Walton Sun on Cooper...

[5th Gen Local]

Open ended questions

The only question I have about this report is why was she reprimanded for pulling a public document? If inside connections were used to get this document then I could understand. But it was public record and anyone could do it. I don't see an abuse of office in that.So, I have to ask, why she was punished for it?

I don't care for the timing of this either and suspect RJ had a hand in it. However, if the document in question is public then I would love to see it to determine how open ended the questions really were. It is reasonable to assume that if one applicant has the benefit of the interview questions in advance there is not a level playing field. Has the county always made the interview questions available in advance before selecting for positions and promotions? That may explain a lot about the competency of the county departments. This looks and walks like a duck to me. It is clear to me that the intent was to gain an unfair advantage. Would he do the same when interviewing potential leaders in the Sheriff's Administration? The most glaring statement is it did not matter anyway as he was not qualified to serve as a deputy director for the jail, but now wants to be Sheriff?

At this late date, I do not think this story will have any bearing on the outcome of the election, but it is what it is.

 

[ShallowsNole]

So glad everyone is seeing past the headline, and seeing this for what it is...dirty politics. :angry:

I have always enjoyed the Sun but it saddens me that they let themselves be played like this. At least they had the decency to interview Tom and Christine.

So do we still have to wait for a "scoop" in the Daily News on Sunday, or was this it? :roll:

 

[graytonbeachguy]

Too funny, 5th Gin Local. I had suspected that the candidate who placed the story would immediately go online and accuse another candidate of placing it. Pointing your finger at Johnson fits the profile of the real culprit.

Isn't Adkinson always going on about his family being here for 5 generations?

Anyway, a pretty ham-handed attempt to smear Cooper. It looks as if the arrow missed its mark. In fact, judging from the comments of ordinary folk, it seems to be developing some backlash against Cornman and Adkinson, the chief suspects.

 

[idlewind]

This is the worst sort of yellow journalism and cheap shot politics. The Sun is treating this like it is a huge issue when: 1) it happened in 2007, 2) it did not gain anyone anything, 3) most important, IT WAS A PUBLIC RECORD!
The crazy, shocking thing about this caper is that an employee recieved a reprimand for passing on a public record.Hope that is not the best example they can find of Walton County "government in the sunshine." This cinches it, I have added Mr. Cooper to my list of candidates I will vote for. Cooper, Larry Jones, Davis, Anderson, Osbourne and Nelson are my choices.

 

[Alicia Leonard]

I don't care for the timing of this either and suspect RJ had a hand in it. However, if the document in question is public then I would love to see it to determine how open ended the questions really were. It is reasonable to assume that if one applicant has the benefit of the interview questions in advance there is not a level playing field. Has the county always made the interview questions available in advance before selecting for positions and promotions? That may explain a lot about the competency of the county departments. This looks and walks like a duck to me. It is clear to me that the intent was to gain an unfair advantage. Would he do the same when interviewing potential leaders in the Sheriff's Administration? The most glaring statement is it did not matter anyway as he was not qualified to serve as a deputy director for the jail, but now wants to be Sheriff?

At this late date, I do not think this story will have any bearing on the outcome of the election, but it is what it is.

I said nothing about the timing of the article. I asked why an employee was given a reprimand for asking for a document that the article stated was open to anyone to request.

It's not always what it is...........sometimes it about what it appears to be:roll:

 

[WCcitizens]

Wrong again.....

After reading all these posts, there are some things I like to bring up and see what you guys feel about this. I had a nephew apply for one of the Sgt. positions at the jail last year and when he tried to get a copy of the interview questions, he was denied them because the LT. and administration stated they do not give out the questions prior to the interview, huh. And the article stated Bell Cooper recieved a Level 1 reprimand? I thought they get a verbal reprimand first before going to the Level 1 reprimand....seems she's no stranger at abusing her county position or getting in trouble that requires reprimands. Either way, Walton County HR Department stated that Tom Cooper was not chosen for the position because he was not qualified to be an Assist. at the jail.....so how the **ll can he be even considered to run the sheriff's office??? go figure

 

[Alicia Leonard]

After reading all these posts, there are some things I like to bring up and see what you guys feel about this. I had a nephew apply for one of the Sgt. positions at the jail last year and when he tried to get a copy of the interview questions, he was denied them because the LT. and administration stated they do not give out the questions prior to the interview, huh. And the article stated Bell Cooper recieved a Level 1 reprimand? I thought they get a verbal reprimand first before going to the Level 1 reprimand....seems she's no stranger at abusing her county position or getting in trouble that requires reprimands. Either way, Walton County HR Department stated that Tom Cooper was not chosen for the position because he was not qualified to be an Assist. at the jail.....so how the **ll can he be even considered to run the sheriff's office??? go figure

I'm glad you posted about your nephews situation. Thank you.

 

[idlewind]

After reading all these posts, there are some things I like to bring up and see what you guys feel about this. I had a nephew apply for one of the Sgt. positions at the jail last year and when he tried to get a copy of the interview questions, he was denied them because the LT. and administration stated they do not give out the questions prior to the interview, huh. And the article stated Bell Cooper recieved a Level 1 reprimand? I thought they get a verbal reprimand first before going to the Level 1 reprimand....seems she's no stranger at abusing her county position or getting in trouble that requires reprimands. Either way, Walton County HR Department stated that Tom Cooper was not chosen for the position because he was not qualified to be an Assist. at the jail.....so how the **ll can he be even considered to run the sheriff's office??? go figure

That is not what they said. :angry: They said someone was hired that was more qualified because they had jail experience. Running the jail and running the Sheriff's Office seems like two different things to me. The college offers both a law enforcement and a corrections academy, so even for starting officers there must be a huge difference. If not they could all go to the same class. I guess the main thing to me is that I have read that Mr. Cooper is going to have Sunday as his #2. Isn't he at the jail as assistant director right now? Isn't this the job we are talking about? If Sunday apparently does not have a problem with Mr. Cooper, why do you?Sounds like you have a bad case of tasting sour grapes my friend.

 

[drivingthru]

Sheriff candidate Cooper used fianc?e?s position to get interview questions in advance


By Nate Kelly
August 21, 2008 - 10:24AM
Walton County Sheriff's candidate, Tom Cooper, wanted to be prepared for an interview for the job of deputy director of the Walton County jail. He had his then fianc?e, Christine Bell Cooper, emergency operations planner, get a copy of the interview questions beforehand, according to Gary Mattison, human resource director for Walton County.
The questions were public information. However, on May 2, 2007, Bell Cooper was given a Level 1 reprimand for misuse of a public position, a violation of Florida Statute 112.313.
"If anyone did anything wrong it was me, for not marching to the HR office and getting the questions myself," Tom said.
According to Bell Cooper, she does not believe she did anything wrong by providing a public record. "I'm a servant of the county and I did what I'm employed to do," she said.
Seeing the questions in advance did not give him an upper hand, according to Cooper. "Most of them were common sense questions, especially for anybody with law enforcement experience," said Cooper.
Mattison learned of the situation, shortly after the request and discussed it with Cooper before holding the interview on Feb. 28, 2007.
However, Cooper's prior knowledge of the questions did not affect his prospects of getting the job, since the county was looking for someone with jail experience and a more qualified candidate applied, according to Mattison.
"Our questions are open ended," Mattison said. "They are intended to find out the person's experience and background."
Discipline levels for the county start with a formal counseling, then proceeds to a Level 1 and Level 2 reprimand, followed by a suspension and finally dismissal, according to Chris Mitchell, public information officer for Walton County.

Hmm....this is a blindside, not the story that was expected. But stay tuned! Personally, I think that Ms Cooper is running for office. Have I missed something? Not real keen on attacking a candidates family. THis aint the presidential race, but then again its politics. Didint cornman claim to be 5th generation? aAre you him?

 

[idlewind]

Hilarious - I now have to clean the water off my computer screen. :rofl:

This one is pretty funny, when I first read it I had to clean up my screen as well. I wondered where all these people had went.