A reader sent this article to me several weeks ago about Cleveland Municipal Clerk of Court Earle Turner. It looks as though Barbara Johnson and Earl Turner have something in common: neither likes to work!
Actually if one does a search on the Cleveland Plain Dealer web site, it looks as if Turner is just as bad as Barb Johnson, if not (maybe?) worse. There are a whole slue of articles on his mismanagement of that office.
It’s really too bad that the Sandusky Register and the Morning Journal don’t follow Johnson more closely like the Plain Dealer follows Turner. It's not that tough to do. If I can do it, so can they!
Where as Johnson is voted into office, Turner is appointed to office. I would say too bad, but then look at how the “blind” voting for Johnson has been here in Erie County for the past 20 years!
The good news is that I can say that Johnson’s attendance has improved since the election. The bad news is that “NOTHING” continues to get done in that office and that is why she is and remains today as our “NOTHING” Clerk! Take a look at her quarterly report cards so far for Winter 2009 and Spring 2009 and the only thing that has improved since the 2008 election is her attendance; although, the past few weeks have been slipping. Will she go back to her old ways and be like her “colleague” Earl Turner with her attendance? Only time will tell. But knowing that she is being watched and being held accountable for her “NOTHINGNESS,” you would think that she would straighten up and start to get things done. But, unfortunately, its the same crap just a different day.
What would happen to you or I if we performed the duties of our jobs in this same way?
Too bad, and so sad; especially since OUR tax money is paying her to do “NOTHING.”
To you the voter I ask: Does this look like she is doing the job that she was elected by YOU THE VOTERS AND TAX PAYERS of Erie County to do?
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
COMMENTS ON COMMENTS: 4
I was going to respond to Julie R in the comment section, but again it was too long. Also, this way I can leave web page links.
Julie R left a comment at the end of last week’s article claiming that recently during her probate issue she contacted Jo Dee Fantozz (county treasurer), Tom Paul (county auditor), Sheriff Terry Lyons, another official at the Sheriff’s Dept., and Barb Johnson. Some of these individuals either blew her off by refusing to speak to her, were out of the office and never returned phone calls, or were very unhelpful and “belligerent.” She claims that Barb Johnson is the only person that took the time to help her and get back to her.
First off, I would like to point out that it’s about time Barb did SOMETHING in that office. I have seen a “few times” over the “years” where she will bend over backwards for people that come into the office with a problem or complaint. But that’s all she ever seems to do because she definitely doesn’t seem to get anything else done, not does she seem to help other county officials or even her own staff.
Then, Julie R goes on to say, “The point I am trying to across here is----BARB JOHNSON IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO HELP AND TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT WHEN ON HERE BETWEEN THE COMMON PLEAS COURT, (BINETTE) SHERIFF LYONS AND A DIRTY ATTORNEY FROM CLEVELAND TO COVER UP FLAT-OUT FRAUD ON PROPERTY. And you think Barb Johnson is the PROBLEM in this County? I don't. But I sure can tell you the names of the people that ARE! And the Erie County Probate Court is included.”
As I have mentioned before on this site, (also in response to one of Julie R’s comments) about holding other elected officials accountable, “I couldn’t agree more! I too think that web sites should be done to ALL elected officials to hold them accountable.”
As I have also mentioned before, I have chosen to “watch” the Clerk of Courts office because this office has a particular effect on my life / business. Is she the only lousy elected official? HELL NO! But, as I said, she has a direct effect on my business, so that’s why I chose her. Perhaps after she looses the 2012 election, I’ll choose another government official to watch and start a blog about that office.
Julie R, I can see where you may be having a problem with some of these elected officials. I have strongly encouraged and suggested numerous times to start a blog about it. If your story is as accurate as you claim, then the citizens need to know ALL the details from beginning to present. This would be helpful to the “intelligent” voter (the ones who actually do their homework before elections and vote with their brains instead of party line) come election time. In the comment section on this article , you wrote, “This is why I have decided to take your advice and start a blog about the unfair legal abuse that is going on this county.”
Have you done so yet? If so, email me the link so that I can take a look at it.
In closing, I just want to reiterate that I think ALL elected officials need to be watched and their job performance should be continually monitored and reported to the citizens/tax payers WHO ARE THEIR EMPLOYERS. I have chosen Johnson to monitor, I would hope others will choose other elected officials to monitor as well. We need to take back OUR government one elected official at a time, not all at once. Someone else tried to take on everyone at once and they crashed and burned. As another blogger said, “we need to fight this war, one battle at a time,” and Johnson is the one “battle” I have chosen. I hope other “employers” will choose others to “battle.”
Julie R left a comment at the end of last week’s article claiming that recently during her probate issue she contacted Jo Dee Fantozz (county treasurer), Tom Paul (county auditor), Sheriff Terry Lyons, another official at the Sheriff’s Dept., and Barb Johnson. Some of these individuals either blew her off by refusing to speak to her, were out of the office and never returned phone calls, or were very unhelpful and “belligerent.” She claims that Barb Johnson is the only person that took the time to help her and get back to her.
First off, I would like to point out that it’s about time Barb did SOMETHING in that office. I have seen a “few times” over the “years” where she will bend over backwards for people that come into the office with a problem or complaint. But that’s all she ever seems to do because she definitely doesn’t seem to get anything else done, not does she seem to help other county officials or even her own staff.
Then, Julie R goes on to say, “The point I am trying to across here is----BARB JOHNSON IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO HELP AND TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT WHEN ON HERE BETWEEN THE COMMON PLEAS COURT, (BINETTE) SHERIFF LYONS AND A DIRTY ATTORNEY FROM CLEVELAND TO COVER UP FLAT-OUT FRAUD ON PROPERTY. And you think Barb Johnson is the PROBLEM in this County? I don't. But I sure can tell you the names of the people that ARE! And the Erie County Probate Court is included.”
As I have mentioned before on this site, (also in response to one of Julie R’s comments) about holding other elected officials accountable, “I couldn’t agree more! I too think that web sites should be done to ALL elected officials to hold them accountable.”
As I have also mentioned before, I have chosen to “watch” the Clerk of Courts office because this office has a particular effect on my life / business. Is she the only lousy elected official? HELL NO! But, as I said, she has a direct effect on my business, so that’s why I chose her. Perhaps after she looses the 2012 election, I’ll choose another government official to watch and start a blog about that office.
Julie R, I can see where you may be having a problem with some of these elected officials. I have strongly encouraged and suggested numerous times to start a blog about it. If your story is as accurate as you claim, then the citizens need to know ALL the details from beginning to present. This would be helpful to the “intelligent” voter (the ones who actually do their homework before elections and vote with their brains instead of party line) come election time. In the comment section on this article , you wrote, “This is why I have decided to take your advice and start a blog about the unfair legal abuse that is going on this county.”
Have you done so yet? If so, email me the link so that I can take a look at it.
In closing, I just want to reiterate that I think ALL elected officials need to be watched and their job performance should be continually monitored and reported to the citizens/tax payers WHO ARE THEIR EMPLOYERS. I have chosen Johnson to monitor, I would hope others will choose other elected officials to monitor as well. We need to take back OUR government one elected official at a time, not all at once. Someone else tried to take on everyone at once and they crashed and burned. As another blogger said, “we need to fight this war, one battle at a time,” and Johnson is the one “battle” I have chosen. I hope other “employers” will choose others to “battle.”
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
AREAS OF CONCERN 7: IMPROVE CUSTOMER RELATIONS SKILLS OF THE STAFF
Well, it looks like our “Nothing” Clerk, Barbara Johnson continues to do “Nothing” about everything including improving customer relation skills of her staff. Our “Nothing” Clerk, Barbara Johnson, has done “Nothing” about this because “Everything” is the same.
This is confusing (besides all of the “Nothing” about “Everything” bit) but if I recall correctly, didn’t she say during the 2008 campaign that “Customer Service” was “the most important challenge of the Clerks Office”? More on this in a minute. Let’s take a look at another one of her quotes.
In the SR article “Q & A Live: Clerk of Courts candidates answer your questions” on October 29, 2008, she said, “I am quite concerned that the attitude of my staff has been questioned!” If she was so concerned, why didn’t she do something about it? Because she is the “NOTHING” clerk!
Then in this SR article on October 14, 2008 she states, “The most important challenge the clerk's office faces is GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. Good customer service includes knowing the job and doing it right.” It's quite obvious that she never has been, and never will be up to the challenge of providing good customer service to the citizens of Erie County; not only is the customer service not good and done wrong, if she did know the job, she would be doing it right.
Well, in this area of concern, as in all the previous ones we have written about, she again has fell far, far short of this goal.
I rarely deal with the Title Dept. but I think the attitude of that place is much worse than the Court Dept. Can you say S L O W ! ! My God, I’d love to light a match under some of their butts to get them going. My dead father can move faster than those people! ! ! And their attitudes are piss-poor at best and this was before as well as during Sandra Browns reign as Supervisor over there. I know a few people in the car business who deal with that office on a regular basis and it has been like that for years. A couple of car dealers take their title work to other counties because they don't want to deal with Erie County's Title Dept.
It’s interesting to notice that when I walk into the COC office (the Court Dept) while they put up a good attempt to act like everything is “Hunky-Dorey,” it’s obvious that it isn’t and some of them can be a bit short with the customers.
So I asked myself, “Self, what would I do to improve customer relation skills in the court house and why is there such a range of emotions within her staff?”
Well, let’s take a look at the attitudes of her staff. I noticed that there are those who are way over worked and over extended while others are sitting around chatting with each other or even on the phone chatting with (what appears to be) friends (personal phone calls). To make matters worse, it usually seems to be the same individuals doing the chatting and the same ones doing the work. Another cause of bad attitudes is the deplorable working conditions that they have to deal with. From what I have observed, the working conditions in that office make the working conditions in Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle” look like Utopia. Perhaps I might hang a sign over the COC office door that reads “The Jungle”….and I’m willing to bet our “Nothing” Clerk, Johnson will do “Nothing” about it. So, improve the working conditions and you have better customer relations within your staff.
Another way to do this is to send them to workshops about customer relations. But then again, “nothing” will happen here either.
A couple of no-brainers, but unfortunately, Barb doesn’t have the knowledge, ability, or care (and it is obvious that she does not care in the least for her staff, otherwise she would not have let things get this bad – with the burden falling directly on her staff) to do, so she does “Nothing” and knowing how Barbara the “Nothing” Clerk is, “Nothing” will ever be done about this either.
Too bad, and so sad; especially since OUR tax money is paying her to do “NOTHING” about everything.
To you the voter I ask: Does this look like she is doing the job that she was elected by YOU THE VOTERS AND TAX PAYERS of Erie County to do?
This is confusing (besides all of the “Nothing” about “Everything” bit) but if I recall correctly, didn’t she say during the 2008 campaign that “Customer Service” was “the most important challenge of the Clerks Office”? More on this in a minute. Let’s take a look at another one of her quotes.
In the SR article “Q & A Live: Clerk of Courts candidates answer your questions” on October 29, 2008, she said, “I am quite concerned that the attitude of my staff has been questioned!” If she was so concerned, why didn’t she do something about it? Because she is the “NOTHING” clerk!
Then in this SR article on October 14, 2008 she states, “The most important challenge the clerk's office faces is GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. Good customer service includes knowing the job and doing it right.” It's quite obvious that she never has been, and never will be up to the challenge of providing good customer service to the citizens of Erie County; not only is the customer service not good and done wrong, if she did know the job, she would be doing it right.
Well, in this area of concern, as in all the previous ones we have written about, she again has fell far, far short of this goal.
I rarely deal with the Title Dept. but I think the attitude of that place is much worse than the Court Dept. Can you say S L O W ! ! My God, I’d love to light a match under some of their butts to get them going. My dead father can move faster than those people! ! ! And their attitudes are piss-poor at best and this was before as well as during Sandra Browns reign as Supervisor over there. I know a few people in the car business who deal with that office on a regular basis and it has been like that for years. A couple of car dealers take their title work to other counties because they don't want to deal with Erie County's Title Dept.
It’s interesting to notice that when I walk into the COC office (the Court Dept) while they put up a good attempt to act like everything is “Hunky-Dorey,” it’s obvious that it isn’t and some of them can be a bit short with the customers.
So I asked myself, “Self, what would I do to improve customer relation skills in the court house and why is there such a range of emotions within her staff?”
Well, let’s take a look at the attitudes of her staff. I noticed that there are those who are way over worked and over extended while others are sitting around chatting with each other or even on the phone chatting with (what appears to be) friends (personal phone calls). To make matters worse, it usually seems to be the same individuals doing the chatting and the same ones doing the work. Another cause of bad attitudes is the deplorable working conditions that they have to deal with. From what I have observed, the working conditions in that office make the working conditions in Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle” look like Utopia. Perhaps I might hang a sign over the COC office door that reads “The Jungle”….and I’m willing to bet our “Nothing” Clerk, Johnson will do “Nothing” about it. So, improve the working conditions and you have better customer relations within your staff.
Another way to do this is to send them to workshops about customer relations. But then again, “nothing” will happen here either.
A couple of no-brainers, but unfortunately, Barb doesn’t have the knowledge, ability, or care (and it is obvious that she does not care in the least for her staff, otherwise she would not have let things get this bad – with the burden falling directly on her staff) to do, so she does “Nothing” and knowing how Barbara the “Nothing” Clerk is, “Nothing” will ever be done about this either.
Too bad, and so sad; especially since OUR tax money is paying her to do “NOTHING” about everything.
To you the voter I ask: Does this look like she is doing the job that she was elected by YOU THE VOTERS AND TAX PAYERS of Erie County to do?
Saturday, July 4, 2009
QUARTERLY REPORT CARD: SPRING 2009
Here it is as promised, Erie County Clerk of Courts Barbara Johnson's “Report Card” which covers April – June 2009.
ITEM GRADE
1. Attendance = 8
2. Records on line = 0
3. SSN & financial account numbers removed from hard copy case files = 0
4. Collection on estimated $700.000 in outstanding court costs and fines = 0
5. Address office understaffing = 0
6. Microfilming closed cases = 0
7. Improve customer relation skills of the staff = 0
8. Have case files properly filed away = 0
9. Monitoring program to keep cases from being illegally removed from the office = 0
10. Send staff to continuing Ed workshops to keep them on top of ORC changes = 0
11. Automated Phone System = 0
12. Over all Grade 0.6
Grade scale: 12=A+; 11=A; 10=A-; 9=B+; 8=B; 7=B-; 6=C+; 5=C; 4=C-
3=D+; 2=D; 1=D-; 0=F
Johnson is the "Nothing" clerk because "NOTHING" has changed. Well, what else is left for me to say? How about some thoughts from you, the readers?
ITEM GRADE
1. Attendance = 8
2. Records on line = 0
3. SSN & financial account numbers removed from hard copy case files = 0
4. Collection on estimated $700.000 in outstanding court costs and fines = 0
5. Address office understaffing = 0
6. Microfilming closed cases = 0
7. Improve customer relation skills of the staff = 0
8. Have case files properly filed away = 0
9. Monitoring program to keep cases from being illegally removed from the office = 0
10. Send staff to continuing Ed workshops to keep them on top of ORC changes = 0
11. Automated Phone System = 0
12. Over all Grade 0.6
Grade scale: 12=A+; 11=A; 10=A-; 9=B+; 8=B; 7=B-; 6=C+; 5=C; 4=C-
3=D+; 2=D; 1=D-; 0=F
Johnson is the "Nothing" clerk because "NOTHING" has changed. Well, what else is left for me to say? How about some thoughts from you, the readers?
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