious that the City of Coos Bay doesn't want nor deserves a man of your caliber. You have ethics and morals. Thanks for making the decision you did and looking out for the Tax Payers money. You had a job to do and you did it. You can hold your head high, but do so running.
Wish I had 3 kids wrote on Sep 29, 2008 7:10 AM:
Since obviously the community standard around here is measured on how many kids you have, I wish I still had 3 kids so that I too could get a discount any time I went shopping.
And to those demanding the city release specifics of her firing... what planet were you born on? Is it news to you that those things can not be discussed, and that there are LAWS covering that? I'm sure Ms. Howard was told what those reasons were, and she is not bound by the same confidentiality... so why not scream at her and tell her to tell you what those reasons were? Get a clue.
And to those demanding the city release specifics of her firing... what planet were you born on? Is it news to you that those things can not be discussed, and that there are LAWS covering that? I'm sure Ms. Howard was told what those reasons were, and she is not bound by the same confidentiality... so why not scream at her and tell her to tell you what those reasons were? Get a clue.
D.Taylor wrote on Sep 28, 2008 9:53 AM:
Now the city has to do a Forensic search of all her work. They'll try and dig up ANYTHING to show the firing of Howard was justified. Even though all of the past audits since she has been Finance Director have been totally clean, and above board, watch something sudenly be uncovered. This whole affair is TOTALLY POLITICAL, as was the firing of Scott McClure. If this issue ever gets to a court of law, and the real story gets out, the public trust in the previous, and current administrations will be shot to hell! And, what happened in the time between Mcclure's firing and Freeman's hiring? Who was running the city, and spending the taxpayer's money? I'll bet it wasn't the finance director! Howard will get another job, in a city or organization with professional ethics without question, because her professional ethics are in order. Her past audits prove that. The last, and current administrations cannot make the same statement. A SERIOUS investigation would prove otherwise!
bandonwoman wrote on Sep 28, 2008 8:10 AM:
Its time for Freeman to go and for Joyce Jansen to get the job full time.
To those that disagree wrote on Sep 28, 2008 7:43 AM:
As some who have indicated in the other forums that they obviously dont agree with the following statement...
“You have to have your chief financial officer above reproach,” he said. “As a CEO, I have to be able to trust that person whole-heartedly.”
I would ask you, if a police officer did the same thing, would you all look the other way and scream and yell when they were terminated? Of course not. I agree 100% that people in certain positions, whether you agree it is "fair" or not... are held to a higher standard, as they should be.
If a police officer loses that trust, or is involved in a situation which questions his/her ability to perform the job and be trusted... their employment is finished. In the end, it would not matter whether that behaviour was "criminal" in nature or whether charges were being filed.
“You have to have your chief financial officer above reproach,” he said. “As a CEO, I have to be able to trust that person whole-heartedly.”
I would ask you, if a police officer did the same thing, would you all look the other way and scream and yell when they were terminated? Of course not. I agree 100% that people in certain positions, whether you agree it is "fair" or not... are held to a higher standard, as they should be.
If a police officer loses that trust, or is involved in a situation which questions his/her ability to perform the job and be trusted... their employment is finished. In the end, it would not matter whether that behaviour was "criminal" in nature or whether charges were being filed.
Nick wrote on Sep 27, 2008 9:34 PM:
"As a CEO"... that, sir, is your problem. You are a public official, not a CEO of a private company, and you should run the City of Coos Bay accordingly. As a PUBLIC official, you should PUBLICLY be able to give a proper reason why this person was fired, and not dance around the question. You are accountable to the PUBLIC, not PRIVATE stock-holders. If this woman's performance was not up to snuff, hey, tell us. I would personally love to hear that this is the case, because I could subsequently say that this woman deserved to lose her job. However, I've not heard anything like that yet, and from the outside it looks as if the city made a decision because of public relations exclusively (based on an incident that did not result in a court appearance).
This community's politicians make me sick. The citizens of Coos Bay deserve better than this.
This community's politicians make me sick. The citizens of Coos Bay deserve better than this.
S. Westmire wrote on Sep 27, 2008 10:35 AM:
Janell Howard has been punished for a moment of overload. Especially having 3 children in tow. I think Janell should have been allowed to pay for her milk. We have seen a person in electronics open a package,put the product in their cargo pants and leave. Reported them to a checker who shrugged and that was the end of it. The reputation of a faithful city employyee has been damaged
hopefully not beyond repair.
hopefully not beyond repair.
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