The perfect gift any time.
Getting to the Bottom of the Keith Gladney Firing
Dec 29th, 2009 by TMH
By: Bob McCarty
Bob McCarty Writes
Kenneth Gladney
Less than 48 hours before Christmas, Keith Gladney was fired from his job as a St. Louis County (Mo.) Animal Control Officer, according to a BigGovernment.com article published the same day. Why is his firing important? Because, as you’ll see in reviewing the points noted below, integrity of government is at stake:
PUNCHES THROWN
First and foremost, it’s important because Keith Gladney is the brother of Kenneth Gladney (right), the St. Louis man who became the subject of no fewer than six posts on this blog after he was allegedly beaten by a group of thugs from the Service Employees International Union after they found him selling conservative memorabilia outside Bernard Middle School, the site of of a South St. Louis County health care town hall meeting hosted by ultra-liberal Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.). And, in case you’re not aware, these events that resulted in only misdemeanor charges took place on the same day the White House told its supporters to “punch back twice as hard.”
PERFORMANCE NOTED
Second, it’s important because Keith Gladney had, according to the aforementioned news report, received a positive job performance rating as recently as October.
PUBLIC SUPPORT GIVEN
Third, it’s important because Keith Gladney alleges that he was fired after expressing publicly his support for his brother.
POWERFUL PROSECUTORS
Fourth, it’s important because Keith Gladney’s former employer is St. Louis County, the same powerful government entity that employs County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch and County Counselor Patricia Redington, two power brokers who were at the center of controversy (see this post) during the 2008 presidential campaign.
PALS
Finally, it’s important because the St. Louis County Department of Health, within which the Animal Control Division operates, is reported to have a close working relationship with SEIU Local 1.
In an effort to get to the root reasons behind the Keith Gladney firing, I launched an investigation today by filing a Missouri Sunshine Law request addressed to Dr. Dolores J. Gunn, director of the St. Louis County Department of Health, and two of her underlings. In that request, made via fax and e-mail, I asked for two pieces of information:
1. A listing of the names of all individuals, segregated by department or division, who were employed by the St. Louis County (Mo.) Department of Health as of Jan. 1, 2009; and
2. A listing of the names of all individuals, segregated by department or division, who were employed by the St. Louis County (Mo.) Department of Health as of Dec. 31, 2009.
Stay tuned as updates will surely follow.
