DID SHE HAVE TO TAKE IT?
Our moles at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) were buzzing this week with news that the agency’s director, Catherine Templeton, was taking a five-day “vacation.”
Is that newsworthy? Not really … but we followed up on the tip anyway because Templeton is hot, and because we’ve learned that anytime we write about her it translates into beaucoup hits. What did we discover? Well, the initial story we heard was that Templeton wasn’t on vacation – she was taking a five-day unpaid furlough to address an undisclosed personal matter.
Wait … Templeton? She of “A Beautiful Mind” fame? Surely this borderline obsessive compulsive workaholic wouldn’t skip work for five days unless it was something serious … or unless she had no choice in the matter.
Turns out she may not have …
According to our budget experts, Templeton may have been forced to take a furlough due to her agency’s implementation of a “reduction in force” earlier this year. How come? There’s a proviso in the state budget that insists on it.
“In the event a reduction in force is implemented by a state agency or institution of higher learning, the agency head shall be required to take five days furlough in the current fiscal year,” the proviso (89.80) reads.
In other words, anybody in state government who has the audacity to trim the bureaucratic fat will not only be pilloried by the state’s left-leaning mainstream media – they’ll be docked a week’s pay.
Amazing isn’t it? Clearly the purpose of this proviso is to intimidate agency leaders into keeping around bureaucrats they don’t need – thus perpetuating the costly cycle of inefficiency and dysfunction that keeps our state held back on so many fronts.
Others insist Templeton had an out if she wanted it. According to language recently inserted into the proviso, “an agency head shall not be required to take this mandatory furlough based solely on reductions in force implemented to reorganize to accomplish organizational efficiencies.”
Hmmmm … so do any of Templeton’s firings fall into that category?
No clue … although we would remove any doubt in this process by striking this proviso in its entirety, ending this ridiculous legislative overreach.
Obviously we support reductions in force – big ones – with the savings going to taxpayers, not more government. Seriously, government at all levels in South Carolina was already way too big before the recent explosion in state spending that’s taken place under S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and her “Republican” allies in the GOP-controlled S.C. General Assembly.
We need to incentivize agency heads to cut that excess … not penalize them for doing so.
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26 comments
Hot!?! She looks like a rabid badger. I think that the entire SC Government should take a 2 week LOA. Hell, pay’em, just leave the lights and AC off the savings in utilities and unwanted legislative, bureaucratic mischief would be well worth it.
All of state government? For 2 weeks? Really? Highway patrol? Food inspectors? Prison wardens? Mental health nurses? Forest rangers? Pothole repair folks? Nuclear waste inspectors? SLED agents? Teachers? The folks at the DMV who renew your drivers license?
Yep, all of them. It wouldn’t take long for people to see the world doesn’t come to an end and other people would step in to fill any important voids.
Most especially the asswipes at the DMV, just got my license renewed, I’m good for 8 years baby!
No, I’m obviously referring to the political, elected and appointed staff at the state level, not the rank and file employees – although a two week holiday for them ain’t a bad idea either, they’re ain’t a pothole repairperson who’s hit a lick at a snake in this state anyway. Nuclear waste inspectors – don’t think we have any of those in the state Gov’t. I think the county health department is responsible for food inspections and the quacks at the state DMH could be covered by the quacks at the RCHD.
Yeah, the more I think about it, two weeks off for everybody in management and above would be a good idea…
Clearly the purpose of this proviso is to intimidate agency leaders into keeping around bureaucrats they don’t need
Yes, because someone making six figures shouldn’t have to sacrifice anything after laying off a bunch of people making chump change to “save costs.” If Templeton was laying off unnecessary higher-up positions, I’d reserve my judgement, but if she’s just going to lay off a bunch of people making $30k or less, she can stay home for a week.
Why are you upset? This kind of furlough saves taxpayer money too, even if it does just get spent somewhere else. Besides that, if a RIF is necessary and an agency head is really going to refrain from doing it just to save a week’s worth of their own pay, clearly they are not the person for the job and Haley shouldn’t have seated them in the first damn place.
The world would be a better place if those who ran the ship had to take a pay cut for every person they had to throw overboard.
All good points. Now that she has fewer employees to manage, she can spare the time away, anyhow.
Dumbass.
The higher the pay of the furloughed employee, the bigger savings for the state.
And, maybe, those making over $100,000 should have to take twice the furlough time as their lower paid peons…at least twice.
Daddy?
That is one yeasty-looking woman. Ugh.
Yeasty? lol…
I used to have a leisure suit the same color as her dress in that picture. Sideburns & white belt, too.
And you are a disgusting prick.
Templeton takes a furlough. So instead of staying home for five days, she stays home for five days. Okay, I get it…I think.
ha
She’s a “beautiful mind” because she staples shit to the walls? Bitch makes 6 figures and doesn’t know how to use a spreadsheet?
good for her. i respect that she took it
You “respect that she took it,” she had too? Given that Templeton is so used not following the rules it is kind of awe inspiring and pride filling when she does do what is expected at her job…
Also, FITS it’s impressive that some one so aptly named “Part Time Templeton” by those who work with her, is called a “work-a-holic” by you…
She isn’t bad looking, but geez Wil. Hot?
If some of you think DHEC ain’t worth the trouble, FITS et al are personally encourged to take a 16 ounce (.47 liter) Solo cup full of water straight from the Broad (in Columbia) or Reedy (in downtown Greenville) Rivers and drink every drop of it.
Or damn near any stream/creek/river in South Carolina (with the exception of extreme NW part of the state) for that matter……
Oh yeah I forgot, you can ALWAYS buy bottled water………..
Part of that personal responsibility thing I keep hearing about………..
SEATTLE, October 17, 2012 – Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX)
Vivek Varma, EVP, Public Affairs
For immediate release.
Catherine Templeton, a national barista expert and espresso machine aficionado, is spending five days testing Starbucks’ newly-released Verismo espresso and brewed coffee system at Waikiki Beach’s famed Halekulani Hotel.
Ms. Templeton joins baristas Andrew Hetzel, Kevin Sinnott, and Ken David for a fun-filled week trying out the “Verismo Experience” designed for busy home coffee drinkers. Starbucks rolled out the new system last week with print advertisements (http://www.starbucksstore.com/verismo/verismo-experience,default,pg.html).
Major news networks will interview our our group of baristas during their “morning shows” worldwide from sun-drenched Hawaii.
Ms. Templeton, a high-ranking governmental official from South Carolina, believes the “Verisomo Experience” will put her state “on the map.”
She said, “Our graduation rates and literacy scores are troublesome, so high-tech companies are reluctant to invest in South Carolina, but I think the ‘Verismo Experience’ will be the launching pad for a whole generation of underemployed citizens to master the basics of coffee making, leading to full-time jobs at Starbucks restaurants statewide. I’m optimistic.”
Details at http://news.starbucks.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=705
There are not a few managers there we’d be better off paying to stay home and watch daytime TV.
I don’t include Ms. Templeton in that slight though.
Could not have happened to a nicer person. She needs to be on permanent leave right along with Trikki Nikki
She’s the best thing that’s happened at DHEC in years. Keep sweeping.
In the more poorly run programs there that is a growing sentiment among staff. Though not among the mediocre managers of course.
Where”s the recently inserted language? From the FY2012-2013 Appropriation Act on the Statehouse website:
89.80. (GP: Reduction in Force/Agency Head Furlough) In the event a reduction in force is implemented by a state agency or institution of higher learning, the agency head shall be required to take five days furlough in the current fiscal year. If more than one reduction in force plan is implemented in a fiscal year, the mandatory agency head furlough is only required for the initial plan. The agency head will retain all responsibilities and authority during the furlough. All monies saved from this furlough may be retained by that agency and expended at the discretion of the agency head. During this furlough, the agency head shall be entitled to participate in the same state benefits as otherwise available to them except for receiving their salaries. As to those benefits which require employer and employee contributions, the state agency will be responsible for making both employer and employee contributions if coverage would otherwise be interrupted; and as to those benefits which require only employee contributions, the agency head remains solely responsible for making those contributions.
Placement of an agency head on furlough under this provision does not constitute a grievance or appeal under the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act. In the event the reduction for the state agency or institution of higher learning is due solely to the General Assembly transferring or deleting a program, this provision does not apply. Agencies may allocate the agency head’s reduction in pay over the balance of the fiscal year for payroll purposes regardless of the pay period within which the furlough occurs. The Budget and Control Board, Human Resources Division shall promulgate guidelines and policies, as necessary, to implement the provisions of this proviso. State agencies shall report information regarding furloughs to the Human Resources Division of the Budget and Control Board.
For purposes of this provision, agency head includes the president of a technical college as defined by Section 59-103-5 of the 1976 Code.
The agency head of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education shall not be required to take this mandatory furlough based solely on the implementation of a reduction in force plan by a technical college.
An agency head shall not be required to take this mandatory furlough based solely on reductions in force implemented as a result of federal budget cuts.
Ruining people’s lives can really wear a girl out. Sure she needs the time to rest and have a totty or ten.