DEDICATED COURT WORKER IS FIRED

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 2, 1992                   TAG: 9201020175
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
DEDICATED COURT WORKER IS FIRED
AN OUTGOING county supervisor won the election for Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk and moved from a "great protector of the county with concern for its people and employees" to that of a county constitutional-department head. Entrusted with the welfare of both the county and the employees of his new office, he quickly terminated one court employee effective Jan. 1.
Then six days before Christmas, he "rewarded" a second court employee, who had close to 20 years of dedicated non-political service, with the Christmas greeting, "You're fired!" While surprised at the first, not knowing if it was political or not, many were shocked and appalled at the termination of the second, Pat James.
To legal/court/law professionals, Pat is well-known as one of the most efficient and conscientious employees you could find in this or any other state court system. She is not a "political" person, only intolerant of laziness and inefficiency, and possibly as a result of this and her professional standing, considered potentially "threatening" to incoming Steve McGraw. Rather than keep Pat for the good of the county, he is sending her to the wolves of the current recession.
The wheels of the court will turn in spite of Pat's dismissal. But all you who know Pat James and her value as a dedicated county employee can almost begin to hear already a faint squeaking noise in the court mechanism. Please, there must be something that the county or someone can do to right this wrong. Surely, efficiency and dedication in Roanoke County count for something! MICHAEL SIMPSON ROANOKE

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB