Beginning of the End of Valenti
If you haven't seen the interview on KVIA between Darren Hunt and Jim Valenti regarding his bonus, you should. Valenti comes across as a real villain.
He was asked directly if he will return the bonus and Valenti flat-out said no.
Darren Hunt confronted Valenti yesterday about bonus and if he should give it back after having to track him down: http://www.kvia.com/news/valenti-responds-to-abc7-about-120000-bonus/29809836
Watch the video because it's not often that you see a guy instantly signal the end of his career on video. I think in the eyes of the public he has just become the next Gary Larcenaire. Valenti comes across as ambivalent about the employees that were let go and almost defiant towards the community about the bonus.
This is when his career meets up with public opinion and frayed relationships with commissioners. Mark my words, this will ultimately be the beginning of the end for Valenti.
The part that is really gonna reverberate in the community is the fact that he is so defiant about accepting and keeping the bonus. Sorry, but given the timing and series of events we've been through as a community it is unbelievable that he is taking that stand.
He now makes himself a popular target. Other than the Board, elected officials were the only ones giving him any air cover. Now he lost that. The only people left that has is back are the Board members and after this even, it's doubtful that any of them get reappointed.
Seriously Brother Nick, way to look out for the downtrodden by giving a guy who makes 1/2 a mil another $120k!
Before that KVIA interview there was still a way for Valenti to turn the ship around. Since the reason he was given the bonus according to the story from the board was because of customer satisfaction, he should've taken the amount of the bonus and divided by the number of employees for the hospital and given them all a small bonus before the holidays. That would've shown leadership, would've shown he was aware of public opinion, and would've been a small gesture that would have been I appreciated by staff that made the bonus happen in the first place.
Most of all it would've demonstrated just how sick he really is about having to give 56 employees pink slips.
Instead he doubles-down on stubborn.
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Now remember I said there wasn't really anything that commissioners court could do about this? Well that point was underscored by Commissoner Perez yesterday. He called for the resignation of Tania Chozets appointment to the Hospital Board. It's really all that any commissioner can do and they don't have to listen. Today we read in the paper that his appointment stands by the decision of the Board and intends to finish out her term. Commissioners court is powerless to do anything about it right now. But good luck getting a budget approved by commissioners court next year that doesn't address this issue.
And frankly, let's put blame where it needs to be. The Board members are the most culpable for not doing anything at all to stop this. Let's stop acting like they don't have the power to act. They could've pushed through a resolution saying that while they are obligated to do so by the contract that Valenti isn't required to accept it. They could've moved to renegotiate his contract and taken out those bonuses or modified it in such a way that stipulates that in a budget year where there is any type of RIF that a bonus inst awarded. They have plenty of options. And of all the options they choose, the one the go with is to pull a Tammy Wynette and Stand By Their Man?
They failed the community.
Darren Hunt confronted Valenti yesterday about bonus and if he should give it back after having to track him down: http://www.kvia.com/news/valenti-responds-to-abc7-about-120000-bonus/29809836
Watch the video because it's not often that you see a guy instantly signal the end of his career on video. I think in the eyes of the public he has just become the next Gary Larcenaire. Valenti comes across as ambivalent about the employees that were let go and almost defiant towards the community about the bonus.
This is when his career meets up with public opinion and frayed relationships with commissioners. Mark my words, this will ultimately be the beginning of the end for Valenti.
The part that is really gonna reverberate in the community is the fact that he is so defiant about accepting and keeping the bonus. Sorry, but given the timing and series of events we've been through as a community it is unbelievable that he is taking that stand.
He now makes himself a popular target. Other than the Board, elected officials were the only ones giving him any air cover. Now he lost that. The only people left that has is back are the Board members and after this even, it's doubtful that any of them get reappointed.
Seriously Brother Nick, way to look out for the downtrodden by giving a guy who makes 1/2 a mil another $120k!
Before that KVIA interview there was still a way for Valenti to turn the ship around. Since the reason he was given the bonus according to the story from the board was because of customer satisfaction, he should've taken the amount of the bonus and divided by the number of employees for the hospital and given them all a small bonus before the holidays. That would've shown leadership, would've shown he was aware of public opinion, and would've been a small gesture that would have been I appreciated by staff that made the bonus happen in the first place.
Most of all it would've demonstrated just how sick he really is about having to give 56 employees pink slips.
Instead he doubles-down on stubborn.
------------------------------------------------------
Now remember I said there wasn't really anything that commissioners court could do about this? Well that point was underscored by Commissoner Perez yesterday. He called for the resignation of Tania Chozets appointment to the Hospital Board. It's really all that any commissioner can do and they don't have to listen. Today we read in the paper that his appointment stands by the decision of the Board and intends to finish out her term. Commissioners court is powerless to do anything about it right now. But good luck getting a budget approved by commissioners court next year that doesn't address this issue.
And frankly, let's put blame where it needs to be. The Board members are the most culpable for not doing anything at all to stop this. Let's stop acting like they don't have the power to act. They could've pushed through a resolution saying that while they are obligated to do so by the contract that Valenti isn't required to accept it. They could've moved to renegotiate his contract and taken out those bonuses or modified it in such a way that stipulates that in a budget year where there is any type of RIF that a bonus inst awarded. They have plenty of options. And of all the options they choose, the one the go with is to pull a Tammy Wynette and Stand By Their Man?
They failed the community.
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