Posted on 10/04/2002 12:04:04 AM PDT by SheLion
Edited on 05/26/2004 5:09:12 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
A top Housing Authority official has smoked himself out of an $80,000-a-year job.
After consulting with the mayor's office, Housing chairman Tino Hernandez yesterday ordered the immediate firing of Robert Swinton, the deputy director of the Office of Facility Planning, one of five employees spotted by a Post reporter last week in extended smoking sessions outside the agency's headquarters at 250 Broadway.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
More than one, I would say.
WOW, a non-smoker willing to work for low pay just to get HEALTH benefits.
Remember that somethings don't come acroos the same way in the written word as the spoken word.
I think you're both getting mixed messages from each other.
Marajade has a valid point about abuse of breaks for whatever reason. SheLion has just as valid a point in expressing her feelings about others more interested in what those around them are doing.
marajade, I think you over reacted by accusing SheLion of lying when she was just expressing a feeling/opinion about people keeping track of what everyone else is doing.
I understand where SheLion is coming from because I have worked with people like that and it does seem that lately that those type people have set their scopes strictly on the smokers that they themselves have forced outside.
The issues between smokers and anti-smokers** have gotten so blown out of proportion that many of us, including myself have a tendency to kneejerk reactions - and that will never solve anything.
**I use the term anti-smokers because they are the problem...in general non-smokers and smokers tend to work out their differences by courtesy and mutual respect.
As a general rule, you are correct. However, it has become a common occurance that even when smokers only take authorized breaks the anti-smoker busybodies start pitching a fit about it. Particularly when it comes to government (or percived to be) government employees.
several years ago when I still had an office in town - it was located in a private building between the AG's office and the court house. The amount of people that mistook it for the AG's office on a daily basis was ridiculous. I even had a sign on the door with arrows pointing to the state buildings.
One day a woman ignored the sign, walked into my office looking for someone and started screaming at me because I had a lit cigarette in the ashtray. After 10 minutes of politely trying to explain I was not in a state office nor was I a state employee I basically kicked her out by telling her to leave before I called the police.
10 minutes later she returned with an officer demanding that he issue me a summons for illegally smoking in a state office. Bless his heart - he finally got exasperated with her after 15 minutes of trying to explain it was not a state building - told her if she didn't leave me alone and leave the premises he would cite her for trespassing and harrassment.
The harrassment has gotten so out of hand that at times I don't blame people for being obstinent. and as long as their work is getting done, properly and on time - it's not stealing.
A friend of mine just applied for a position at a correctional facility here.
There is a hiring freeze in Delaware but the DOC is so understaffed that they are not being included.
But it is going to get worse - the warden just declared all tobacco to be banned by inmates and employees anywhere on the grounds - inside or out. All tobacco products will be contraband starting Friday. An employee that forgets and has cigarettes or snuff or chewing in pocket or purse can be subject to dismissal.
The guards are already threatening to quit. They tried it 10 years ago and the problems with the inmates were practically to the riot level.
Maine did that to the prison in this state. We have had 10 suicides since last spring.
Please reread what she said and what I said - she was expressing a feeling she was getting based upon your posts - you outright accused her of lying and wild accusations.
Accusations are different than expressing opinion/feeling.
What it shows is that the tyranny of the anti-smokers knows no bounds and they will not stop with the bans in government buildins - they have determined that private businesses are public places and those employees should be treated the same as government employees.
However, I do take issue with gov't workers taking unauthorized breaks and a 69 minute unauthorized break to me is a huge infraction.
How many times do I have to say I AGREE WITH YOU, before you will move on to the ramifications of what these utterly ridiculous bans are doing?
Probably not a bad idea.
I'm amazed at the number of anti-smokers who are expert in the taste of a dirty ashtray. Not one smoker I know has ever licked one.
And I assume anyone who stops just to chit-chat or daydream as well. Sounds right to me.
That's so funny. LOL!
I used to smoke More Menthol 120's. They lasted 10 minutes, tops.
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