September 01, 2005
Dean Logan Makes case for own termination

This is from Dean Logan's Notice of Proposed Termination to Nicole Way last week.

I am aware that you have completed the Secretary of State's certification courses where accuracy in the count is stressed as the most important part of the elections process. I trusted that a fourteen year employee, a certified elections administrator and a supervisor, you would have accuracy, not expediency, as your primary concern. It is clear from the investigators findings that this was not the case
Well talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Dean Logan not only completed the training program for elections officials, he created it. He had to have known then, that the King County Canvassing Board, on which he sat last November, violated state law when it certified the election without reviewing the polling place reconciliation reports which were required by WAC 434-253-204, and which would have showed there were hundreds of discrepancies. The excuse Logan gave to the County Council earlier this year? The law required certification on a specific date, when in fact it does not.

By proposing to terminate an employee for putting expediency above accuracy, Logan now agrees with our own rationale why Logan himself should be fired.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at September 01, 2005 11:34 AM | Email This
Comments
1. Who's in charge here?

Posted by: OroDave on September 1, 2005 11:40 AM
2. The Pigs are in charge, since they're the smartest of the animals.

Posted by: Al on September 1, 2005 11:45 AM
3. I hope she sues, and it all comes out again. Can anyone give her the name of an experienced lawyer?

Posted by: HappyGoLucky on September 1, 2005 12:16 PM
4. HappygoLucky,
I am sure Nicole Way signed a confidentiality agreement as well as an agreement barring her from taking future legal action against King County in return for some sort of compensation package.

Posted by: Joe on September 1, 2005 12:26 PM
5. That's really funny! It was Logan and Hunnekens that stressed how important it was to break new records in numbers of absentees processed the day following the election. How quickly Dean forgets.

From my point of view while working at King County Elections during the 2004 Election it was Hunnekens and Logan who were solely responsible for pushing expediency at the cost of accuracy.

They were pushing all departments including absentee and provisional ballot processing and the canvass crew to complete their tasks before deadlines with little regard for procedure and accuracy.

I recall my supervisor breaking down after Hunnekens came to her with changes in long standing procedures and new deadlines to complete different aspects of the canvass crews work.

I can't remember seeing a clearer example of turning someone into a scapegoat then this. It is clear by Nicole's own testimony that she participated in wrong doing. But to hold her completely responsible for an attitude that trickled down from the top is the height of hypocrisy.

Posted by: Joe on September 1, 2005 12:29 PM
6. To these people everything, and I do mean everything, is contingent on whether or not you get away with it. They must lay awake at night thinking to themselves ‘how can we fool them tomorrow.’

Take for instance this little gem from today’s Pee Eye

"To get a fourth train earlier (than planned) is a great thing for the riding public," said Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, chairman of Sound Transit's board.

This is surreal. If I am not mistaken, the voters were promised nine Sounder trains running between Tacoma and Seattle by 2006 when they bought this bill of goods back in 1996. To spin this news as being ahead of schedule is.... ... . in a word farcical.

Furthermore what does this say about the ‘reporter’ that didn’t ask Ladenburg: ‘Mr Chairman, how can you say something like that in light of what is in the public record regarding what voters were promised when they voted for Sound Move back in ’96?’

I often wonder how much longer the msm will ignore poling that places their veracity below that of aluminum siding salesmen.

I no longer have a television, have cancelled all news magazine and local newspaper subscriptions and get my news from the Wall Street Journal because I got tired of being treated to one load of horse crap after another. Judging from their ratings and distribution figures, I am not the only one tha tis totally fed up.

Posted by: JDH on September 1, 2005 12:46 PM
7. Sims, Logan, Hunnekens and Way go camping. So far Way is the slow one and the bear has caught her. Problems for the the other three they think the bear will be distracted and or satisfied with munching on Way.

Sorry we're not buying.

The whole bunch, SoS Reed, the democratic machine in KC and Olympia need to go.

Then we can start on real reform, Way is merely a distraction to the big picture.

For a nice recap of how we got here Imprimis has a article by Bob Williams of the EFF.

Posted by: JCM on September 1, 2005 01:50 PM
8. Just let Logan keep talkin'!
He has already shot himself in the foot so many times he has no foot except the other one that is lodged in his mouth.
Few rational people are buying his cover-up.
I'm just thankful Logan is keeping this debacle front and center with election almost here. PERFECT!!! if you are David Irons!
Sims will only keep Logan around until after the election.
Sims has to.
But right after the 1st of the year, Logan will get his confidential settlement and be gone to.

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on September 1, 2005 02:23 PM
9. Anyone think there is more than meets the eye, here? Think Nicole may have tried to blackmail Sims or Logan for a title and compensation by threatening to spill the beans? Seems to me, if they fire her then they can claim disgruntled ex-employee like they have before.

Posted by: Shannon C on September 1, 2005 02:57 PM
10. Nicole is obviously not a *team player.*

Posted by: South County on September 1, 2005 03:08 PM
11. On this general topic, here is an email that I just sent to the Louisiana State GOP.

"Hi-
I live in the State of Washington and observed the lows in our recent gubentorial election.
The Dems stole our election through fraud and criminal acts, and this was under normal circumstances. Not like the ones that your state may face in months or years to come.

I am thinking of your state and hope so much that you can unseat Blanco at her next election.

I came across an interesting remark in a blog that may be helpful and insightful for pre-emptive planning:

"I would have to ask just how they will be able to hold an election, and who would be allowed to vote. Would it include the 50,000 people who are being relocated to Texas, as well as all the others who left for other locations before the storm. An election would be a logistical nightmare, and the dims will be screaming to all about how the repubs rigged the whole deal."

I hope this may be helpful."

Posted by: Lynn on September 1, 2005 03:34 PM
12. Hmm. Dean Logan getting fired. Holding breath starting.....now.

Still holding.

Still holding.

Posted by: The Dude on September 1, 2005 04:10 PM
13. Lynn - no offense and with all due respect, but I think it's kind of tasteless at this point in the Katrina disaster to be playing politics with it. In a couple of weeks, fine... but to be discussing their upcoming gubernatorial election and how to defeat her right now is kind of warped, especially with the chaos that is New Orleans and the thousands dead and dying. It's no different then RFK junior's screed or the jerks on Airhead America blaming this all on Bush. There are more important things for their state GOP to worry about... like simply living to see that election.

Posted by: Mike H on September 1, 2005 04:14 PM
14. Dude, take a breath.

I am thinking the basement may freeze before we get reform in KCE.

Posted by: JCM on September 1, 2005 05:26 PM
15. Am I the only one hoping that biteme/jdb/Dupe doesn't teach his kids that old auto-asphyxiation trick?

Posted by: alphabet soup on September 1, 2005 05:38 PM
16. I do remember his saying that meeting deadlines was more important the anything else going on back when. Apparently more important than accuracy, even, is what he seemed to imply back when. Why is his head not on the chopping block, too, then?

Posted by: Michele on September 1, 2005 05:45 PM
17. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that Sims has been managing this whole thing for his own PR needs. Nobody at KCREALS or in the KCE office cares about anything other than staying in power.

So much for public service.

Posted by: Jeff B. on September 1, 2005 06:11 PM
18. If I were to write a letter to Dean Logan It would go like this:

Dear Dean,

How long do you think you can keep up this dog and pony show with your boss Ron Sims. Your whole office including Ron Sims are THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!! Do you realize how much ammo. you are giving the other side?! This Sir proves that ignorance is not always bliss.

Posted by: Laurie on September 2, 2005 07:41 AM
19. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!

What the he@@ is this incompetent turkey STILL doing here? Why is he STILL on the payroll? Who the he@@ is pulling the puppet strings?

Any "dollar store" would have fired this guy for failing his employer!! Milking the system. What next--a nice fat "guilt-severance" package for screwing up?! Jeez--you SEA folks deserve your 'just desserts.' Have a nice day. Hey--did you also give "that nice kid" your car keys to valet park your car? Sheesh.

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on September 2, 2005 10:48 PM
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