■ 27 August 2009 | 5:00 AM
Politics on the payroll
The Pilot reported Aug. 22 that Sheriff Robert McCabe has hired Del. Paula Miller in his communications office. For the sheriff to make this hire when local, state and federal agencies are cutting budgets and reducing personnel demonstrates poor judgment and fiscal irresponsibility and apparent complicity among friends. The Norfolk City Council subsidizes the salaries in the Sheriff's Department so its employees can keep up with the cost of living. The city is in a hiring freeze. Yet the sheriff chooses to fill a position that does not appear to be critical.
According to McCabe, the position of legal counsel on the department's payroll was eliminated as a cost-cutting measure. With responsibility for the safety and health of thousands of inmates, the jail's mission would be better served by having in-house counsel than by a second communications position.
The position obviously is not essential. If it were, it would not have remained open, and unadvertised, for over a year.
The sheriff has stated that he spoke with Miller about the position in the past. Apparently she was still content with her comparable position with the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Department. McCabe obviously waited until moving into the position was both personally and politically convenient for Miller. Her personal circumstances are now such that that is the case.
The necessity of the position, the sheriff's lack of regard for the serious fiscal circumstances we currently face and the placement of Miller in the position should all be questioned. Accepting his rationale without question would be to accept and condone the perpetuation of Norfolk's 'friendship team.' If you have the right friends, you're automatically selected for the team.
Paul R. Riddick, Councilman
Norfolk City Council
COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Paul
As a native and long time tax payer in Norfolk- Homeowner and raised my family here. What on earth do we we have someone like Paul Riddick on our city council? He is a travisty and I hope we rid him from our city.
Other cities think we are a joke with him on board I agree. Why can't he be voted out? Look at his past and I can't belive that NO one has stopped him. I love Norfolk; however I don't like being laughed at.
Paula Miller is a wonderful person. Everyone knows that. Shame on you Mr. Riddick. Why don't you as a councilman;try just for once being nice.
Shenanigans
Councilman Riddick complaining about someone elses shenanigans is surely a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Paul only sees in "color".
Isn't this the same Paul Riddick that wanted to pay a murderer $90,000 per year to oversee the Police Department? I think his problem with Paula and the Sheriff is that they are of an incorrect hue.
I think Councilman Riddick..
is overall an embarrassment for the City of Norfolk, but on this issue, he has it right. This episode stinks to High Heaven, and reeks of typical political patronage. The original story said that this position was open for a year, but the Sherriff never advertised it, yet he maintained contact with Miller over that time period about the job. So it appears that he reserved it for her only. Sounds sort of like Tim Geithner and Obama, in that if one believes Obama, Geithner is the ONLY one on Earth who can handle the position. All sorts of folks out of work, yet, the Sherriff holds this job for this gal only, who happens to be an elected delegate from this area as well.
Like I said, this stinks..
"... it appears that he reserved it for her only. "
Unless you know exactly what took place, you are just assuming that you know something. That's fine, but consider how local government works, and this type of thing is rampant in BOTH parties.
If the TREASURER is a Republican and loses his bid for a new term, the incoming Democrat comes in and most often cleans house. After cleaning house, just about anyone the elected official wants to work for him or her, ends up working for him or her. And, the exact same thing happens the other way around. It's POLITICS, and that's how it is. It happens in any number of public held offices.
I happen to trust Paula Miller as much as I trust the next guy or gal, maybe a little more, actually. I don't believe she'd jeopardize her good standing to do something as terrible as you all seem to believe she's done.
It's POLITICS, and it ain't always pretty - it is what it is.
If you're content with..
the patronizing nature of it just being 'politics as usual', that's your business. But we don't have a situation here where someone came in an 'cleaned house' for their own 'political' reasons, we have a situation where questionable budget priorities are presented, and a job that wasn't deemed necessary to advertise, much less fill, only was when Ms. Miller finally made herself available. And my animus is as much towards the Sherriff as it is with her! Even the Pilot, who usually do everything possible to provide cover for their fellow Dems, couldn't let this one go by without commenting today. So I must know SOMETHING if they're commenting on the same thing for the same reasons!
OK? Hmmm?
Now that's funny!
"demonstrates poor judgment and fiscal irresponsibility and apparent complicity among friends."
You could insert "The Norfolk City Council" in front of that phrase. But that doesn't seem to bother you now does it Mr. Riddick?
This is the proverbal Pot calling the Kettle Black
Councilman Riddick stated that "demonstrates poor judgment and fiscal irresponsibility and apparent complicity among friends." Now councilman tell us all again how this doesn't discribe your antics to a tee and once again why we should believe anything you say anymore. This is just tooo funny to pass up, TRY AGAIN Conucilman.
The councilman makes a good case.
I am rarely in agreement with Councilman Riddick, but he has my support here. Finding a way to squeeze a hire through all the legal loopholes might make it technically legal, but it sure doesn't make it "right." Like we were once told, "It depends on what your definition of "is" is."
now that's high class!
Politics in Norfolk. Love it. Excuse me, Councilman, but did you think to include any facts in your letter, or should we be satisfied with your opinions?
Professional. Classy. Respectful. Everything we love about you, Councilman.