To what extent can government-provided computers in government offices be used for non-government business, such as promoting a golf tournament fund-raiser?
Is it a big deal? Should it be a big deal? Shouldn't it be handled off-site, from a home computer, and only to home e-mail addresses of recipients? What official government purpose is served by promoting a golf tournament?
But it's not only the use of the computer equipment and e-mail system, it's the government employee's time - that time that the taxpayers are paying for? And then the on-duty time of possibly 400 employees to open the email!
Is it okay to promote a golf-outing fundraiser of a fraternal organization, set for this Friday, July 22, by using the computer and the communications system of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department? This golf outing and benefit for McHenry County Sheriff's Lodge 192 of the PB & PA (Police Benevolent and Protective Association) will be held at Plum Tree National Golf Course, located off U.S. 14 between Woodstock and Harvard.
The PB&PA is a fraternal organization of some deputies of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. Not all of them. There is a second fraternal organization, the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police), but they don't, as I hear it, enjoy the luxury of promotion via the Sheriff's Department computer and communication system.
The July 8, 2011, email from a Sheriff's Department employee at work (well, maybe during lunch time (12:07PM)) describes what recipients will get for their $90.00 - 18 holes of golf, range balls, lunch, dinner, chance to win a door prize, silent auction, 50/50, etc.
Q. Where will the money from the day go?
A. Help to "families who have fallen on financial hardship due to illnesses, house fires, loss of employment, etc."
The e-mail went to "Sheriff Staff" (is that all 400?); some retired former employees; cc's to law enforcement officers at other departments, such as Algonquin, Cary, Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove, Harvard, Hebron, Huntley, Island Lake, Johnsburg, Lake in the Hills, Lakemoor, Marengo, McCullom Lake, McHenry, MCCD, Oakwood Hills and Richmond. Other persons, elected and otherwise, also got a copy. (Didn't see Woodstock on the list.)
A Registration/Sponsorship form was attached. Is the golf outing planning being conducted in-house at MCSD; for example, maybe on "company" time? The email did refer recipients with questions to call home phone numbers of two persons, rather than their Department extensions. Thanks for small favors.
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
5 comments:
I would love for someone of your determination and ingenuity actually to explore these two groups a little Gus. I've always been curious since the FOP lodge you mention as the "other" group made some aggressive telemarketing calls to my house using the "McHenry Sheriff's" designation in its solicitation.
They stated they were going to buy bulletproof vests because the county wouldn't in thier telemarketing call to me.
When I dug around I was told that FOP lodge does not only not supply bullet proof vests but the leaders of this fundraising group aren't even Mchenry sheriff employees and don't let current deputies join. Seemed like a scam by a few local politicos at the time to me. I'm sure they raised a good amount from people who thought they were actually helping keep current deputies safe.
It sounds like the Police benevolent group that sent out this email at least represents the deputies they claim to.
That's funny, I too received calls only they said it was to pay for a K-9 for the Sheriff's Dept because they didn't have one. I learned they had TWO and saw that NO MONEY from the FOP was ever donated to the MCSO. They called themselves FOP #118. Deputies say it is a scam.
Then I was told by a deputy that membership in that FOP #118 group was by INVITATION only and the money collected paid for their retiree insurance and only a few were ACTIVE sheriff members. The FOP didn't really have a local lodge open to all deputies and the State Lodge handled contract issues. The fraternal doings were with the PB&PA which was open to all Sheriff Dept members. (deputies, corrections and civilian)
If you want to save your bashing of the PBPA and the FOP for a short time, I'm gathering information from both groups for articles; then you can bash away.
How about your comments directed to mis-use of government-owned property?
Yeah, let's get to the bottom of this outrageous misuse of the email addresses given to the county workers. Where will it end? Next thing you know you'll find somebody wearing safety glasses provided by the county while they read a newspaper or something. Can't have them wearing them out now, can we?
Seriously, I would like to see a side by side comparison of the treasuries of BOTH the FOP and PBPA along with just how, and to whom, the monies are distributed.
I too have received calls from the solicitors hired by the FOP lodge and have been told they're buying vests or funding the K-9 unit, etc. Show me where so much as a dime has been spent by the FOP on either endeavor. Then take a look at their figures for "insurance" for the organization. Their insurance expense is all the money going to pay the premiums of the retirees and has nothing at all to do with insurance premiums for the organization - with the amount I found paid out through Guidestar, the only way they would pay such premiums for a business risk would be if they were manufacturing nitroglycerin next to a school!
I could care less if they use a county or city computer as long as it is not for some political purpose and as far as I know the fraternal organizations are not political.
Since I didn't get the email my guess is that they are soliciting people to either donate or play in the golf games.
The Police Special Olympics or Police Torch Run are events they use the computers for and as far as I know there is nothing nefarious in that use.
Doesn't cost anyone anything. It's just an internet connection and a keyboard. You point out that it was probably done on a lunch break.
So my bottom line is BIG DEAL.
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