Monday, December 26, 2011

Charlotte Observer Takes Mayor Foxx and his Aide to Task Over Email Threat? Hardly



The Charlotte Observer's Board goes to press this morning with an editorial titled:

"Email threat deserves stern rebuke"

Which is mainly a rehashing of the Observer's reporting summed up with:

While Montross works for Foxx, she technically reports to City Manager Curt Walton. In an email to the Observer, Walton said he would not discuss an employee’s performance issues in public. He did say, however, that Montross “is an extremely talented employee that I look forward to working with for years to come.”

That seems to indicate that Montross will not be fired over this mistake. Fair enough - a singular error in judgment shouldn’t cost an otherwise valuable employee a job, unless that mistake is a whopper. Montross came close, in our opinion, and we hope the discipline she gets sends that message.


"...a singular error in judgment shouldn’t cost an otherwise valuable employee a job, unless that mistake is a whopper"

Oh come on Charlotte Observer this was hardly a "singular error" rather a pattern abuse that escalated over a period of weeks and this is certainly a "whopper", one that would even make the Burger King proud.

Rather than side with Curt Walton and the elitist clique that runs our City County Government you would think that the Editorial Board would close ranks with the taxpayers of Charlotte and stand, just once on the side of ethics and transparency?

Normally the Observer would be quick to publish the emails, but when it comes to Mayor Foxx nothing but silence. So where are the emails? Where are the copies of correspondence leading up to the "hell to pay" email? Where are the copies of the correspondence after the "hell to pay" email?
And where else has Mayor Foxx crossed the line with the help of his aide Tracy Montross?

In defense of Mayor Foxx, corporate travelers know that a Charlotte to China trip is a tough haul. Riding in coach/economy on such a flight is punishment no one should have to endure on a business trip. But if the rules say you ride coach then ride coach or don't go.

But those of us in the corporate world also know that with salary comes responsibility, the idea of "discipline" for a executive staff member is laughable. Ms. Montross should have resigned weeks ago.

Cedar's Take: The Charlotte City Council and Mayor's "Code of Ethics" (which is here) section 3.a clearly addresses the issue at hand, and the Mayor is clearly guilty of violating the code. The Charlotte City Council must vote to censure the Mayor. Which I would think would be a political road block to higher office.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

A rebuke? Please, if this had been a different party or someone with a different view the CO would have been demanding a resignation or them to be fired...

Anonymous said...

"In defense of Mayor Foxx, corporate travelers know that a Charlotte to China trip is a tough haul. Riding in coach/economy on such a flight is punishment no one should have to endure on a business trip."

Baloney, any rep on the taxpayers dime SHOULD be riding in coach with the rest of "the people". WHY should they get an upgrade? There was no need for this trip to begin with!

Anonymous said...

Montross is a cunt, she impossiable to deal with, if Foxx doesn't distance himself from her asap he's toast.

Curt Walton is a joke. The system is broken and they are bankrupting Charlotte in the process.

Anonymous said...

6:23 I think Cedar was speaking from past experience, I have to agree 14 hours in coach is pretty bad. Not much better in business class on some airlines.

I'm not sure where the money came from, but it doesn't matter since anyway they want to explain it, the cash linked to the Mayor still comes from taxpayers.

Love or Hate it this is the way Charlotte works, no wonder why small business owners have such a hard time getting city contracts, they don't have the bribe money to pay Foxx and Walton.

Anonymous said...

She should be fired, period, end of discussion.

That she had this entitled attitude for one second should disqualify her for this job.

And if Foxx tolerates this "teensy weensy mistake" for one second says more about the mans lack of integrity than we probably want to know.

And Curt Walton is running this City like some Mafia Don, "protecting" HIS corrupt people like some untouchable Lord of the Manor.

Bullshit......his day of reckoning is coming soon, all the many, many ways he has morally bankrupted this City will see the light of day.

The good guys will prevail.

Anonymous said...

I noticed that the Observer disabled comments on this story. Talk about duplicity. It has always amazed me that when a Republican gets caught doing this, the Observer demands resignations and a public flogging of the Mayor, I guess the Observer expects sort of behavior and misappropriation of public fund is expected of Democrats and their aids and let's it pass as just another event.

This woman is a professional political hack. This is what she does for a living. She gets things done by playing political hardball. I bet the Observer will not even cover the story when this budget is cut next year.

Anonymous said...

No question there is a double standard here. This lady needs to resign or be fired. But alas, as others suspect, this political hack has some dirt on folks or else she would have been gone. Wonder what else she has done?

Anonymous said...

With all of the layoffs at the Observer you can bet that many of their current staff members would love to land a city or county job. Why antagonize your best shot at another easy job with no accountability?

Anonymous said...

She sure fits in with the rest of the politicos and government employees in Charlotte.

This has become a way of doing business and operating in Charlotte.

Bully, intimidate, threaten, quid pro quo, abuse of power, failure to lead with ANY ethical standards at all.

Travel to China on an obvious Boondoggle and expect the people of the City to pay for you to sit your ass in Business or First Class? And then post photos on your Facebook sightseeing on the Great Wall?

The money spent on this trip could have been used to support local businesses. This is something else we don't seem to get.

ASK THE DNC HOW MANY LOCAL COMPANIES HAVE BEEN HIRED TO SUPPORT THE CONVENTION. ASK RODNEY AND CMPD TO PROVIDE A LIST OF BIDS AND LOCAL COMPANIES WITHOUT PRIOR TIES TO RODNEY THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES?

Ask Rodney to provide the documentation that is owed to the public.

This City has become so much more corrupt in the last few years than it has ever been.

Show me the tangible results from this "business" trip any time in the near or far future......

Rodney, Harry, Foxx, Curt, WTF??

Anonymous said...

This will have no negative impact on the mayor. He is black and that is political license to kill. In other words, get over it. He's toast? How ridiculous can you be?

Anonymous said...

Well, I will make it my personal mission to get this out in the public every chance I get!

The fact that he has not taken any real action on this proves to me he knew about it.

Anonymous said...

She didn't want to sit with the "unwashed" back in Peon Class?

Give me a freaking break......EXACTLY who does she think she is?

I will tell you, just another overpaid low level government employee with delusions of her own importance.....in Charlotte they are a dime a dozen.