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DR. J. ALVA SCRUGGSFRANK(LY) SPEAKING OR LETTER TO EDITOR 1804 MAYFAIR DRIVETALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32303PHONE&FAX (850)385-5750E-MAIL JSCRU5750 (at) AOL.COMWebsite ; http://franklyspeaking.info/
HAS FLORIDA PRIVATIZATION OF SERVICES NEGLECTED WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE; AND CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES.
About ten years have past sense I retired from The Florida State Department of Education. At that time there was really a Department of Education. But with the new administration and “Privatization of Services” DOE has take on a new meaning and a new mission. Some of the new processes in DOE are very surprising.
For example, On May 4, 2005 a former colleague, who was still working called and asked, “Dr. Scruggs, we have a problem. What are you going to do about it?” This was a common and familiar question when I was working. But now that I was retired, why was this coming to me and what was the problem. It seems that in the past few weeks approximately ten Florida State Employees (approximately eight Blacks and two whites) were dismissed under the same circumstances. Each employee was fired or dismissed in the same process and for the same stated reason. It seems that the dismissal process went like this,
· On the day of their dismissal they were accused of receiving “Phonographic mail” on their computers,
· Upon asking why they were dismissed they were informed that they did not need to be given a reason because they were classified as “Select Exempt Service (SES)” which means that they served at the pleasure of the Governor!
· On the same a state representative/agent was sent to their desk and escorted them to the office,
· They were at this time informed of that they were dismissed and escorted to the building door like a common criminal by State Security!
· Their possessions were collected by a state representative and brought to them out side the building.
Their dismissal letter was a one-line letter stating that they were dismissed for using the state computers for personal phonographic activities. In the past before “Privatizing and People First” there were procedures for employees to challenge discriminatory and unjust treatment. The State had administrative Procedures, ASFCME, State Civil Rights Commission, The Federal Civil Rights Commission, Suits In Civil Courts, etc. But these employees were informed that there were no procedures by which they could get a day in court or make their case before a group of their peers. The Present State Employment Office has been “Contracted” out to a Private Company not even located in the State of Florida. To further complicate this situation, these Employees found out that The Tallahassee Chapter of The NAACP was presently without leadership!
Where do Florida State Employees go to get violations of their Civil Rights and Liberties protected? Who do you sue for these violations? It seems that in the race to privatizing the rights of Florida’s citizens were sacrificed. When I was working one of the requirements for receiving Federal Funds was that the agencies had formal procedures for assuring “Equal Employment Opportunities!!”
Dr. J. Alva ScruggsLook Forward to Your Comments E-MAIL JSCRU5750 (at) AOL.COMWebsite ; http://franklyspeaking.info/