This weekend will be the 'One Year Anniversary of the 2009 Labor Day Weekend Courthouse Cat Burglary'. To refresh the memories of our readers, this was the weekend when a group of Matt Penning's citizen volunteers performed clean-up and renovation work at the Gasconade County Courthouse.
Ah yes! I can still remember the wonderful aroma of Matt's succulent barbeque pork steaks and world famous German potato salad which Matt served the volunteers for lunch .... at his own personal expense. My mouth waters just thinking about that fine lunch!
A lot of much needed work was accomplished by the citizen volunteers on Saturday, 9/5/2009, and a good time was had by all participants. Unfortunately a cloud of suspicion was cast over the entire group when a certain county official reported that her office may have been broken into over that same weekend. The word soon spread like wildfire among courthouse employees that, upon arriving back to work on the Tuesday after the Labor Day weekend, she found one of her office windows opened, papers disturbed and her radio dial turned to a rock n' roll station. The citizen cleaning volunteers came under immediate suspicion. Their public service had gone unappreciated, and on top of that, they had all
become targets of suspicion!
Although accusations were insinuated and rumored, nothing was ever officially reported to local, state or federal authorities. A trial was never conducted. But the good names and personal reputations of the citizen volunteers were never fully restored. No apologies have ever been offered by the county official who made the insinuations and started the false rumors. An email was sent to her requesting such apology last September but she publicly denied having ever received the email request.
The unfounded accusations did, however, serve one purpose, intended or otherwise. The false accusations have been effective in dissuading Penning's cleaning volunteers from doing any further work at the courthouse. For 52 consecutive weekends now, no citizen volunteers have been organized to perform cleaning, maintenance or renovation work at the county courthouse. The citizen volunteer efforts were not appreciated by some of the very people they were intended to help, and volunteers don't continue to volunteer when their efforts are not appreciated!
I believe this is a downright shame! Much needed work has gone undone at the county courthouse during he past year. And the lieing county official has not yet been called to atone for the harm she has done.
Isn't there some person on the payroll of the County who is supposed to be doing the work that Penning's do-gooders tried to do? If so, stop beating your head against the wall and demand that this person do their job! I've seen this guy in action - leaning on a broom, gossiping, watching to see who comes and goes at the courthouse, etc. He has all the umph of a limp noodle! Maybe it's time to find someone who can actually work - especially if they're getting PAID to do so. Nothing against you guys, but why should citizens have to volunteer to do work that someone is being paid to do. Sort of like people having to mow the grader ditches instead of MoDot doing their job! There's a story for you - why is MoDot a bunch of lay on their a@@es do nothings. We should demand they take care of the roadways. Maybe an editorial about that would be helpful and it would take you mind off the Courthouse issue for a while. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTell ya what, you have a bone to pick with the guy, why don't you go directly to him and the employees at the courthouse and make your concerns known to everyone in person and up close? See how that goes for you!
ReplyDeleteI will give you a little hint......the person you are speaking bad of was undergoing heart bypass surgery last year at this time Einstein!
The problem is the employee you are talking about has never worked a hard day in his life and never will. He doesn't know what hard work is and this was when he had a good heart, so I'm sure it's a lot worse now, if that is possible.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Janitor, if he cannot do the job, get someone who can. Also, as to the office business... It's legally questionable, to have private citizens messing around in Government offices, filled with private files and information! Not to mention, what are the Insurance risks and damage possibilities, if some Citizen Worker took a tumble down the stairs while doing this work? Were Legal disclaimers filled out, to protect the county from any legal or monetary damages should an accident occur? With the Sue Happy attitude that seems be hang around the Courthouse these days, it would seem a common sense, as well as mandatory requirement!
ReplyDeleteYou both have good points! My question is why does the Gasconade County Courthouse have to remain so filthy? Go look for yourselfs, the only clean rooms are cleaned by the people who work in them. They need to be thanked for doing the only work being done! Walk around outside, it will make you sick,uncut weeds no landscaping, grass if you can call it grass, poorly cut. The first thing you'll say we don't have the money, BULLCRAP! One thousand dollars a year is not a budget it's a shame. I've traveled to many of the county seats in the state which have old and small courthouses, they are clean and well maintained. A lot of these countys don't have a lot of money but they do have pride! E.G.
ReplyDelete