Thursday, June 18, 2009

Let this be an end to it

Ya know. I was going to behave. I was just going to let this issue die mostly because I’m tired of talking about it; but also because this is not a blog about this state’s transportation department. It’s not a blog for this state’s transportation department.

But, as a citizen of this state, I’m going to damn well not be intimidated about talking about an organization that my tax money funds, even though, frankly, the subject bores me to tears.

Was this a revelation to anyone? No. We’ve all come to accept these budgeting slights-of-hand from every governmental agency, not just VDOT – which is why my post was a rather run-of-the-mill observation of an irony.

This ain’t the Huffington Post, people. It’s a blog with a handful of readers – or it was until VDOT made it a high traffic site that drew attention. Seriously, if they didn’t want the public seeing their workers standing around, all they had to do was stop hitting the site for two straight days, because for a day and a half they were the only new people showing up on Site Meter. The rest of you I know couldn’t care less.

I’m not sure what the department is upset about. One guy claims it’s the picture of everyone standing around, for which I thought they had a valid excuse. But, honestly, because they are being so defensive about it, I almost wonder if I didn’t hit a nerve…And I’m sure no one else has ever observed a group of DOT workers standing around, right?

Mostly what seems to be at issue is that I repeated in my blog about the last minute spending -- something told to my husband without caveats. It wasn’t told as a secret; it wasn’t even prefaced with a “don’t tell anyone, but…” It was told as ironically as I wrote it.

Now this seems to be the crux of the whole issue: VDOT management is interrogating their employees to find out who told tales out of school. Because, you know, the ten other people who read this blog – most of whom don’t even live in this state – might be outraged. So VDOT management continues to waste money on an issue no one but VDOT knows or cares about.

And, while I hate to be glib about someone losing their job, whoever talked to my husband had to have known the nature of his employers and their policy on public disclosure. It is not my or my husband’s responsibility to edit their discussion. Sorry. I don’t have a VDOT employee manual.

Besides, he was basically telling a taxpayer that our money was being wasted. Did he think we would be happy about that?

Incidentally, in perusing the web, I don’t think I could be accused of “making a mess” at VDOT (as accused by Anonymous VDOT employee). Someone started before me. Could this be why they're so sensitive?

22 comments:

Gwynne said...

Heh. I see now, after leaving my lengthy comment at your previous post, that you've said everything I did and more in this post. Well said, by the way. ;-)

jagosaurus said...

As a former federal contractor, I know that it is a common practice for the government to spend money in a flurry near the end of the fiscal year because said money has been designated "use it or lose it" funds. This has to be one of the more ridiculous practices I have ever witnessed.

My general assumption is that the vast majority of VDOT workers are hard working and at the mercy of a management structure that is probably broken in every way possible. This is inevitable with any entrenched system.

The best way for VDOT to silence detractors is to strive to never give anyone anything to complain about.

Sisiggy said...

Gwynne: Thank you.

JAG: That seems to me to be the obvious course of action...but, being from "Yankeeland," I'm apparently not entitled to an opinion.

jagosaurus said...

My fellow southerners make me sad when they start that Yankee crap.

Darkgarden said...

You gotta love those disaster-driven, overly-dramatic nosey buggers. I think its fuckin' hilarious that Sis got vdot scrambling like something out of the China Syndrom!

...and you still have no dick... yeah... you... you know who you arrrreee... yes yooouuu dooooo!

Linguni-Land was a much happier, free and jovial place before you buggers came to visit. You're welcome to stay, but honestly, unless you can come up w. some neat and clever stories about... things such as... ohh... "Things to do with Protestant Salads after they haven't been eaten," or "How I got my neighbor to eat dog poo on July 4th," then go waste your efforts somewhere else.

Darkgarden said...

...oh!... I just heard! Mr. No-dick called Animal Control! ROFL!!! What losers... I might get into this foray.

How stupid can you be. VADOT getting involved in a civil harassment claim? I'll bet they have no idea this is even going on.

Sisiggy said...

Oh, you must be mistaken, DG. They're a governmental agency; you know -- here to serve the public. No way, would they call another government agency to intimidate someone critical of them.

And you read for yourself how they're "raised right" around here -- which I assume means they believe in The Constitution and all. They would never use Bubba Good Ol' Boy That's the Way We Do Things Around Here tactics.

The animal control officer was a little annoyed too that he got dragged out here for nothing. Just more wasted tax payer money...

But, you know VDOT wouldn't do anything as childish as that, DG.

Sisiggy said...

Although, DG may not be too far off the mark now that I think about it. An actual VDOT employee would be intelligent enough to know the laws on harassment. But this sounds more like the pettiness of a spouse of a worker.

Darkgarden said...

(spouse of a worker...) ...or.... (quietly... so every gently, quietly...) ... the fellow... (hee)... who hath no ... (shhhh)... ... ... penis.

I just can't get over it; (sitting here in contemplation) how these people come out to provoke a battle of meaningless verbage on such a (as gauged by the overall media-hungry) miniscule blog such as is the type that Sis and I author.

It it, however, pretty good entertainment for my day off, I must say.

Sisiggy said...

Yeah, I'm letting the harassment thing we talked about go, now that I pretty much know where they live. I know all the phone calls I said I was going to make, but I stepped away, watched a movie and realized how stupid and out-of-hand this is getting.

Gwynne said...

They're gonna need a very big backhoe for this hole they're digging...what do those cost? That, plus attorney fees and settlement costs. They should have the $80,000 spent (and then some) in no time! Good grief. :-\

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