To the Editor:

Greetings. I’m an educator, beekeeper, mead maker and most of all I’m someone who is deeply concerned about the sexual/ exploitation of our children in this county.

I have no true connection to the DSS problems associated with the county. I’m on the outside looking in. However, I have listened to these stories, and I believe them.

Recently there have been social media posts from CPS employees which are extremely upsetting. I also noticed that CPS workers have organized and created a petition to defeat a resolution that would keep CPS workers from being foster parents.

County government is for the 60,000 tax paying citizens it is not for a private interest group of public employees. These employees are represented by a union. But most of all they are held to a code of ethics in the local ethics law. I would urge all of you to read it.

Being limited in space I will try to demonstrate using just a few of the many violations I see.

Code: “A County officer or employee should show respect to the public, to his or her superiors, subordinates, and co-workers, and to all with whom the County officer or employee deals with.”

So, to quote a social media post: “It’s not ok to defy a court order? Who are you to take matters into your own hands?

I urge you all to join me in contacting ….and demand… The board member resigns immediately”

Read the code we elected our public officials; therefore, employees are bound by ethics. Public comments which call into question the motives of an elected official by an employee violates this code.

Code: “A County officer or employee should maintain confidential information to which the County officer or employee is privy as a result of his or her government position and shall never use or disclose that information for personal gain or private purposes.”

I’m not going to reference the “confidential information” being spread by CPS workers and social media posts. What I’ll tell you is I received information from these posts that I think violates this code. I have presented my concerns to the county attorney.

Code: A County officer or employee should refrain from any personal, private, financial, business, or political activities that might undermine the public’s confidence in the government and shall never use his or her official position for private gain.

A County resolution would have removed children from foster homes with employees as foster parents. This resolution is in line with county ethics.

Thus what concerns me with this code violation are two things. A petition was organized by employees to fight the resolution. This petition is a “Political” activity designed to defeat public debate and comment as well as support a negative outcome.

It’s not ethical for employees of the county to organize against the county to prevent the Government from addressing the concerns of its electorate.

In addition, “Foster the Family” “#whohelpsthehelpers” are organizations that raises money for foster parents thus providing resources. While that may be good. Its not Ethical for employees to contribute to the fundraising efforts as an organized group to defeat legislation.

In closing thank you for taking the time to read this. In my opinion CPS employees have really made me question the motives of workers and in particular the leadership or lack thereof. There needs to be an open debate void of unethical special interest groups.

I urge the legislature to put a stop to this public hostility displayed by county employees to the people they are supposed to serve.

William Roome
Madrid