Do you think Gasconade County elected officials and employees should be permitted to use county owned computers (or any county asset) for a personal business purpose? Do you think county officials and employees should be allowed to use their time at work, time for which the taxpayer pays, to conduct personal business with or wthout the aid of county computers or any other county asset? Do you think the county has written policies regarding the use of county assets such as computers and telephones?
Recently a loyal, long-time HH reader provided us six (6) emails which he has received over the course of the past several months. These non-business related emails were sent out to a personal distribution list by a certain elected Gasconade County official during regular office work hours. Our source, who prefers that his identity not be revealed at this time, received the emails when they were
forwarded to him by a person who was on the original distribution list. He is very upset about this and has taken these same emails to his elected county representative for further investigation into the matter. Because the investigation is ongoing, we are honoring our source's request that his name and the name of the county official accused of improperly using county computers not be used in this report at this time. Our source, whom we shall hereafter refer to by his code name "Mongoose", has independently confirmed to us that the author of these personal emails is in fact an elected Gasconade County official. We have verified that this is in fact the case.
We have on file copies of the emails which we can independently confirm and attest are definitely of a personal nature as alleged by "Mongoose" and not of a county business nature. The dates and times that the emails were sent out are as follows:
1. Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:29:59
(Subject: Republican Pachyderm Club, Lincoln Day Flier)
2. Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 11:56:41
(Subject: Article "Organizing Kids for Barack Obama")
3. Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:44:18
(Subject: Article "After America , There is No Place to Go")
4. Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:44:32
(Subject: Article "Barack Obama Has Awakened a Sleeping Nation")
5. Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 08:25:21
(Subject: Food Nutrition Chart)
6. Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:18:11
(Subject: Article "British Press Report on Obama's G-20 Summit Meeting Trip")
As you can see from the date/time stamps of the emails which were sent out by the county official, all emails were sent during the regular office hours of the Gasconade County offices at the Gasconade County Courthouse. None were mailed out on "personal time", i.e. on weekends or at times prior to 8:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m.
We will keep you updated as the investigation procedes.
Jimmy Oldsun
NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor
http://www.hermannhearsay.blogspot.com/
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WOW! Now this is truly "investigative journalism"! Woodward and Bernstein don't have anything on you, Jimmy! Good work!
ReplyDeleteThurston Howell III
Don't see a huge problem.....there's always "down time" and breaks, lunch, before/after work time. Most are likely emails forwarded to them and then forwarded on to his/her friends. Haven't worked anywhere since 2000 that this doesn't occur to some extent and most employers would rather have this than phone calls/texting.
ReplyDeleteNo big deal.....happens everywhere since computers/internet. As long as it's not porn sites, etc., most employers would rather have this than phone calls/texting. Every job has down time, breaks, lunch, etc.....
ReplyDeleteIt might be a big deal if it's political in nature! Martin.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments! You can be sure that Hermann Hearsay will dig deeper. Our source
ReplyDelete'Mongoose' has been very helpful.
The questions which need to be asked and which we are asking are:
1. Is this just the "tip of the iceberg"? Is there more? How much time is being spent doing personal business vs. the county's business? What internet websites are being accessed from county owned computers during taxpayer paid time?
2. If emails which are generally of a political nature are being forwarded during county paid time, does this constitute a violation of the Missouri Ethics Rules?
3. Does Gasconade County have written policies which instruct employees regarding the proper use of county assets including computers?
4. What legitimate and needed work is not getting done while county employees spend time on their own personal business?
Jimmy Oldsun
Editor
Jimmy,
ReplyDeleteI checked with CNL, HermannNews.com and HermannAdvertiserCourier.com to see if they have picked up on this developing story. Nothing yet.
Stay on it, Jimmy!
Oliver T. Shagnasty
Who is this "Mongoose" character? Does he have an axe to grind?
ReplyDeleteBen Dover
This sounds like the Watergate investigation! 'Mongoose' and 'Deepthoat'! Where is 'Mongoose' leading you? What is the end game?
ReplyDeleteChief Inspector Jacques Clouseau
Jimmy,
ReplyDeleteBe careful! Don't get in over your head!
Elmer
I wonder what a "browsing history investigation" would yield on this county official's computer?
ReplyDeleteHarvey H.
Maybe catwoman can find out what really happened during the phoney breakin. Someone might have tried to cover up their trail! Martin....P.S. I'd like to see more of her!! On the job I mean.
ReplyDeleteFollow your nose like a beagle hound, Jimmy my boy!
ReplyDeleteElmer
With all the recent budget cuts, I'm surprised to learn that they still have computers in the county offices!
ReplyDeleteA. E. Newman
Bland, MO
Jeff Noedel and Dave Marner need to jump all over this story!
ReplyDeleteHenrietta Hornschwagel
Let me know if you need me to help with the investigation, Jimmy!
ReplyDeleteSheriff Buford T. Justice