County Road Department

[oldfart]

M.MM-- That's like telling a dog with no teeth to bite somebody or telling someone who's being laid off to get mouthy with the boss so one could get shit-canned instead of laid off. As far as for the Road Boss, Ernie Lackey, being rude to the road crew I bet you would be hard pressed to find anybody down there that would say that to him, about him or even behind his back, and not for fear of having their ass fired or laid off, Ernie is a straight forward guy. You do it his way and that is the BOSS'S way. How many times does a person have to be told how to do something and then they sit around and gripe about it, "well that's not the way we used to do it?", then spew out hatred and discontent towards the road crew. It sounds like someone has it in for Lackey or the Road Department in general, almost as if they had worked there and are unable to work there again. M.MM, keep stirring the pot. Keep reading the paper and the forum "fishing" for something else to bitch about!!

MR. KSHillbillys

Ok, I'm trying to set part of this right. Mr. Ks Hillbilly, I am not M.MM, my sign on name as you can read is oldfart. The rest of you might want to know, I am Jim Morrow, aka Fish. Now then, I've been accused by some members of the road crew as being M.MM. Nope, its not me. Let's start with the comment, "Laying off the road crew is one of the stupidest ideas i've ever heard." There were 2 of us laid off in Sept., remember? Are you getting worried? 
Ok, now for the spewing hatred and discontent for the road crew, still not me.  If you have something to say that you know for certain that I said let's hear it.
Your opinion of Mr. Lackie and mine are far apart. I consider him to be a verbally abusive person who if you voice your opinions that are different than his there goes your job. Yes, I probably would be hard pressed to find someone that calls it like it is because you would lose your job just as I did. I voiced my opinion about cutting the crowns out of the road because I didn't feel that would help maintain the roads correctly. I might be wrong, but from the sound of the comments... As for sitting around and griping, I was out working. I voiced my opinion and was taken out of the blade and put in the mower.
Now then, M.MM, don't know who you are but I think you have alot of facts right and are saying things that need to be said.

[M.MM]

R. Shackelford,maybe with all the wet weather, that crane has been fixed and is ready to use on that 1 job. And it's great that brush is getting taken care of too, surely all equipment is in tiptop shape with all the maintenance time because of wet weather.
Jarhead and Peanut, of course I wasn't serious about laying off the whole road crew, get real! That was said out of frustration with the road situation, which goes back to what I believe as a basis of how you maintain the roads to begin with is to how they hold up in a wet winter as we've had.
Mr. KsHillbilly, believe what you may about the verbal abuse that has been used at times on a road crew employee, Oldfart just confirmed it! Freedom of speech is my American taxpaying right, just as it is yours, and I have visited with a few of the road employees, some of whom still ARE employeed, to get my facts right.
A boss should be willing to listen to his crew and take into consideration their views and ideas on things, and if he feels they are wrong, then explain to them why they are wrong and get things settled then and there. I know there were some, at the time that 2 got laid off, that were afraid they were next for one reason or another. Maybe they have been beaten down to do what they are told, with no discussion, or they too will lose their job. Kind of like a puppet on a string, someone controling you!
NOT how an employee-boss relationship should be! You get NO respect that way! They should work together to best suit our counties needs money wise, one person can't be right ALL the time.
Angtown3, so glad you have a truck to drive to work, but some rural folks are not that fortunate, as I told about earlier of an elderly lady living on Rock road. I pray every day that no rural person has a medical emergency or fire, as it could be a real disaster for them with the roads in this shape.
I will continue to get up earlier to make my way over these disastrous roads to get to work myself on time. I know eventually they will get fixed, but will it be the right way so the next rain don't turn them into the disaster they are now? Spring is just around the corner, what a scary thought for the road situation!! You all have a nice evening, and you working road crew members, thanks for all your dedication under your circumstances.

[M.MM]

And to set the record straight on my end, I have never worked for the county, nor do I plan to in the future. Im just a concerned elk county citizen....................

[oldfart]

by the way ks hillbilly is a county road employee

[Wilma]

If that elderly lady living on Rock Road is who I think it is, you'd better not let her hear you call her that.

[kshillbillys]

by the way ks hillbilly is a county road employee

And I've NEVER hidden the fact that I am....

[M.MM]

OK, so kshillbilly is a county employee, but I have no idea who he is, doesn't matter. Just wondered how long you have worked for the county and if you feel that the 2 laid off employees were treated fairly on being told they were on a temporary layoff?

[R.Shackelford]

As for the roads not draining;  how can snow melt drain off the roads when the piled up snow is blocking the ditches?  The crews could have left the snow on the road to melt and everybody would have something different to bitch about.  Remember how much snow we have had?  Remember how our crews spent Christmas Day clearing the roads?  Memories are too short.

You're right Wilma, memories are short.  For example, a person reads a manual that states in order for a pothole to be fixed it must first be cut out, the road reshaped, then and only then should new gravel be laid down.  That same person then goes out and simply blades over the pothole and then calls for a load of rock.
As far as snow removal goes, yes, they did a good job, and kudos to them for it.  However, that doesn't excuse the rest of the conditions of our roads.

I can't say my roads are the best, but really doesn't bother me to much...   I think we want champagne on beer money, all the way around the county!!

Speaking of champagne on a beer budget...would that be anything like purchasing a new 4x4 pickup for the roadboss, when the one he has is perfectly fine?

Sorry, but no one, and I mean no one is getting ahead right now.  Times are tough!  Do you think it would really be right to ask someone to take a lay off till weather straightens out, then when it does "Oh, we can use you now"!  Bad idea!  For one, put yourselfs in that person's, the road crews shoes!!  They, and the county do try.  So, budget doesn't allow for things, I am sorry I live with it.  

Do you really thin it is right to pay someone to drive around all day in a pickup "checking roads" just so they look busy?  All over the country States and Counties are having to tighten their belts, why should we be any different?  Is it really right to use taxpayer money to pay someone to basically do nothing?  
Tulsa PD is having to furlough officers, so is their Fire Dept., we are closing down two schools because we can't afford to maintain them, you're right times are tough.  

I just think you need to think of others to.  What do you do for a job?  Would you like it if someone layed you off or constantly complained about you??  When you were working hard?  Sorry, but I think that thinking of others is also not being done in this situation.  I am sure by the time summer gets here things, roads, will get better.

If I am doing a bad job I would want someone to point out where I need improvement.  Thinking of others is fine, but you have to look at the overall picture, not just one detail.  The county cannot continue to spend money without showing benefit.  Right now the road dept. is in a bit of a catch 22.  They have to fix the major problem spots, and theres a lot of them.  But by doing so, they're wasting rock money because the road isn't ready for rock.  It isn't completely the current crews fault, this problem is years in the making.  However, if the county continues with business as usual the problem will only get bigger.


As for who is an employee and who isn't...fwhat difference does it make, this is a public forum, and everyone has the right to voice their opinion.

[kshillbillys]

Hey Cybil...I mean Shackelford...How many voices are telling you what to do today? I know who you are son and you are on my list!!!

[M.MM]

Wilma, the lady I refered to on rock road is a friend of mine, and it's a shame she has to do so much driving out of the way or to another county to do her shopping.
A couple points to ponder, wonder if the road boss should consider putting up danger ahead signs on the roads where the places are not travelable by car before someone gets seriously hurt? They could be taken down as the places get fixed.
And, wonder if the county would consider doing a "cash for 4x4" for rural people who have only cars to travel these roads with?