One Small Victory--Baby Steps

Excellent news - another battle has been won! Earlier today I learned the TWC found in favor of Marsha, the former WAO employee, whom Cryer tried to deny unemployment benefits after she was terminated without cause in May 2010.

Sometimes the system does work! More details on this victory later this weekend.

Another Excellent Program Distroyed

Okay, it's bad enough the current management has ruined the website, to which I have no doubt the web traffic significantly declined this month alone, but now in the new management's infinite wisdom elected to discontinue receiving the Wal-mart meat!!

For $100 a month, 3-months payment upfront, the WAO is entitled to visit 3 Wal-mart stores to pick-up the meat they are unable to sell. This is really good meat: Beef, fish, turkey, chicken, cold cuts, etc.

I believe the reason why they discontinued the program, before the end of the quarter (they still had several weeks left on the current quarter to pick up the meat) was due to shear laziness. The USDA/APHIS told the WAO to log incoming animal feed, such as Wal-mart meat, so as to keep track of the animals' meat supply. Last month, the WAO was written up for not keeping an animal feed log and so I think in response, the WAO decided to discontinue receiving donated meat (either from Wal-mart or HEB stores). This is an absolute disaster because now they are limited to the meat they can provide the animals. For instance, if they are only providing chicken to the animals (no doubt without the vitamin powder), and certain tigers, lions, or any of the small exotic cats cannot eat chicken, then they no longer have the additional meat supply to provide an alternate food source for these finiky meat eaters. Instead they have to eat the chicken or starve to death. This is the same type of situation I faced at the WAO in 2004. When does this nightmare ever end???

This entire situation is getting worse and the USDA/APHIS and OAG is doing nothing to stop this downward spiral. We (myself and five other respected members of the community) could help bring money and manpower into the organization if they would just get off their high horses and admit the current management screwed up and that they need our help (this includes the WAO management, board, staff, the USDA, and the OAG).

All we want to do is save the animals--why is that so difficult to understand?

The TWC Telephone Hearing Farce

Yesterday I participated in one of the former WAO employee’s Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) telephone hearing because the WAO claimed Marsha did not work her “scheduled hours.” What was interesting was the WAO did receive proof that she worked during the week in question. So instead of claiming she did not work the entire week, suddenly it was changed to “she did not work on Thursday and there was no approved leave request submitted for Friday.” New reason for termination: no-call, no show for two days instead of five days.

Michelle Cryer represented the WAO and she claimed at first that they had a time card entry for Thursday, but Marsha did not clock out. Then when confronted directly by Marsha in a cross-question, Cryer changed her story and claimed she had “a time card in her hands” which showed she did not clock out on Wednesday. If this was true, then how did Kim calculate her hours worked and translated those hours into a pay check? Interesting enough, Cryer now admitted she worked Monday – Wednesday, yet her paycheck for the week (Wednesday – Wednesday) was cancelled, claiming the paycheck was “stolen” from the WAO?

This woman’s story was a complete farce. I am stunned she even bothered to testify when clearly the WAO was in the wrong in filing a challenged to Marsha’s unemployment benefits. I was so proud of Marsha and Nicole’s testimony because they were able to shine a light in the Cryers false claims.  There is no doubt in my mind that Marsha will continue to receive her unemployment benefits -- her testimoney was a slam dunk and Michelle Cryer's testimony had to many holes in it, one could drive a WAO truck through it.

Wow, so instead of focusing on the fundraising for the animals, this woman chose to pursue a vendetta against the WAO’s former employees. Very sad indeed. Anyhoo, Cryer was very hostile towards me, Nicole, and Marsha during the telephone hearing, but she was sweet as pie towards the hearing officer! She never challenged my telephone statement, nor did she challenge my written statement to the OAG (see below).

On a different note: After re-reading Sherwood’s memorandum to the board (and eventually the OAG), he actually thought the WAO would bring in $50k for the July 11th fundraiser event! Unfortunately they raised less than $500. And then Sherwood claimed in the same memorandum the WAO would raise $25k for a 4th of July BBQ plate. What BBQ plate? I guess that’s another crazy expectation that fell through due to lack of leadership.