Fired emergency response exec now at Homeland Security
Loren says: "The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that their former MNDoT emergency response executive, who was fired for hanging out with her boyfriend in NYC instead of coming back to Minneapolis to deal with the 35W bridge collapse, has been hired by the TSA."
Fired emergency repsonse exec now at Homeland Security (Star Tribune)Sonia Pitt, the MnDOT emergency response executive fired for taking an unauthorized, state-paid trip to Washington during the Interstate 35W bridge disaster, is now working for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Pitt, 44, of Red Wing, confirmed Wednesday that she is working for Homeland Security's Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) at its headquarters in Arlington, Va. Her job title is "Transportation Security Specialist." Pitt declined to discuss her job responsibilities, her length of employment with the federal agency or her salary.
"All inquiries go through my attorney, same as always," Pitt said.
the latest
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In what way is this the least bit surprising? An incompetent executive is hired by a federal agency as a midlevel useless functionary.
Welcome to outrage fatigue.
That is just depressing. Why on earth have I been working at being responsible when irresponsibility and bad judgment are the the things that get rewarded over and over? Sigh...
It goes without saying that, for the "conservatives", the only downside of taxation and public programs is that the public occasionally benefits from them. By stocking these programs with well-paid incompetents they get to "starve the beast" while circularly supporting their own dogma that public money is wasteful.
This is just a stepping stone to a job in the next administration, regardless of the party that wins.....
"All inquiries go through my attorney, same as always," Pitt said.
That's real friendly-like.
With a set of skills and ethics like that, she's sure to go far.
Heckuva job, Sonia.
next in line for the 'medal of freedom' i expect.
Joke #1: Look out folks: This one has White House Chief of Staff written all over her!
Joke #2: Apparently I have been doing my job all wrong all these years..
Joke #3: Welcome to the big leagues girl: Everybody at DHS is a belligerent, aggressive thieving stab you in the front SOB. Good luck!
Please vote now: I will accept "none of the above" but only if accompanied by your (likely better) joke #4.
I think the requirements for these sorts of positions are along the lines of "Can you keep your mouth shut?" and "Will you play ball?"
#4: " wrecked 'em? damn near killed 'em!"
Why do these question go through her attorney? Her salary should be public knowledge. Blah Blah idiots blah blah morons, blah blah of course they hired her.
Just what the TSA needs... Another inept crony to come up with asinine rules.
@2:
you're falling down on the laziness,get it together!
Next up: Ted Stevens is hired by the TSA as an Account Specialist.
CONTEST! TSA Dream Team! Who's up first?
"In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence." - Dr. Laurence J. Peter
"...who was fired for hanging out with her boyfriend in NYC instead of coming back to Minneapolis..."
Don't you mean Washington, DC?
"all kisses go directly on MY ASS, as always".
btt bstng btch. she'll fit right in!
>That is just depressing. Why on earth have I been working at being responsible when irresponsibility and bad judgment are the the things that get rewarded over and over? Sigh...
I believe there's even more money in the "standing in the way of other people's dreams" market.
But that's a whole other issue.
doom doom doom doom doomity doom doom doom doom
doom doom doomity doomity doom doom doom
Homeland Security Democrats to TSA: The 100% Screening Air Cargo Law Means All Cargo Must Be Screened
Last update: 2:25 p.m. EDT July 31, 2008
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- In response to the Transportation Security Administration telling the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection on July 15 that air cargo originating abroad would not be screened, Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Chairwoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) and Democratic Members of the Subcommittee sent a letter to Kip Hawley, Assistant Secretary and Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, to reiterate that, notwithstanding TSA's interpretation of the law, the screening of 100 percent of air cargo was mandated by Section 1602 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-53).
To view the letter, go to: http://homeland.house.gov/SiteDocuments/20080731121758-75682.pdf
SOURCE Committee on Homeland Security
Sounds like she's got some well-placed friends and / or relatives. Is her maiden name Bush and / or Cheney?
#22, no, but i think she named her maidenhead "halliburton".
That's the new America. Once you've reached a certain level - whether by hard work, random chance, the Peter Principle, or like our Dear Leader, by inheritance - you can't be held responsible no matter how incompetent or criminal you are.
How many executives from Bear Stearns were fired?
How many big wigs from Fannie Mae are now poor?
How many bozos from FEMA were fired?
How many political hacks have been indicted for wasting billions of dollars in rebuilding money in Iraq?
Zero.
If you aren't part of the overseer class, though, you can be let go for doing something like reading Boingboing during work hours.
It looks like she must have taken quite a cut from the Executive Branch in Minnesota to Specialist in TSA.
...Just goes to show you that once again, stupid is as stupid hires.
http://www.usajobs.org/jobs/73666620/Transportation%20Security%20Specialist.htm
The description at times seems like it's an advisory position and at others just going through peoples luggage.
"This is a Critical-Sensitive (Level 3) position and requires a TOP Secret Security Clearance and completion of a favorable Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) or Background Investigation (BI) prior to appointment, unless a waiver is obtained. The incumbent will be subject to a 5-year periodic re-investigation."
Holy crap, her clearance wasn't revoked when she screwed up at her last job?
Is it normal for American government employees to refer inquiries to their own lawyers? What was the name of that department that normally handles press inquiries again? :)
"American government employees"? You must mean "master class member"
ever four seconds the tsa gets a little dumber.
the tsa gets dumber every, like, four seconds.
@#9 -
"aggressive thieving stab you in the front SOB" has now become my favorite insult.
One thing that I think a lot of folks are missing in this story, though, is that it's very very very hard for run of the mill employers to find out about bad stuff potential employees did at their last jobs because everyone is afraid of getting sued for saying the wrong thing(s) when giving references.
However, you'd think that the DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY might have resources above and beyond that of your average employer...but maybe they don't.
And monkeys might fly out of my butt.
safe "reference" letters:
"you would be very lucky to get this man to do some work for you"
"I would very much like to go hunting with this person"
"a person of deeply hidden talents"
gimme?
@#3 retchdog
It goes without saying that, for the "conservatives", the only downside of taxation and public programs is that the public occasionally benefits from them. By stocking these programs with well-paid incompetents they get to "starve the beast" while circularly supporting their own dogma that public money is wasteful.
Based on that comment, I'd say you know very little about conservatism, and even less about Minnesota. Minnesota (a blue state) has some of the worst highways in the continental United States, rivaling even our neighbors to the north in their state of disrepair. That's because a) MNDOT is corrupt and incompetent, and b) taxes allocated for roads and bridges goes instead to mass transit. A healthy dose of old-fashioned conservatism might do our state a lot of good. Heck, with the right person running the show, we might even get our potholes filled before they have birthdays.
Check this out. i'm write a story where i have my own zombie army...the unabomer, hunter thompson with half his head shorn (sp?) away, abbie hoffman: the coke zombie...and we got to it. it'll be great, man. bitches like this won't stand a chance.
plus, she looks like something you'd see on a sci fi channel's recoloring of a 1970's cardboard-sets-of-mars flick.
Well, not to fear. Looks like she didn't last long:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/17056946/detail.html
U R FIRD!
http://www.startribune.com/local/26145699.html?location_refer=lifestyle
ditto
I don't know why anyone is surprised. I had a job interview recently, and the interviewer actually looked at my resume and asked "Did you quit this position or were you let go?" I replied "If I was fired from that job, why the heck would I put it on my resume?" I was actually pretty offended for some reason. No one cares if you got fired or even prosecuted anymore, they just want the correct "qualifications".
#39:
Wow, 2 months? That was quick! Any way to get the reason for her termination and her briefly paid salary figure using the Freedom of Information Act?
http://www.startribune.com/local/26473524.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsX