First, I must apologize for taking a while to write this second part. I have been awaiting information and some records via KORA (Kentucky Open Records Act) info. While Kentucky Open Records Law makes information avalable they don't make it easy. It does take awhile to sift through the info as well.
I said in the first part of this series I would talk about IPL inspector Michael Baugh next. This issue will deal with Inspector Michael Baugh and one question:
Why is this guy still an IPL inspector?
Upon receiving Mr. Baugh's personnel file through the KORA it is obvious Mr. Baugh has a serious problem in dealing with the public at large. He has been disciplined repeatedly since at least 1994 for conduct unbecoming and his behavior towards the public at large. Complaints from homeowners, letters, phone calls, etc because of his abrasive and unprofessional behavior have been an ongoing way of life for Mr. Baugh at IPL.
As a matter of fact the disciplinary offenses include everything from conduct unbecoming, failure to follow bosses orders, and the most obvious discourteous, impolite, and disrespectful with the general public. According to his file records he was ORDERED to alter his approach when dealing with citizens as early as 1998. Yes I know this predates merger but it shows just how long this abusive behavior has been going on from Mr. Baugh.
Finally by 2003 it was recommended he be reassigned to office work due to his communication failures. So what happened with the recommendation?
Apparently it was ignored since Michael Baugh continues to do inspections and deals with the public at large today 5 years later.
This has been a pattern of behavior by Michael Baugh since at least 1994. He has been reprimanded over and over and yet still allowed to continue harassing the public at large.
How is this possible? Good question. I mean seriously this guy in July of 2003 was found in violation of 3 IPL RULES ON HIS OWN HOME!
Additionally he was found in violation of IPL RULES ON HIS OWN HOME again in April of 2007!
If he doesn't even know he is in violation on his own home we trust him to inspect ours and say we are? If he does know then his arrogance means he feels he can do whatever he wants and has in many instances. We need these people doing this job huh?
Also after securing cell phone records his minute usage averages about 1800 minutes per month. This would include personal calls as well. Of course the City plan only allows for 1000 minutes so the other 800 minutes are billed at 45 cents per minute. This equates to roughly an additional $360.00 per month we the taxpayers are paying for.
According to the signed Metro agreement by Michael Baugh, and all others on a Metro cell phone, all personal calls are to be monetarily reimbursed to the City. Are the overages being reimbursed as agreed in writing? If he isn't paying for personal calls at the same 45 cent rate the City pays how much are we wasting in this City on personal calls? Since one reprimand concerned spending too much time on the phone not conducting business I found it relevant to seek phone records.
On a sidenote, I know this Mayor cannot understand communications, or fund them appropriately, but can we not get a better deal on cell phones? I mean mine is all inclusive unlimited everything for less than $100 a month. The overage alone on Michael Baugh's phone is more than triple that!
In all fairness though Michael Baugh is not alone in the phone overages I am sure. He just happens to be part of the problem with IPL and one part of my investigation. And do not forget that he apparently has a great rapport with District 14 Metro Councilman Bob Henderson. This was reported on back in April in the LEO by Rick Redding of www.thevillevoice.com.
I mean it was kind of obvious since Redding was doing a story on me and my fight for the people of District 14 during the primary and Michael Baugh just "happened" to show up at lunch with Bob Henderson and basically verified the quotas I told Rick about. Even Henderson admitted Baugh was "aggressive" in that article. That is putting it mildly based on records.
It is time we started becoming aware of what our leadership is doing and allowing. Michael Baugh is a prime example of some seeming sense of power gone wrong. He has been allowed to continue in his capacity harassing the publci at large and has declared even recently that when he is on your property "I am God when I am here."
No power trip in that statement huh.
Based on his personnel records over a period of years, from at least 1994 to present day, it seems he might actually believe that. According to records his behavior has not only been unacceptable to us but to his bosses as well. Yet they have continued to allow him to remain in the capacity of inspector and dealing with the public. One thing is for sure.
This type of abusive behavior cannot continue unchallenged by the office of Code enforcement or any level of government at Metro.
In previous articles you have read where I have singled out John Flood, Bill Schreck, and even Abramson for abuses by Code enforcement. This further illustrates just how willing they are to allow abuse to continue at the expense of the citizens they represent. This information was based on public accessible open records and many anonymous calls. I still get anonymous calls over this and I am asked to keep them anonymous because my sources will lose their job or be severely reprimanded for speaking out.
It is obvious to me based on my research that these inspectors work in a hostile work environment and there are legal remedies available to force these so called "leaders," and I use the term loosely, to straighten up and quit harassing those that work for them for exercising their freedom of speech. Every workplace has rules and behavior that is acceptable or not including Metro Government as an employer.
For those that continue wanting to remain anonymous I will as always respect that.
We often hear of working toward change today during this Presidential election season. I have spoken for the need to change for quite some time. During my Mayoral campaign in 2006 I promised there would be change one way or the other.
It starts with one voice and it grows from there. And believe me based on the number of people who read this site we are definitely growing. And by the way the person that hacked into my comp?
Really that isn't going to stop me. More on that for you readers later.
I urge each of you to get involved and help us all get the change we need and stop the stranglehold and abuse we continue to endure from our officials. No it will not be easy and it is hard to stand up sometimes but it is necessary to effect change in many ways.
WE THE PEOPLE is where it all starts and I ask that each of you remember that WE THE PEOPLE have the power to change anything. We do not need to live in fear of our government they work for us.
Abusive corrupted power is not Democrat or Republican. It is a mindset that knows no boundaries nor is it divided amongst party lines.
Stand tall and stand proud. :-)
As always I can be contacted at the following:
contact me
or via phone at (502)742-8519
Keep the calls coming from every level and office at Metro. I appreciate them all and will continue fighting for us all.
Let's see what we can do together to improve your workplace and our communities at every level. As always it will be confidential if you want.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
8 comments:
Thank you for reading LNP. Open and honest discussions of local politics and relevant issues is important to voter understanding. Please listen to the "Ed Springston Show". We broadcast Monday through Thursday evenings at 7 PM on local media outlets. Please check for the links.
Yours truly,
Ed Springston
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You read that right. Welcome to today's liberal utopia where anarchy reigns supreme. There has been an orchestrated, well funded, well o...
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I was recently asked by some sportsmen why the Jim Strader Hunting and Fishing expo was not being held this year. Though I am an avid gun ri...
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Rick Redding over at thevillevoice has been following the Southern Belles occassionally this season and posted his last (according to him) p...
Nope, neither arrogance or incompetence isn’t party specific.
ReplyDeleteGreat work Ed! There is a whole lot more of the IPL story yet to be revealed. Schreck is on a rant and now wants to increase the quotas. If you fail to make your quota he now requires you to ride with Michael Baugh for "mentoring" to improve your performance.
ReplyDeletehow did you come to be so expert in the matters of code enforcement?
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's a little over the top, but what the hey:
ReplyDelete1800 minutes works out to 30 hours per month on the phone. If he's not working while he is yakking, that's almost a week's worth of work being lost to jaw-jawing
If he makes $50K a year in wages and benefits, he's costing $750 a month in lost productivity or about $37,500 per year. PLUS the un-reimbursed calls.
I guess he makes up for it by exceeding that quota on citations...
BTW, I think the guy who keeps pestering you about your code inspection qualifications is, in fact, MICHAEL BAUGH!!! LOL
Mr. Baugh also visited me recently. I happened to catch him in my yard as I arrived home early from work one afternoon. What was he doing in my yard? He was actually STEALING a sign that I allowed a home improvement company to place there because they were doing some work for me on my home. The sign had only been there for 2 days. Even though he saw me pull into the driveway (he was parked next door), and looked me right in the eye while he removed my sign, he continued to carry my sign away, and actually put it in the trunk of his government vehicle without saying so much as a word to me. After choking back the soldier inside of me that demanded he pay with his head for his audacity, I approached him to question him. I asked him if the sign was illegal, and he said yes. I asked him if it was legal for him to take my property without talking to me first, he said yes. At this point, he pulled a piece of pre-printed green paper out of his shirt pocket and circled the part about parking in the grass, and threatened to fine me 100$ should he return and see (my fiance's car) it there again. Then he warned me that my grass was too long in "places". To which I replied that it had been raining for several weeks in Louisville, and like any normal person, I will mow my grass on the weekends, when it is not raining. At that point, Michael Baugh actually told me to get an umbrella and mow it in the rain. You believe that? I decided to walk away at that point before I got myself into trouble. He proceded to walk around my neighbor's property for a bit, writing things down. Then he went to harrass the guy that lives across the road for a bit (who was holding a small child in the 95 degree heat while Mr. Baugh berated him), and afterward, he moved 3 houses down and went to harrass someone else. After considering what had just happened, I called the police to report him for trespassing and stealing. The police said there was nothing they could do, and I had to call the code enforcement office. After leaving several days' worth of messages for them, they finally called me back. The lady at the code enforcement office was actually very polite to me on the phone, and informed me that the sign was allowed to be in my yard while the work was being performed, and not to exceed a time period of 30 days, and to be promptly removed when the work was finished. So, I requested that she have Mr. Baugh contact me to arrange a time for him to bring my sign back to me, she agreed. When he called me back, I informed him of what his office had told me. To which he simply replied "There is no more sign, I throw away all the signs I confiscate." So, I told him that he had no right to steal my property off of my land without my approval. He started talking again... "Actually, I have every right to do...." I never let him finish his sentence. I informed him that I was a veteran of 2 wars, and the next time I caught him on my property, he would likely be mistaken for the enemy and shot in the face (insert descriptive language). Then, I hung up before he had a chance to enrage me further.
ReplyDeleteSeriously? Honestly? I have to give up 25% of my wages in taxes so I can actually PAY this guy to come harrass me on my own property?
That's not just outrageous, it's corruption writ LARGE. It seems fairly obvious that the city's budget shortfall this year is forcing the metro "gub'ment" to extort the very people it is supposed to serve.
I actually provided service to this country (and will forever wear the scars to prove it), and now that my service is finished, I ask nothing more than to have my small piece of American back yard, and live in peace to start a family. For someone like this to be able to do whatever he likes on my property, whenever he wants, and then to call it a "SERVICE" to the people is not only disgusting and outrageous, it makes me ashamed of my government, and ashamed to be a citizen of this city.
anonymous contact me at the info on the right hand side of this website. I may be able to help.
ReplyDeleteSure thing, I sent you an email.
ReplyDeleteAs for those stolen signs I saw some of them cobbled together in Mike Baugh's back yard, they were put together with the white backs facing out to create wind socks on his homemade wind generator and I have a photo of it and he will get to see it when the time is right. The device was down several months later?? Must not be enough hot air blowing in his back yard to generate anything.
ReplyDelete