Friday, February 26, 2010

More Letters from Bob

I don't get no vacations days!


The following set of correspondence is a continuation of the questions I put to Bob Ziegelbauer under the original topic "Letters from Bob".


In speaking before the County Board last Tuesday night he offered the "speculation" that he had been in Florida on vacation and so was not in the office when Sharon Cornils submitted her memo on the illegality of Triple P's employment agency contract at the Manitowoc Ice Center.

Note in particular his parsing of the concept of "vacation days".
He states in absolute terms: "I [...] do not have vacation days here." Yet does in fact take vacations and easily recalls them when it suits his purposes.

Your vacation days at County

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 7:40 AM
From:
To:
bobziegelbauer@co.manitowoc.wi.us
Cc:
eholman@htrnews.com, sreed@htrnews.com

I attended the County Board meeting last night and listened with great interest to your explanations of the recent MCIC situation.

One thing caught my attention more than anything else.

You made the statement that you were not copied on Ms. Cornils memo and that you were on vacation at the time so were not able to be informed about the matter.

However, on January 25th we exchanged a series of emails regarding my attempt to document your absentee rate for your County position.  In one of those emails you denied that you took any vacation days. (see full text below).

In fact, you appeared to deny that any such records of vacation or other even existed.  Since you were able to sight a particular date on which you claim to have been on vacation it would appear that now some form of record does in fact exist.

How do you explain the apparent discrepancy?

Bernard J. Starzewski
Manitowoc

Re:Re:Re sent Mon. Jan 25 12:52 PM
Sir,

I have not made any assertions at all about the Coroner of any sort and certainly no personal attacks on you.

My understanding is that Manitowoc County does not keep attendance records of the elected officials.
I do not keep any, and do not have any sick leave,vacation days, or personal days here.

It would be fair to assume that any days that I am not in Madison working, I am here working; and that because of the productivity of all of our modern technology I am able to be in contact with both offices constantly as needed to do my job virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I think we've covered this.
Thanks


Re: Your vacation days at County

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 7:48 AM
From:
To:
"Bernard Starzewski"
The apparent discrepancy is in your imagination.

I made statement of fact, that the last full week in March is the only time I since April 2006 that I have left the State for an entire week, because I remember going to Florida that week on a personal vacation.
I "speculated" last night that that might have coincidently had something to do with why and whether or not I received a copy of her memo to Jeff Beyer,  but since it was almost 3 years ago I cannot possibly "know" that as a fact.

rfz.

Bob Ziegelbauer
Manitowoc County Courthouse
1010 S. 8th St.
Manitowoc, WI  54220

920-683-5107 (office)
920-323-7497 (cell)

Re: Your vacation days at County

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 10:11 AM
From:
To:
"Bob Ziegelbauer"
Cc:
eholman@htrnews.com, "James Brey" , edrappe@co.manitowoc.wi.us, paultittl@co.manitowoc.wi.us, paulhansen@co.manitowoc.wi.us

Mr. Ziegelbauer,

I beg to differ.
I believe that recordings of your comments will show no such equivocation or qualification of your assertions made to the board last night.

Furthermore, I did not ask on what days you might have "left the State". I asked for information on whether or not you had taken any vacation days to which you very specifically stated that you "do not have any sick leave,vacation days, or personal days here."

It would seem that the term "any" is mutually exclusive with your sudden recollection of a week long vacation in Florida three years ago.

Which version of your work hours are we to believe?
In the light of your previous denial, what credibility is the board to give to your excuse of absence to the memo issue?

Bernard J. Starzewski

Re: Your vacation days at County

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 1:29 PM
From:
To:
"Bernard Starzewski"
Cc:
eholman@htrnews.com, "James Brey" , edrappe@co.manitowoc.wi.us, paultittl@co.manitowoc.wi.us, paulhansen@co.manitowoc.wi.us

You are working so hard to make me a liar.
I was simply trying to make the point that if I had been in and working that week instead of on vacation in Florida the licensing issue might have come up in conversation. It was not an excuse, simply an observation of how things actually work in life.
I do not have "vacation days" as an elected official, but I can go on vacation if I wish.
and by the way when I take a personal vacation I keep in touch with email.
rfz
Bob Ziegelbauer
Manitowoc County Courthouse
1010 S. 8th St.
Manitowoc, WI  54220


920-683-5107 (office)
920-323-7497 (cell)


Re: Your vacation days at County

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 2:49 PM
From:
To:
"Bob Ziegelbauer"
Cc:
eholman@htrnews.com, "James Brey" , edrappe@co.manitowoc.wi.us, paultittl@co.manitowoc.wi.us, paulhansen@co.manitowoc.wi.us

You give me far too much credit.
You have indicted yourself with your own words.
Perhaps you were on vacation but your comments regarding your absence from the job were intended to obfuscate your lack of attendance and resulting poor performance.

By your own words you depended on emails to stay in touch but because you were not in touch you were not available to learn what you needed to know.

(sic)
"If I had been in and working that week instead of on vacation in Florida the licensing issue might have come up in conversation."

Again to refer to your own words,

"...I am able to be in contact with both offices constantly as needed to do my job virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

I see no need to restate the obvious beyond that.

Bernie

Re: Your vacation days at County

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 3:41 PM
From:
To:
"Bernard Starzewski"

thanks


Bob Ziegelbauer
Manitowoc County Courthouse
1010 S. 8th St.
Manitowoc, WI  54220


920-683-5107 (office)
920-323-7497 (cell)