I Hate To Say I Told You So, But I Did

There’s an old saying that goes “it ain’t over till it’s over.”  This ADA mess is just about over, but I thought I’d put a face on the lives that you didn’t see affected and what this was all about.

I have been writing about this for years and I told you so.  I said the county was wrong and it would cost those millions because of Fred Homan, the one everyone thought was the county’s money savior and watch dog, but in fact was the devil in disguise.

Now back to the real people whose Homan’s policies impacted?  You have 18 years on the job (two away from retirement) and one night you’re investigating a crash involving a DUI.  While doing your job, suddenly you’re struck by another drunk driver and you find yourself in Shock Trauma where they are fighting to save your leg.  Suddenly you realize this is just the beginning of the struggle.  The road to a possible recovery will be a long and painful one.

Then one day you get a phone call that you’re no longer a cop and forced out about the same time you’re getting some bad news on the condition of your leg.  The officer in question who will remain unnamed went to HR (Human Resources) and pleaded for help.  He actually cried about his pending fate.  It meant nothing, not a thing. The decision was made – he was out the door!

According to a reliable source Fred Homan allegedly said, after ordering the officer retired and off of the force, “Let the state and Workers Comp take of him.”  After that I heard no more about the officer.

I’ve written about my personal situation enough but I recall getting a haircut one day and meeting a woman who was a 911 operator.  After we were introduced and realized we both had something in common regarding the county, she told me about her experiences.

She told me she was diabetic and often cried either before going to or at work and I asked her why.  She told me they were trying to force her out going after her every day.   It became a nightmare.  She told me about one of the male operators who had just returned from bypass surgery (one of the most common operations performed) and they escorted him out the door saying he was retired after 19 years.   I said you’re not cops why are they messing with you?  Then after a moment of thought I figured it out.  Like a cancer it was spreading.   First the cops and firefighters were targeted then the 911 workers.   Like a disease it was spreading just like I told Cole Weston of the FOP.  Homan won’t stop until he’s stopped.  Anyone who represented a possible workers comp issue was a fiscal liability and Homan wanted them out.

Then there was a young K-9 officer who broke his back while chasing a burglar over some fences behind the homes the burglar was robbing.   The officer fell and broke his back.  He only had a few years on the job along with a wife and small children.  He had become a Homan victim and he to also begged for help from HR with – no dice!

Now isn’t funny that when Homan had his serious accident falling off a horse, the county closed all the doors and mum was the word.  Not a peep on his condition (another blog on this one) and how all of a sudden the rules changed.  Now all of a sudden it’s rally around the wagons for a good ole boy.

I wonder how many back to work physicals he had to undergo before returning to work.

Now you see the human side of these types of cases.  Just so it’s clear, I was not involved in any litigation regarding these cases.  I even offered to drop my Worker’s Comp case at the time and Ms. Burger’s  (county attorney) tart answer was” no we don’t do business that way!“ At the time I did not know Ms. Burger was involved with Mr. Homan.

The truly sad part about this entire matter and there are more cases pending, was that the county (Mr. Homan among others) were told repeatedly not only by their own Humane Resources, but also by the EEOC this was wrong, but when there is a complete lack of leadership within the administration this is the result and the final tab ain’t paid yet.

If Mr. Kamenetz doesn’t get his act together and take the bull by the horns, there may not be a sequel to this one.