gallagher papers 12
frank...@hotmail.com
March 28 2004
>From : Frank Gallagher C.S.T. Party Chief
Re: Meeting March 26 2004
Dear Bruce
Last Friday before lunch you came to tell me that I should come to the
boardroom for a meeting with you and Bob M who had his response
prepared to my writings.We should bring Gord S along as a witness so
that there is no misunderstanding.
I saw this as the same type meeting that I rejected when we spoke March
1 2004.This was mentioned in my writing of March 13 2004........
6...I am sorry that you thought the best way to handle this was to get
the Union involved.
At this time I had the suspicion that I was obligated to attend and
perhaps I was not going to get the written response that you agreed to
as I mentioned in Sorry Eight...through Thirteen.Specifically....
11...I am sorry that an employee's concerns in writing do not require a
written response.
12...I am sorry that an employee's concerns will not be addressed until
he finds that secret stairway.
13.. I am sorry.....
I am pleased to say that I have found that secret stairway in 12..as
you have asked Bob to address my writings.
That writing to you on March 13 2004 began...
Dear Bruce ;
Sorry about the delay ..but I have been sick since we spoke March 1
2004.You were quite upset..you will agree as you were reacting to my
writing dated February 29 2004.(presented March 1 2004)
I am not sorry this time that you wanted the Union involved because
Gord recorded the minutes of the meeting.
My suspicions did not go unfounded.As I had mentioned to you on March 1
2004 that a meeting with a Union member present doesn't work for me.I
am not a gifted talker as you guys and with my illness you guys will
spin me around and take my responses out of context until you get
responses favourable to you.
I had said that I simply wanted a response to my writings from you in
writing which you said that I would never get ....but at the end of the
day I agreed that I would accept a writing from Bob M.
Well I am still concerned as I stated in SORRY TWO.(March 13 2004)
I am concerned that your only concern of my concern of my concern is
your concern of my presentation of my concern and how you managed to
turn my concern into that which concerns you.
I was still not feeling very good at the meeting as I had just returned
to work after another two days off work .....when you confronted me
with the fact that you were concerned about the time that I had taken
off sick leave.You had found something in my writings that you felt you
could use for your concerns but never have you asked how I am which is
a significant concern of mine.You showed me a sheet of paper and
suggested that I could get help from one of the agencys listed on it.I
did notice there was alcohol assistance listed.I told you that I was
not in need of any of those services.I mentioned to you on March 1 that
I do not like the way that you make comments in front of staff that I
was a heavy drinker back when we worked together at U.M.E. That I
thought that wasn't becoming of a person in your esteem position with
the Department.So I assume that you figured that you could use this
against me.I believe that this was to be treated as a warning ,not the
beginning of a disciplinary action as Gord queried that.
You know very well that I love my job and would never take time off if
I was not sick.You know that I am under Doctor's care (just 2 now) and
have been since a couple of years ago when I fell asleep trying to come
back to work (I wrote off my car and the one I hit .(Nobody was
hurt).This illness in fact had been considered cured for a long time
before last February 4 2004 when I had the occasion to mention so ...to
my Doctor but started to reoccur not too long after that.In fact as I
mentioned above I have been sick since we spoke March 1 2004 and I had
been off a couple of days here and a couple of days there prior to our
meeting of March 1 2004.I have mentioned that I have been diagnosed as
suffering from depression.I never realized it until just before our
March 1 meeting that perhaps the way I have been treated at work has
caused my illness.
During the meeting I asked if you people have given any thought to my
writing on the 66' Road Maybe ?Gord mentioned that the fellow in charge
years ago ...would make a great effort to get the 66' road.
You mentioned that the supervisors now still try to get the 66'.
Bob mentioned that it depended on circumstances etc. etc.
I asked if any thought had been given to my proposal of showing the
results of our field work on the APSET program or whatever ?
The response was maybe.... away down the road but it is too costly at
this time.Gord agreed with you.
The meeting ended with ...soon GIS will be updated to show some of the
data that I was interested in and that you will give us a demonstration
when it is available.
Also that Bob would not be responding in writing as you had agreed to
May 1 2004.
I wasn't feeling very good as I say and the meeting served your purpose
as I suspected a rap session might.
I still have not been able to explain my writings to you because you
are still of the mind that I am a sick old man who needs some kind of
help ?You are of the opinion that I am not up to date on the direction
the Department is headed and I will agree for reasons that I have
previously stated in other writings.
I will say that after you enlightened me as to what is happening with
GIS ....I still feel that my writings and suggestions could be
implimented in some form which I am prepared to discuss and present a
solution to that which you say would be too expensive to do.
The costs would be negligible.
You must come to the table with an open mind .
You must understand the benefits of the big picture first .
Then I can explain where all my other writings fit in....including
Exercise # 1
You must stop thinking in terms that I do not understand the system as
you guys do.
That... I believe is a bonus to me for if I were on the same flow as
you my attention would be occupied too.The Department has been trying
to paddle upstream in an old birch bark canoe that has been modified
over and over again to do the same thing.That is to retrieve records so
that a surveyor can go out and retrace street lines and in so doing
create one more street line to add to the many that are there now for
the one street line shown on the registered plan of subdivision.
My theory which involves all my writings is to go with the flow.I do
not mean the flow of staff ,however,because they do not flow.They are
farting against the wind so to speak.
Just like the Leica and its inabilities to provide the services needed
by an experienced Party Chief.It provides the same service that our old
Topcon data collectors which we shelved back in 1990 when I introduced
the Sokias which allow you to calculate as you go.
This Leica is an improvement of the old system because the data
collector is just a card the size of a credit card inside the Leica
compared to a an external attachment which requires a battery and
cables also to operate.
The Leica is just a version of an archaic system trying to swim
upstream.Much like salmon they are doomed to die and hopefully before
they lay too many eggs.
So is the theory of forever searching for better ways to provide old
data and evidence for use to create another street line as I mentioned
previously.
My procedure is designed to flow with the stream (forces of nature)
which will get us to the desired state of control of City Property at a
significant reduction in cost.
I hope that is the concern.
In conclusion I would like to thank you for agreeing with me that the
Leica and its archaic field application is inferior to my system with
the Topcon and HP48 GL data collector which I believe you acknowledged
by responding to my querry "Did you decide about the Leica ?"
Your response was yes ,that I should continue my way.
Now hopefully we can move on to this big picture I have been referring
to and that you will see that where you are headed is similar to the
Leica scenario.
Once again I request that you come to the table with the desire to
explore the benefits of my proposal and how all my other writings fit
in.
I know it is hard to read my stuff and come out swinging on my side but
I had to get your attention and get you guys thinking about the subject
matter so that you may be prepared to better judge my proposal.Remember
that there always are problems to overcome and the biggest will have
been accomplished when you get one foot in my boat.
I Thank You in advance.
fg
PS
Gord ...could I have a copy of the minutes of the meeting Friday March
26 2004.
Thank You
fg
Copies to
Wally K
Bruce M
Bob B
Bruce B
Dan Q
Pat S
Ron K
Gord S