iePolitics: Jeff Burum . . . Jeff Burum . . . and more Jeff Burum

I sent a text to Jim Erwin this morning after reading the Sun story on former Assessor’s Office employee Rex Gutierrez’ preliminary hearing yesterday, basically saying that I hope when this whole scandal is over, Jeff Burum sues the heck out of the Sun, Adam Aleman, and Mike Ramos.  Tonight I read the Press Enterprise story and am adding that paper to the list.

I wrote in my “Black Helicopters” post on the last blog about my almost two-hour conversation with Adam Aleman a few months ago where he claimed that District Attorney investigators intimidated and tricked him into saying things about the entire cast of characters in the corruption scandal, including Jeff Burum.  He completely denied presenting any of the information to District Attorney investigators as hard, cold facts and stated that much of it was rumor he expected them to check out and not act on until verified.

Now we find out that the District Attorney’s office is apparently blaming Burum for everything wrong in this county from the bodies found at the bottom of Seccome Lake to the flooding of the Library Administration basement.  It seems he controls every living, breathing moment of every county official; has a hand in every high-level decision; and even determines disciplinary action of county employees.  Well Jeff, then will you please get that darn letter of reprimand for union activity taken out of my personnel file?

You know, if Adam Aleman supervised Rex Gutierrez then it was up to Adam Aleman to deal with Rex’s time card issues.  But he didn’t.  To blame time card fraud issues on someone who doesn’t even work for the county is ridiculous.

Rex was an exempt employee.  He could have worked as many or as few hours as his supervisor authorized.  Apparently, Adam didn’t have an issue then.  So why is there an issue now?  To save his own butt?  Of course.  Well if there is someone who didn’t do the job they were hired to do, it would appear that it is Adam Aleman.  Where are the time card fraud charges against him?

And there is a heck of a lot of blame to go around for those who work for the county and that is where the scapegoat should be found.  But that doesn’t sell newspapers or give alibis to pathological liars, does it?