The Laz Sims piece

[Newhouser]

on dot com today. Not sure I understand the point - was Mike trying to help Laz? Not sure he came off that sympathetic or remorseful. Wonder what the motivation for the piece was.

 

[MSOrange]

on dot com today. Not sure I understand the point - was Mike trying to help Laz? Not sure he came off that sympathetic or remorseful. Wonder what the motivation for the piece was.

I think it was just to provide an update on what Laz is up to now. But agree, he didn't come off very sympathetic or remorseful at all.

 

[Eric15]

Stealing $5,400 of public money is a crime and a terrible thing, but its easily something that everyone will forgive you for and forget about if he would just own up to it and apologize.

 

[OttoMets]

Don't want to pile on. But that was unintentionally revealing. And not in a good way.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Don't want to pile on. But that was unintentionally revealing. And not in a good way.

Any publicist who read that probably cringed a quarter of the way through. Brutally bad.

 

[rrlbees]

I didn’t think it was all that bad. It took us through what he’s gone through in life since he was charged. That one sentence where he still claims his innocence doesn’t take away with the rest of the article that showed how lost he had become and how it was affected his wife and kids and how he is now finally, but slowly, finding his way back.

 

[Cheriehoop]

It seems ages ago but I think the charges came from not ‘stealing’ money personally but not filling out the required paperwork and collecting fees from people for the use of the city parks for group picnics, parties which of course ends up being the equivalent of stealing. Complaints came in because a number of these picnics ended up being very late with numerous noise and nuisance complaints to police and lots of refuse left in the parks for the area residents. Maybe I’m wrong but I think that was the gist of the charges.

He might be rationalizing believing that he didn’t personally benefit and agreed to pay the missing fees but the bottom line was the city had to clean up those parks, answer the neighbor’s complaints, fix any damage without the benefit of the appropriate records and fees being collected with the park regulations not being enforced. He maybe upset because some of those people who had those parties said they did pay him the fees instead of wrongfully being granted a freebie or/and he knew other city officials who had turned a blind eye too etc. Again I maybe wrong but that’s what I recall. I agree that he should have admitted his mistake but it does show the personal price and damage it has had on himself and his family.

 

[OttoMets]

It seems ages ago but I think the charges came from not ‘stealing’ money personally but not filling out the required paperwork and collecting fees from people for the use of the city parks for group picnics, parties which of course ends up being the equivalent of stealing. Complaints came in because a number of these picnics ended up being very late with numerous noise and nuisance complaints to police and lots of refuse left in the parks for the area residents. Maybe I’m wrong but I think that was the gist of the charges.

...

Unless I'm misreading your sentence, that's definitely stealing money personally.

Cash-strapped city department depends on fees from events ---> new commissioner accepts fees from events but instead pockets them for himself = stealing. (Maybe I'm misreading and you're pointing out that he allowed friends to use city facilities without paying anyone event fees, and it caused a problem because of the noise/mess, along with the lost revenue. Because you're right, he did that too.)

From what I've been told, the $5,400 was the tip of the iceberg. His political allies were the only thing that got a felony charge dropped to a misdemeanor (and a very light punishment), but it doesn't sound like he appreciates that stroke of good fortune.

If there's a silver lining here, it's that the administration and new commissioner have instituted a cash-free registration system for Parks and Rec, so the next mayor's political crony who's given the commissioner job won't be able to steal from the public so easily.

 

[Frozen]

I remember when his friends were vigorously defending him on Facebook. If he needed money, he should have asked his many friends for help.

 

[Newhouser]

Unless I'm misreading your sentence, that's definitely stealing money personally.

Cash-strapped city department depends on fees from events ---> new commissioner accepts fees from events but instead pockets them for himself = stealing. (Maybe I'm misreading and you're pointing out that he allowed friends to use city facilities without paying anyone event fees, and it caused a problem because of the noise/mess, along with the lost revenue. Because you're right, he did that too.)

From what I've been told, the $5,400 was the tip of the iceberg. His political allies were the only thing that got a felony charge dropped to a misdemeanor (and a very light punishment), but it doesn't sound like he appreciates that stroke of good fortune.

If there's a silver lining here, it's that the administration and new commissioner have instituted a cash-free registration system for Parks and Rec, so the next mayor's political crony who's given the commissioner job won't be able to steal from the public so easily.

I have heard the same thing and also heard he was no showing the job. Feel bad for his family but no sympathy for Laz. And why would the reporter not ask - have you paid the money back? If not how much have you paid back?

I still don't get the point of the article - it is not as if thousands, hundreds, or even dozens of people were asking "what is Laz Sims up to?"

 

[JeremyCuse]

Unless I'm misreading your sentence, that's definitely stealing money personally.

Cash-strapped city department depends on fees from events ---> new commissioner accepts fees from events but instead pockets them for himself = stealing. (Maybe I'm misreading and you're pointing out that he allowed friends to use city facilities without paying anyone event fees, and it caused a problem because of the noise/mess, along with the lost revenue. Because you're right, he did that too.)

From what I've been told, the $5,400 was the tip of the iceberg. His political allies were the only thing that got a felony charge dropped to a misdemeanor (and a very light punishment), but it doesn't sound like he appreciates that stroke of good fortune.

If there's a silver lining here, it's that the administration and new commissioner have instituted a cash-free registration system for Parks and Rec, so the next mayor's political crony who's given the commissioner job won't be able to steal from the public so easily.

It always astonishes me when people get hooked up with these dream jobs/positions and still find away to screw it up. I don't know what his salary was but I imagine it was a hell of a lot more then he was making at Metro Mattress or his current social worker type thing. Essentially he needed to just show up and go through the motions and probably would have had that job as long as he wanted including the benefits of a govt/state job. Boggles the mind.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I’m not defending anything. I only wrote what I had heard and clearly stated that fact in my post. I never said it wasn’t stealing either and clearly wrote the effect that the missing fees, paperwork had on the city and its’ residents.

 

[OttoMets]

It always astonishes me when people get hooked up with these dream jobs/positions and still find away to screw it up. I don't know what his salary was but I imagine it was a hell of a lot more then he was making at Metro Mattress or his current social worker type thing. Essentially he needed to just show up and go through the motions and probably would have had that job as long as he wanted including the benefits of a govt/state job. Boggles the mind.

$75k. $84,000, IIRC. (Might have been $8 to $10K below that, could be thinking of the current salary for the position.) Nice benefits. Good gig for someone with no qualifications.

Greed is a funny thing.

 

[orangecuse]

$84,000, IIRC. (Might have been $8 to $10K below that, could be thinking of the current salary for the position.) Nice benefits. Good gig for someone with no qualifications.

Greed is a funny thing.

One of the 7 deadlies...

 

[cuseinseattle]

I'm not trying to pile on either but the fact he won't acknowledge that he made a mistake is really troubling. I would also counter the argument his life got that hard. He lost a job he was never qualified for where he mad good money and only got because of where he played college basketball. Then he got a job he had to quit working for Weitsman because he played for Syracuse. Then he got a job working for a friends company. Your kid didn't have people come to his Birthday party because of the fact you stole from the city.

 

[RandygoCuse]

I'm not trying to pile on either but the fact he won't acknowledge that he made a mistake is really troubling. I would also counter the argument his life got that hard. He lost a job he was never qualified for where he mad good money and only got because of where he played college basketball. Then he got a job he had to quit working for Weitsman because he played for Syracuse. Then he got a job working for a friends company. Your kid didn't have people come to his Birthday party because of the fact you stole from the city.

It's sad that his kids have paid the price. I would have at least thought he'd after everything he'd make sure he remembered his kid's birthday.

 

[FrancoPizza]

on dot com today. Not sure I understand the point - was Mike trying to help Laz? Not sure he came off that sympathetic or remorseful. Wonder what the motivation for the piece was.

It was either follow up on this story or investigate why the Syracuse police officers weren’t fired for swearing at kids who resisted arrest.

 

[cuseattle]

Nice to get the links to these stories here.

 

[CusefanATL]

I’m not defending anything. I only wrote what I had heard and clearly stated that fact in my post. I never said it wasn’t stealing either and clearly wrote the effect that the missing fees, paperwork had on the city and its’ residents.

When you said “not filling out required paperwork and collecting fees... which is equivalent of stealing”

Does that meant he did not fill out paperwork but he Did personally collect and keep fees?

Or he did not fill out paperwork and did NOT collect fees?

Because 1 is clearly stealing and 1 is being horrific at the job.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

$75k. $84,000, IIRC. (Might have been $8 to $10K below that, could be thinking of the current salary for the position.) Nice benefits. Good gig for someone with no qualifications.

Greed is a funny thing.

What qualifications does one need for such a job, really?

 

[pfister1]

What qualifications does one need for such a job, really?

I guess you at least need to be able to fill out paperwork and understand that the money you collect is supposed to be transmitted to your employer not stop in your pocket.

 

[OttoMets]

What qualifications does one need for such a job, really?

A degree in planning or recreation management, and a decade-plus of progressively more senior positions in the industry.

 

[Newhouser]

A degree in planning or recreation management, and a decade-plus of progressively more senior positions in the industry.

While that may be true in theory, locally City Parks and County Parks has always been a political appointment, and worked out ...as long as the appointee understood that the assignment doesn't mean you don't have to work.

It is an undervalued job that should not be a patronage post, but our leaders don't value the position or departments.

 

[OttoMets]

While that may be true in theory, locally City Parks and County Parks has always been a political appointment, and worked out ...as long as the appointee understood that the assignment doesn't mean you don't have to work.

It is an undervalued job that should not be a patronage post, but our leaders don't value the position or departments.

Yep, that was true for many years. Commissioner is a patronage job for a hack and his/her subordinates do the work.

New mayor's made a change here, conducted a legitimate hiring process for Sims's deputy and actually chose a pro who's not his friend/bundler/cousin.

County parks, on the other hand...now there's an unqualified cousin.

 

[Newhouser]

Yep, that was true for many years. Commissioner is a patronage job for a hack and his/her subordinates do the work.

New mayor's made a change here, conducted a legitimate hiring process for Sims's deputy and actually chose a pro who's not his friend/bundler/cousin.

County parks, on the other hand...now there's an unqualified cousin.

Good to hear. Consolidating both departments on the agenda down the road?