County
What About Combat Pay?
October 27, 2005 
Looking for a job as a war correspondent and don’t want to visit Iraq? We have a tip for the guy or gal seeking danger, excitement and the thrill of combat.
The Ada County Commissioners are looking for a full-time public relations person to make friends with the community and the media.
The job posting offers $50,000 to $60,000 annually plus bennies. It doesn’t say if the bennies include official visits to Hawaii, but it is worth asking.
The duties are a treasure trove for stand up comedians and bloggers:
–You will have to serve as the “primary point of contact for media inquiries.” Point of contact” may mean DART BOARD!
–Establish working relationships with media reps….like explain why they got locked out of a meeting the chairman says they didn’t need to be locked out of.
–Get this! They want to PAY someone to “keep the commissioners informed of potential controversies.” We know a bunch of citizens who would offer that service absolutely FREE.
–One of the duties will obviously give the new employee a full time relationship with Sharon Ullman because they will have to respond to public “information requests.”
–Oh yeah. You serve at the pleasure of the county commissioners and there currently IS a vacancy.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Oct 27, 2005, 4:19 pm
October 27, 2005
I got $50/month for combat pay once and that was too much combat for too little pay for me.
Gotta love those Ada County Commissioners.
Beyond that I invoke the 5th Amendment.
Oct 27, 2005, 4:56 pm
Seems to me they are asking too much of one full time employee. Just keeping them abreast of potential controversies looks to be a full time job, since they manufacture them more quickly than they resolve them. And the public information request duties….also a full time job. Maybe if Tibbs isn’t elected he can be the County spin doctor. A public service and supplementing that PERSI retirement, what a deal. Just a thought.
Oct 27, 2005, 7:38 pm
Tam
you and I see eye to eye on this one, but I think that if Brandi loses she could do her public service job, as a public relations person for Ada County. I think it could save us all money… and maybe we will get the 10 commandments back in the park and all of our problems will be solved! Lord knows the Ada County commisses. need the 10 commandments… Thou shalt not steal!
Oct 27, 2005, 9:14 pm
Porc,
As much as they could use the morality boost, Brandi isn’t enough of a “yes man” for these commissioners. A 28 year old virgin knows how to say NO (which may make her actually better at City Council as much as I hate to admit that). She would look good on camera though.
Oct 27, 2005, 10:29 pm
The want add should read:
Must be able to make unlawful acts appear lawful.
Oct 28, 2005, 8:46 am
Is this a new position? Wouldn’t a position like this need to be approved by the Ada County voters? If not,we are adding another un-necessary, un-needed position to our tax role. Pathetic, Ada County Cons. Pathetic and weak. The trip to Hawaii, illegal closed meetings. Admit your illegal behavior and pay your fines. The commissioners are lucky the general public is busy working 60 hours a week and not noticing the Ada Co. Cons incompetence. Seems our elected officials are reflecting our national leadership.
There is current push for results based pay for teachers in Idaho. We should put the commissioners on the teacher pay schedule and let the voters determine their income.
Oct 28, 2005, 8:52 am
Interesting, they pay their public relations person more than some of their civil division attorneys, but less than their private counsel. I am with Jack on the ad. And with Tam about Brandi. Anybody get the Hair up, hair down flyer? Looks like someone is running for homecoming queen. About all she is qualified for.
Oct 28, 2005, 10:28 am
Crim445
When is the last time you have been to a City Council meeting? If not go. Brandi is as qualified to serve as most on the council… You have one member that goes to sleep during meetings. Not to say that I blame them. I think if Brandi is elected it might help keep them awake.
Go to several meetings… very eye opening. They usually have a premeeting that starts at 6 in the precouncil chambers.
Ed note–you can also catch them live on Cable channel 11 at 7:30 Tues and reruns on Thurs.
Oct 28, 2005, 11:50 am
The job description of the new position sounds very similar to that of the Commissioner’s job description. I am OK with that, except having already elected someone to do those things I don’t see the need for the redundnacy.
However, if the Commissioners would care to step down so that we could start over and once again try to elect some responsible commissioners, that would be an action I could support.
Oct 28, 2005, 3:06 pm
Been to them frequently and often Porcupine. Brandi is not qualified, despite the behavior of our current city counsel members, if you consider that she does not have any college education, lacks understanding of basic constitutional principles, is void of rational problem solving skills, and has a criminal conviction. As a person around the same age with a graduate level education and a broad background in public service, I understand that the issues facing Boise are complex and at time overwhelming. Under your rational, Brandi meets the lowest bar set by our most uninterested council members; the bar should be set higher and I am guessing Marianne Jordan has gotten that message.
Oct 28, 2005, 5:44 pm
Just noticed that the Ada County commissioners’ Open Business Meeting Agenda for Tuesday, November 1, has the following item listed: Agreement No. 7029-1-05 – Renewal of Professional Services Agreement with Summit Communications. http://www.adaweb.net/body.asp?SN=Commissioners&url=http://www2.adaweb.net/ComAgen.nsf?OpenDatabase&ss=4000
Summit Communications is Melinda Nothern, the County’s current Public Information person. So why are the commissioners renewing the annual contract (it was $45,000 for the past year) with the current PR person while also advertising for a new $50,000 – $60,000 one? Are they planning on having two now?
Oct 28, 2005, 7:57 pm
Crim445
I think it would be a good experience if you ran. Not me! I am happy that we have anyone running against the current ones, at least we have a choice! Thankless job and everyone is mad at you. If you like the long hours and having no family life its the job for you…. but of course if you have a college education you can make much more money somewhere else. ( Unless you want to start getting into free trips like some of our past ones). You will also just love going around begging for money. And don’t forget about about the last hour phones calls that PAC’s with money will be making to defeat you!
One of the best and brightest City councilors that we had was Mike Weatherall. Got burned out. Don’t think we will ever be able to replace him…
Oct 28, 2005, 8:10 pm
Sharon Ullman: “Are they planning on having two [PR persons] now?”
Perhaps they figger with two, their PR will be twice as good! And what’s a measly $60k to the good taxpayers of Ada County?
Regarding the suggestion that a City Council member needs a college education… I dispute that. I’d take somebody with proven common sense and communications skills any day, over some College Poindexter. (Part of the current problem at the Council, IMO, is a preponderance of folks who figger they’re so smart they’re only distracted by the yokels they “serve.”)
Oct 28, 2005, 8:10 pm
They probably think it will take a whole year to find anyone daft enough to really WANT that job. They wouldn’t dare be without insurance…what and have to answer questions themselves? Get real.
Oct 28, 2005, 9:54 pm
Sharon: If you need an assistant in your “keeping them honest” campaign, just give me a call. I work cheap. (Or should I apply for the commissioner’s PR position? Good money… Hmmmm….) Treva Hamilton
Oct 30, 2005, 9:52 am
Thanks, Treva! Unless you decide to go for it and land the challenging P.R. gig with the county, our little group of citizens’ advocates can use someone with the common sense and intelligence you routinely display in your letters to the editor and comments on the Boise Guardian site. We are working to promote open, accountable local government with elected officials who just do the right thing and don’t waste taxpayers’ dollars. We have several projects going right now. A few of them are:
• trying to get detailed information on the courthouse financing scheme to find out the long-term cost and liability to Ada County’s taxpayers;
• working to gather more detailed information about the county’s spending practices to better inform the taxpaying public; and,
• observing the county’s operations in an effort to determine whether the commissioners are truly complying with the Idaho Open Meeting Law.
For Treva and anyone else who is interested, please give me a call (362-0843) if you want to help.
Nov 7, 2005, 11:09 am
the Guarian wrote:
“The duties are a treasure trove for stand up comedians and bloggers”.
The Guardian meets at least one of these qualifications (blogger). So, why don’t you give it a go, David? 🙂
Nov 14, 2005, 1:01 pm
Serve at the pleasure of an elected committee? What a hoot! Keep them informed of potential controversies? Will the Commissioners keep the PR person informed of the controversies they intend to create? The salary isn’t bad if one has a good fall-back position. I don’t see any long-term prospects in this one. Besides, Melinda Nothern is very good at what she does.