When you can't back up facts

[Aragarthiel]

There's an issue going on locally where the county coroner was arrested for refusing to do his job because the county is making him use his personal vehicle to respond to calls (he doesn't pick up bodies, funeral homes do that). He was actually offered three vehicles that the county already owned, but refused them all by pretty much saying, "I was actually looking around, how 'bout this new Caddy?" The county predictably said no.

This issue has been escalating for a couple of years, finally making it to the bigger local papers, where the response has been generally, "Just buy this man a vehicle, I wouldn't want to transport dead bodies in my own vehicle either!"

The problem is that the offer of three vehicles occurred at a county board meeting last year, and the only news report of that was in a very small local paper that doesn't have a website (just a blog that hasn't been updated since August) or even a reliable Facebook page (last updated in 2013). There's no way to find the article without actually owning a copy of that issue of the paper, so there's no way to prove that he's in the wrong, not the county. Even the bigger news stations and papers aren't printing this fact because they can't find proof of it.

This isn't the first time this has happened, this is just the most recent instance. I really wish these smaller papers would be more reliable about storing their articles, because by nature the smaller reader base means a higher percentage of their papers are going to be tossed out or used as bird cage lining. Most of their papers end up going to the local mom-and-pop stores, where the old ones sit in a bin for a few days until they have enough to take to the recycling center in the nearest town.

I'm tired of being told to prove something, then being called a liar because I can't come up with proof. /endrant

[Panacea]

If you make a claim, you have to support the claim with an offer of proof. That's how debate works.

Minutes of county commissioner meetings are public record. All you have to do is ask for a copy, you shouldn't even have to file an FOIA request. Then you can go through the minutes to find the proof you need.

[Aragarthiel]

I found them online but there are very few details, saying things like "So-and-so complained that his land is flooding because of improper drainage. Board member made a motion to get this problem fixed, Other Board Member seconded the motion." I went all the way back to when the issue first started and found where he made a request for a new car and the board said they'd see what they could do, but that was it. I suspect negotiations occurred in an off-the-record "executive session."

[Gravekeeper]

Honestly, I'm more curious as to the circumstances of him being *arrested* for refusing to do his job rather than simply fired. What the hell happened there?

[Aragarthiel]

I'll try to find a link, I think being an elected official probably has something to do with it.

Here you go: http://macon.13wmaz.com/news/news/29...-gets-arrested

The headline is misleading, he doesn't actually pick up bodies, but it explains why he was arrested.

[Gravekeeper]

I'll try to find a link, I think being an elected official probably has something to do with it.

Some more digging pulls up a much more relevant factoid: When he refused to respond to the call, the deputy coroner responded. So he fired the deputy coroner. That goes beyond "I'm not doing my job until you get me a new car" and straight into "Total dick" territory.

If the death was related to a potential criminal investigation all the more reason that yeah, he's going to get arrested. It looks like Georgia also has laws concerning professional misconduct of public employees / officials.

Still that's a really questionable to be an elected position.

Also looks like he tried to sue the city over it and the judge tossed out the case. He wanted more than just a vehicle too. He wanted a vehicle, an office, internet/fax service at his home and a monthly allowance for discretionary spending.

[Aragarthiel]

Yeah, I've been spending most of my research on that trying to find where he refused the three other vehicles. I saw where he asked for the other miscellaneous stuff, and I know that his funding had been cut but when there's nothing that can be done about it, you just have to deal with it. He's just acting like a kid who got his toys taken away and wants them back NAO.

I'm pretty sure I remember seeing somewhere he admitted that he only goes on a dozen or so calls every year. He doesn't need an office or special internet/fax service at home for that.

[Gravekeeper]

Yeah, I've been spending most of my research on that trying to find where he refused the three other vehicles.

Here is the lawsuit.

Here's the correspondence that led to it.

He was originally provided with a trailer to transport bodies ( so they were never actually in his personal vehicle ) as well as a car allowance. When they changed the pay structure, the car allowance was folded into his salary as a 30% pay increase.

He DID have an office in the sheriff's department, but the sheriff kicked him out when he threatened to sue the county. Which is the point where he demanded a new office and they provided one at the fire department HQ instead. Which he refused as it was not suitable for an "elected official" and wasn't "nice enough".

Then he changed his mind during the hearing and said he didn't need an office and his original office was fine. >.>

As for the car:

Plaintiff then told the Board "he needs a vehicle nice enough that he could comfort
individuals or family members of a decedent while on site. He stated a Cadillac would
be nice."

( This guy really is a dick )

Plaintiff also acknowledged that he had been and continues to perform his duties
"well" despite using his personal vehicle.

The Court has thoroughly searched the record and it has not found a single
instance where Plaintiff testified that he ever contaminated his vehicle with bodily
fluids from a corpse or even transported bodily fluids from a death scene in his
personal car. In fact, the Plaintiff failed to provide any evidence of any coroner in the
state (or country for that matter) that has suffered any negative effects at all through
contamination of a personal vehicle from bodily fluids. Thus, Plaintiff's concerns
over using his personal vehicle appear to be grossly overrated.

There is nothing about them offering him any other vehicles prior to this though. The county's stance on the matter is that they are not required to provide him with a vehicle to begin with.

[Aragarthiel]

I just saw this in your first link:

I can tell you now that I will not accept the office. It is not a secure
location, not fire proof...

He expected a fireproof building? Really? There's a difference between "meeting code" and "fireproof," he apparently doesn't understand that.

[Gravekeeper]

He expected a fireproof building? Really? There's a difference between "meeting code" and "fireproof," he apparently doesn't understand that.

Also, the not fireproof office in question is in the fire department's HQ for added irony. >.>

[Aragarthiel]

He's such a drama queen. Hubs and I agree that the deputy coroners would probably be better running in the next election, seeing that they continued doing their work as their boss threw a fit.

This whole situation is just so absurd. I have this little picture in my head of him throwing a childlike tantrum yelling "But I want it!"

[s_stabeler]

Also, the not fireproof office in question is in the fire department's HQ for added irony. >.>

I've read of both a fire station burning down- with the firefighters admitting how ironic it was- (the reason why they didn't use their own firefighting equipment to save their station is because they couldn't get it it IIRC) and seen a photo of a fire engine on fire. It is not necessarily going to help being in the fire department's HQ, and I CAN see another problem ( namely, noise- a fire station is rarely quiet)

seriously though, that coroner is an absolute dumbass. a) so the Coroner is elected. Big deal. It doesn't inherently deserve an office of a certain quality. (aside from the usual requirements for any office, anyway) Indeed, considering a coroner just rules on what the actual cause of death was, IIRC, all he really needs is a desk, and access to secure storage for his files.

[Aragarthiel]

a) so the Coroner is elected.

Was there supposed to be a "b)"?

[Jetfire]

As for getting the archives of local papers, maybe check the local libraries? Most of them should be doing newspaper archiving of their own, even if the paper itself isn't doing it for some reason.

[Aragarthiel]

I would, if I could get to the library. I figure that would be the best option, it's not really worth it at this point though.