One of the biggest problems with public-sector unions and public-sector employment in general is the lack of accountability. It's nearly impossible to fire employees for cause. Union officials try to dispute that point, but that's self-serving nonsense. A story in today's Los Angeles Times reminds us that even employees accused of crimes are nearly impossible to fire. According to the article:
There's no way to improve public services until agencies can get rid of bad employees. There's no way around that fact.When thousands of dollars belonging to elderly residents of a veterans home went missing, police set out to catch the thief. A video camera they hid showed nurse's aide Linda Riccitelli creeping into a 93-year-old man's room and sticking her hand in a dresser drawer stashed with bait money. Investigators confirmed the cash was gone and the video showed that no one else had opened the drawer. Prosecutors charged Riccitelli with burglary, and the Department of Veterans Affairs fired her. To most, it seemed like an open-and-shut case. But a little-known state agency that rules on employee discipline saw things differently. It ordered Riccitelli re-hired, with three years' back pay because, they said, the evidence was "circumstantial."
Agreed! I've looked everywhere for a picture of this POS too but can't find one. I just like to visually know who I can't trust.