One can interpret the memo below from the Erwin court papers two ways: one way is to diagnose it as part of the campaign of the administration dupe Mr. Erwin and make him look incompetent.
The early date of the memo suggests it is in the first-response, delaying time of Dr. Lennard and his goons--chief of which were Jack Davis and James Hamilton, it seems--to Mr. Erwin's demanding that the administration do something about the school crime. This date was before Doug Erwin finally lost hope of their ever doing anything about the crime. He saw they were trying to fire him and deprive him of his pension as well. He belatedly accepted that the board would play along with the administration and dump him without ceremony if they could get away with it. When he finally came to those conclusions after suffering every kind of indignity Dr. Lennard --who pulled the levers behind the scenes--could think up, he went to an attorney and filed a Whistleblower lawsuit.
Memo after memo in the court papers suggests a pattern of trying to confuse Doug Erwin and invalidate his competence. His bosses, Jack Davis and James Hamilton, would write him that his data were incomplete or that they had not received it, and that he had to re-investigate the situation. They used this maneuver repeatedly in what looks like a let's-convince-him-he's-crazy routine so that he would think if he were mixed up on some things, he was mixed up on the crimes he had been uncovering.
The second interpretation is such memos demonstrate the abysmal competence of these people. They can't handle simple administrative tasks. This inability would be OK only in the school system; private industry would fire one and all in a heartbeat. ldd
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS CENTER
FROM: Doug Erwin, General Director of Operations
SUBJECT: Purchasing Concerns
There has been no response to the questions that I referred to in my previous letter. (Attachment #1)
There is no Air Conditioning bid in place to take care of the many emergencies that are occurring. This bid was presented to purchasing in May. The urgency ofhavmg this bid in place was discussed with Dr. Bookman and the purchasing staff in a meeting on June 19, 2001. I am now told that the bid may be in place by October or November 2001.
I believe Willie Campbell and I agree that our needs aren't being met in a timely manner and that the problem will continue until personal issues in the purchasing department are resolved.
Air Conditioning Concerns: We have reached the critical point in keeping units running. (Attachment #2)
• Performance contracting did little to solve problems in our thirty worst systems. (Attachment #3)
• Projects on the 5-year plan have been delayed for other priorities. (Attachment #4)
• Major renovation projects have not included total Air Conditioning renovations. (Attachment #5)
Dr, Hamilton Memo Page 2
• Short-term service contracts and training components are not being implemented as suggested. Training of our technicians is costing time and money.
• Rapid growth in new schools and additions to existing schools while we are experiencing cut backs in personnel.
• With the loss of 4 days we will loose man-hours but maybe more importantly the window of opportunity to work in the building without students.
• Many systems that were built in the 90's are labor intensive and are functioning so poorly that the air conditioning department feels that some of these units need replacing. (Attachment #7)
Copies of recommendations that have been presented to cope with the growing air conditioning challenges are attachment #8.
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