If you saw yesterday’s Political Column you saw this item: WAS ELLIOTT, the council’s self-proclaimed fiscal watchdog, angling Tuesday night for the city’s lifeguards to get higher pay so that his younger daughter, one of the city’s newest lifeguards, could earn more scratch?
Elliott, who expressed opposition to pay raises for all city employees during the budget debate, said Tuesday the salary structure for all lifeguards should be examined.
He said it has been a longtime problem that the city hires and trains lifeguards only to see them leave shortly thereafter to other communities offering better pay, leaving Lowell short-staffed. As of Tuesday, Elliott said the city was short seven lifeguards, which was a problem he mentioned in the context of Councilor Marty Lorrey’s motion calling for more summer water facilities in the city.
Elliott disclosed publicly that his daughter is a lifeguard. Later, he requested a report from the city manager on why the city has a tough time retaining lifeguards. When reached by The Column, Elliott said he was taken aback by the suggestion that his comments had anything to do with seeing his daughter’s pay rise. “I don’t care if she gets paid minimum wage,” Elliott said. “It is not about that at all. I’m just happy she is learning valuable skills and having a good time.
“I mentioned the pay for lifeguards because Councilor Lorrey’s motion would require more lifeguards and we don’t even have enough for the pools and splash pad we already plan to open. I just want to see if we can solve that problem. This was not about my daughter.”
Parks and Recreation Commissioner Tom Bellegarde confirmed to The Column that lifeguards typically leave the city to go to private clubs with better pay and better hours and also go to other communities with better pay. The city, which he said pays lifeguards between $9.50 and $12.50, has not increased lifeguard pay since the late 1990s.
Perhaps Elliott’s motives were pure, but lifeguard pay was an issue he would have been wise to let another councilor raise.
After I Posted my Sunday Column denouncing that item and saying, A city worker upset with Councilor Elliot emailed me a similar remark, I am guessing emailed the same comment to the SUN which they chose to run with.
Later a person named Judy posted saying:
Upon showing up at her job as a lifeguard today, my granddaugher Mikayla Elliott was told her “paperwork was not processed” and she could not lifeguard. She had just driven home with her parents from Barnstead NH, where they were on vacation, a 1 1/2-2hour drive. She was embarassed and confused as she had turned in all her paperwork over a month ago. Did this happen to anyone else? and if it did, how can you not process new lifeguards for the opening of the pools on a busy holiday week.
Using someone’s child for petty political payback is juvenile, ludicrous and vile.
No one who serves in public office should have their child get treated poorly or unfairly because of politics.
I checked into Judy’s posting because I am very upset and ticked off that city workers would in any way use a child to extract any type of political revenge and that is exactly what this appears to be. I reached out to not only the emailer but directly to Councilor Elliot.
Rodney and I may disagree on many things but one thing has always been perfectly clear to me when it comes to Rodney Elliot. He is a great dad and loves and supports his kids. Rodney is always with his family and doing things to encourage and support his daughters and no one should ever screw with anyones’ family.
Do paperwork snafu’s happen? Yes but for someone to get their schedule and equipment and be told to show up at a specific pool and a set time to work only to do that and be told that your paperwork wasn’t processed reeks of at best ineptitude and at worst petty politics.
Much like the Bathroom Snafu at the Soccer Field , this again looks to me and I am sure the Elliot’s and their friends has petty political payback. It makes the Administration look terrible and they may not have anything to do with it directly but they are responsible for the day to day activities and if this was just a college kid making a mistake than that college kid needs to be employed somewhere else where they can’t screw up someone’s life.
To his credit in his email response Councilor Elliot would not go down that road. He gave me the basic information about the process he participated in with his daughter, driving her to get her papers, drug test and to the interview, without accusing anyone of anything but he is an upset Dad has I am and it isn’t my kid or a close friend.
I’m upset that anyone’s child who went through rigorous lifeguard training course and studied hard to pass it, took CPR, First Aid got her working papers at the School Dept, took her drug test, got her paperwork from Great West (the City’s deferred comp provider since she’s not eligible for City Retirement = because she is part time and 15 years old) dated June 21st that her paperwork for OBRA/mandatory deferred comp had been received and picked up her equipment and received her schedule shows me that her paperwork was indeed submitted and yet gets sent home without an explanation about what allegedly was missing and incomplete.
So who screwed it up and why?
She did everything she was told to do and beyond, she showed up for work, only to be sent home and only told that your paperwork wasn’t processed without anyone telling her exactly what was allegedly missing is embarrassing for her and for the city and the administration.
It is uncalled for and the City Administration needs to explain why it happened and why again it appears to be political payback against a specific councilor.
I have reached out to the Manager who was out of state all week and will post his response but to an outsider who is just watching, I am outraged that a possibility exist that a child was used to get petty payback against her father and every councilor ,elected official and Dad should be upset.
Someone’s got some Explaining to do!
Let me join you in being outraged , Gerry. This appears to be nothing short of outrageous and totally unrthical behavior on the part of a person or persons who have a beef with Councilor Elliott. If the city is losing lifeguards to other places, then we need to know. The pools cannot open without adequate coverage. Someone needs to be held responsible for this political petteness.
This sounds like a simple mistake by a clerical worker. My child had a similar experience at a grocery store job. He ended up starting work a couple of days later. Really not a big deal. I question the motives of the people who put this child’s name on public display. Seems pretty suspicious to me.
The SUN had an item in the column about lifeguards wrongly repeating accusations that the Councilor was trying to get his daughter a raise.
The kid was screwed because of someone’s mistake, either not being trained properly or being trained poorly they didn’t add her and others to the payroll, either way it cost someone a days pay and has a Dad I’d be upset if it happened to my kid which is why I not the councilor made an issue out of it.
Didn’t I read a comment by a grandparent that initially put this child’s name out to the public? My son didn’t feel “screwed” when the grocery store made a mistake. He just started his regular shifts a few days later. It’s not as if my son or the councilor’s daughter have to pay rent or electric bills.
Also, I don’t see where the Sun said lifeguards were repeating accusations; it merely said Councilor Elliott raised the issue of pay for all lifeguards and that his daughter is a lifeguard. I just reread the item. Did I miss something?
The SUN had an item in the column about lifeguards, wrongly repeating accusations that the Councilor was trying to get his daughter a raise.
I mentioned on Sunday that I had received the same accusations stating Councilor Elliot was trying to get Lifeguards a raise and oh his daughter is a lifeguard. I refused to post those because I saw the meeting and that wasn’t his intention.
Good for your son, has a parent I would be upset if my child participated ion training mandated by the city for a week, was given her schedule , her equipment and showed up for work only to be turned away with no explanation. Did the grocery store run mandated training for a week requiring your son to attend has a condition of employment?
A Grandmother was upset and I looked into it.
Bernie supporters love it when I kick the crap out of Rodney but say anything negative about the Manager and you all go into protect mode.
The CITy screwed up and it cost kids not only a days pay but some embarrassment showing up to work and your peers seeing you sent home. I think it was wrong and said so and to his credit Councilor Elliot NEVER said it was politicial I SAID IT LOOKS IT and it looks bad and if you put awy the I LOVE BERNIE glasses you would admit it looks bad…Bernie did!
The comma you added below to the first sentence makes a big difference in how I read it, so thanks for the clarification.
My son did have to do mandatory training prior to starting his job, which we both expected. I would prefer to have him trained before using dangerous equipment, (slicers, heavy duty trash compactors, etc.).
My concern about all of this, which I agree has received overreaction, is that a child’s name has been put into the public forum and is probably not something the child wanted to happen.
I think EVERYONE over reacted. Government screw-ups aren’t exactly shocking and why should kids be exempt from Govt. incompetence – nobody else is. Councilor Elliott should know that to sanction his child to work for the city exposes both of them to speculation by those who are his poitical detractors. Might not be nice but that’s reality and EVERYONE knows it.
Gerry you get a little bit the conquering hero crusader – just saying..
I am so tired of the Elliott bashers. As a parent – Elliott has every right to ask about a screw-up Hey- even the Manager said it was a snafu. Just because he is a Councilor does not take away his right to speak out on subjects – like the soccer field snafu. And he was speaking for ALL lifeguards when he asked about the pay. If we are paying to train these kids and then losing our money when they go elsewhere for higher pay and better working conditions, then we need to take a look at the situation. ( And condsidering the number of police calls to the North and South Common pools- you gotta wonder what the working conditions are there. ). Someone has to bring up the problems. Had it been another Councilor bringing it forward , would the Elliott haters still be complaining? Of course not……