sepia5
JoePa apologists = Pendejo
BrutusBobcat;1416156; said:
You don't have to be elected to represent the state. It's why when state employees harm someone in a tortious way while carrying out their duties, the state is on the hook (potentially). It's why most state vehicles have bumper stickers asking the public to report poor driving. It's why, if you work for a state government (which I have in the past), your supervisors will almost certainly harp on the idea that the way you behave in public, whether on or off the clock, reflects upon the state and its governance itself. It's why a professor at a state university has certain due process rights when he's set to be terminated that employees of private companies do not have. You may never have thought of the arrangement in these terms, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't hold true.
BrutusBobcat;1416156; said:
If he works for a state funded institution, absolutely. Now, maybe that wouldn't be newsworthy, because most professors aren't known to the general public. But it would be especially problematic if the professor were a nationally-recognized name, don't you think? Imagine if Paul Krugman were teaching econ classes at a state university in New York, and a story surfaced that he was banging a bunch of coeds while making the kind of money Krugman could probably command. Don't you think that the state university's admin would feel pressured to act? Why? Because of the public perception. "This guy's making X amount to bang our daughters!" In any event, Calhoun is a much more visible state employee than most professors, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.
BrutusBobcat;1416156; said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I imagine most construction work paid for by the DOT is probably contracted (see below). I mean, you can throw out crazy hypos all you want, but they really don't relate to the Calhoun example. But playing along, in your hypothetical world, I'm sure the guy's supervisors would tell him that he's representing the state away from and during work, at least in terms of public perception. Again, though, this is really a non-issue because a construction worker isn't identifiable like Calhoun is.
BrutusBobcat;1416156; said:
Again, you're getting into crazy hypo world now, but you don't work for the state on a permanent basis like Calhoun, so I would say probably not. But it would still be newsworthy if the state was using state tax dollars to pay teh contracted company tons and tons of money for work that arguably is not worth that much (see Haliburton), and I'd expect both the representatives from that company and the government officials that awarded the contract to be questioned.
BrutusBobcat;1416156; said:
You're really getting far removed from the actual facts we're dealing with now. This hypo is entering Howdy Doody land. I really don't see how it even relates to this discussion.
BrutusBobcat;1416156; said:
Well, you'd have to define the term "official" for me. Not sure how you're intending to use that. He's certainly a state employee, as in Calhoun's case. Also in Calhoun's case, he's the highest paid state employee from the Governor on down. He doesn't make policy, if that's what you mean by "official," but I really think you're grasping at straws if you don't think Calhoun represents the state's flagship institution as much if not more than anyone.
BrutusBobcat;1416156; said:I'll tell you what -- the next time a cop pulls you over, why don't you question his salary and demeanor, point out that he's "representing the state of Ohio" and that you expect better conduct from a "public servant" and see where that kind of populist rhetoric lands you.
Uh, you don't think the CITY of LA and probably the STATE of California had a problem when the Rodney King tape surfaced? A cop is a VERY good example of a state employee that represents the state in a public manner. It's just that cops' representation only becomes newsworthy when they screw up badly or do something heroic. That's probably unfortunate, but those are the stories that garner viewer/readership.
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No, and if he's naked, I hope he gets hurt.
