LETTER: Thanks for nothing

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Friday, June 25. 2010

Comments (18)

Dear Editor:
I would like to express my deep and sincere “thanks” to Dr. Wanda Creek and the Barrow County Board of Education for keeping Barrow County Schools in par with the rest of Georgia's school systems.

I would like to thank you and be specific of all you have done:

•Thanks for cutting my job.

•Thanks for not looking into my job performance before you made that decision, which allowed you to keep unproductive employees employed to waste further tax dollars.

•Thanks for thinking of my three children and wife (who is a disabled vet) when making your decision. They now will have no health insurance because of your thoughtful decision.

•Thanks for allowing one more house to join the ranks of empty and abandoned in Barrow County because now I am forced to give my house back to the mortgage company because without a job I cannot afford it.

•Thanks for keeping employees who make six figures a year employed and cutting my $21,000 a year job, which really was a whopping cut in the budget!

•Thanks for looking at my personnel record to see I was qualified to do the work of an individual who is paid more, was demoted then promoted and has cost the school system thousands of dollars in waste and incompetency, yet I made substantially less with 11 years experience in the same job.

•Thanks for considering you could've saved more money by keeping me employed and laying off a higher paid one, and let me do their job.

•Thanks for hiring retired employees and letting them double dip from the system!

•Thanks for not forcing employees with 20+ years to retire, who's children have all grown and do not need to support them anymore, and getting rid of the younger ones with a family to support.

•Thanks for forcing an entire family who wanted to establish roots in Barrow County to move elsewhere because of the lack of jobs.

•Thanks for letting me experience the sense of loss from my 9-year-old son as he lies awake at night crying in his bed because he doesn't want to leave his best friend from school who was diagnosed with skin cancer and that he may never see her again.

•Thanks for being considerate of the lives you've effected by your decision to keep yourselves employed and letting the less fortunate suffer —after all it is the government way!

Come June 30, Barrow County will have five less citizens and one more house foreclosed on because of your decision.

Thank you Dr. Creel and the Barrow County Board of Education, thank you.

Sincerely,
Steve Duplantis

Note: Duplantis is a former maintenance helper with the Barrow County School System.

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#1 perspective on 06/25/10 at 07:37 AM [Reply]

I sympathize with the writer over his job loss, and this is a time when difficult decisions must be made, however:

The economy has forced BCS to make significant, drastic cuts and they should be commended, not criticized, for making it a priority to keep teachers in classrooms and cutting elsewhere.

'Double dipping' may raise the ire of some, but it saves BCS money. The writer may not know enough to understand this.

We have a school system to educate kids, not to be a jobs program. If the individual's job was not needed then it is BCS duty to taxpayers to eliminate it.

There are six figure jobs in BCS, the county's largest employer. Those employees earn that because of their education, skills, and responsibility.

BCS should not discriminate against workers with grown children, as the writer suggests.

#1.1 Anonymous on 06/25/10 at 08:31 PM [Reply]

Oh give me a break! This person may have been just a "maintenance worker" but look at his writing style; very well written. Speaks volumes. I agree with him. Plain and Simple.

#1.2 Steve Duplantis on 06/26/10 at 12:32 AM [Reply]

For perspective as you sit on your high horse--

$21,000 a year is not a drastic cut and I was more than capable of doing the work of individuals making twice as much as myself.

How the heck does double dipping save money when you make the same salary as you did before retirement if not more?

In order to educate kids you need buildings to teach them in. Buildings need to be maintained. We as maintenance workers were consistently told teachers could not do their job without us. So you are telling me that those jobs are not needed?? Go to the maintenance shop on Jefferson Hwy at 7AM for the morning meeting and be sure to tell those guys that in person!

Six figures for education, skill and responsibility? When thousands of dollars were spent on repairing the grading on a building when the problem was a faulty roof, which now after three years is being repaired? You got me on that one--someone needs to make a whole bunch of money to make an imbecilic decision like that!!!

I never called for discrimination, I called for compassion--for understanding that maybe decisions should not be based on what seems good at the time. Someone with 20+ years and children who are of age to take care of themselves can live off their retirement. I have 3 school age children who need medical care. One who has earned their retirement but refuses to do so stifles the system.

I do not know you, but you are probably employed by the BCBOE if not a board member. How much do you make?? BCBOE has too many chiefs and not enough braves--

#1.3 Steve Duplantis on 06/26/10 at 11:59 AM [Reply]

For perspective as you sit on your high horse--

$21,000 a year is not a drastic cut and I was more than capable of doing the work of individuals making twice as much as myself.

How the heck does double dipping save money when you make the same salary as you did before retirement if not more? Plus you are getting your retirement money? What does the word "retire" mean? It is defined as "to withdraw from ones position or occupation." Rehiring retired individuals is wrong.

In order to educate kids you need buildings to teach them in. Buildings need to be maintained. We as maintenance workers were consistently told teachers could not do their job without us. So you are telling me that those jobs are not needed?? Go to the maintenance shop on Jefferson Hwy at 7AM for the morning meeting and be sure to tell those guys that in person!

Six figures for education, skill and responsibility? When thousands of dollars were spent on repairing the grading on a building when the problem was a faulty roof, which now after three years is being repaired? You got me on that one--someone needs to make a whole bunch of money to make an imbecilic decision like that!!!

I never called for discrimination, I called for compassion--for understanding that maybe decisions should not be based on what seems good at the time. Someone with 20+ years and children who are of age to take care of themselves can live off their retirement. I have 3 school age children who need medical care. One who has earned their retirement but refuses to retire stifles the system.

I do not know you, but you are probably employed by the BCBOE if not a board member. How much do you make?? BCBOE has too many chiefs and not enough braves--

#1.3.1 Anonymous on 06/26/10 at 05:47 PM [Reply]

"BCBOE has too many chiefs and not enough braves--" AMEN!!!!!

#2 Anonymous on 06/25/10 at 06:49 PM [Reply]

The Maintenance Personnel of Barrow County Schools all 18 employees made well over 770,000 dollars in 2009. The Director and the Assistant Directors of Maintenance made over 280,000.00 in 2009 together this figure is over a MILLION dollars for 21 employees. Some of them are also being allowed to drive there county vehicle’s home daily as far away as Dahlonega and Hart County Ga. Some might say it is because they are on call but if one person is on call do they all need to drive there county vehicle’s home? Hartwell is 74 miles one way for a round trip that would be 148 miles a day x 236 days a year = 34,928 miles a year divide by 23 miles per gal (avg miles per gallon for a vehicle) = 1518 gals of gas x $2.50 = $3796.00 per vehicle. With this in mind they cut the job of the person who was one of the lowest paid? What about the ones making upwards of $65,000.00? Will they receive a pay cut? Will they continue to use our county tax dollars and provide them with a vehicle to drive home over 100 miles a day? I think the $21,000.00 could have come elsewhere. If you cut the roots out from the bottom of a tree it will eventually wither and die. If you take away all the worker bee’s you won’t have any honey!

#3 Steve Duplantis on 06/26/10 at 12:38 AM [Reply]

A side note--

I sent a copy of this letter to Dr. Creel and the School Board. No one has said "Your Welcome!"

#3.1 Eb Scrooge on 06/26/10 at 02:03 PM [Reply]

Get another job and stop whining. The school board owes you nothing. If you spent as much time searching for a job instead of prolix crying, you'd be employed by now.

#3.1.1 Barrow County Newcomer on 06/27/10 at 08:54 AM [Reply]

Eb-
So you mean to tell me that Mr. Duplantis, who has probably been out of work for two months max would have a new job by now? In today's economy? Give me a break! You sir, have never had the pleasure of being laid off from a job. I was out of work for EIGHT months (and I have a Master's degree) before I finally landed a federal government job in Athens. I cried that fateful day that I was offered my current position. My husband and I were lucky to be able to live on his salary and still stay current on our $1200/month mortage. Others have not been so lucky Eb!

So I truly feel bad for Mr. Duplantis. I know what he is going through right now. I hope that everything works out for him and his family.

#3.1.2 Steve Duplantis on 06/27/10 at 11:32 AM [Reply]

Eb-
I am already employed, but I had to move out of Georgia to find employment. Destin, Florida to be exact. So why am I whining, Eb? Incompetency, Eb, that's why. It frustrates me to see tax dollars so wastefully spent and no one doing anything about it. I may be a voice crying in the wilderness, but hopefully a few will catch the message and truly look into how YOUR money is being spent. Most don't care. You'd better care, Eb or one day you will wake up to a pink slip and find the bank knocking at your door for a house payment you cannot afford. Wake up now Eb, wake up!

#3.1.2.1 Eb Scrooge on 06/27/10 at 04:17 PM [Reply]

My house is paid for, so there will never be anyone knocking at my door demanding money. I won't be getting a pink slip, either. So, both of your friendly 'warnings' are n/a to me. My advice to you is: Enjoy the beach at Destin and let Barrow county tend to its own business. IOW, shove a sock in your infantile bleat.

#4 perspective on 06/27/10 at 07:35 AM [Reply]

I haven't found sarcasm to be a helpful attitude in finding or keeping jobs, Steve, but maybe you can make it work for you.

Perhaps you are the only smart person in BCS, so how about you getting the education, skills, and experience and then acquire the job of your big boss. Then you can make budget cuts in accord with your brilliance.

The fact is your job was not needed.

You are not unintelligent. Put it to work in your favor. I wouldn't hire you with your attitude.

#4.1 Steve Duplantis on 06/27/10 at 11:18 AM [Reply]

Who are you, perspective? Are you afraid to let everyone know your real identity, that they might know how mean hearted you are? Afraid you might lose YOUR job maybe??

#4.2 Steve Duplantis on 06/27/10 at 11:43 AM [Reply]

Another question, perspective.

ELC was closed in the budget cut. The teachers were moved, which I know the teachers were needed to educate the kids. But what about the principal, admin, kitchen and custodial staffs? Were their jobs needed anymore? No they weren't! But where are they now, perspective? Their jobs were "re-assigned" and neither one had anymore education or experience than I did except for the principal. Only one lost their job, perspective. The higher paid ones are now working at the overstaffed PDC doing God knows what! And I'm the bad guy in this? You need to be held accountable for your incompetency, whoever you are!!!

#5 perspective on 06/28/10 at 07:25 AM [Reply]

Steve, I sympathize with you and your family, but if a prospective employer is reading all your stuff here, do you think you are helping or hurting your future job prospects?

You lost your job because it was not considered essential to BCS' mission. What others see his is that you continually blame others and gripe about things. Give that some thought before you go on your next job interview. I wouldn't hire you.

Most BC citizens don't know and don't care about the details of BCS budget decisions. I like what I see so far from the new superintendent.

Move on, my friend, move on. Goodbye, sir. I wish you well.

#5.1 Steve Duplantis on 06/29/10 at 02:56 AM [Reply]

You never answered my question--my job wasn't essential is all you said. What about a principal who is no longer needed? Her job is still essential? Or the staff mentioned in my previous response? Their jobs were still essential even though the jobs no longer existed? What gives? Answer that, perspective if you can.

#5.2 Steve Duplantis on 06/29/10 at 03:02 AM [Reply]

It's not enough that The BCBOE laid me off, but now I have to hear chastising from you for something that was not my fault. I am simply expressing my feelings over an unfair practice where I was the victim. You must have some inside knowledge of this to take up for the BCBOE as you are. Remember this, perspective, you too are expendable--remember that when your job is on the cutting block.

#5.2.1 red ryder on 06/29/10 at 08:37 PM [Reply]

Look, somebody's job was going to be cut. You got the short straw. I do not believe the school system would keep an inept employee over a more capable one, all things being equal.

If you cry for capitalism, this is the result. If you cry for socialism, go find a union to run to.

Man up, dude.

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LETTER: Thanks for nothing

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