After Mike Matthews reported MLGW VP Armstead Ward lied about living in the city of Memphis, it was announced Ward will soon be out of a job. The CA says, “Utility president Jerry Collins said today that Ward was being released from his $164,964 a year job because he willfully violated MLGW’s residency policy.” MLGW however tells us Ward resigned. Either way he is set to stay in the job until early September.
What do you think?
He’s gone…are you people happy now?
Why are they letting him hang out till September???
He will be getting paid for doing nothing. Hmmmm … That’s what he was doing anyways.
“you people”????
“He’s gone…are you people happy now?”
Aren’t you happy that the utility company that you are part owner of is following the RULES that you voted for?
Personally no I am not happy. He lied and get almost 5 months to find another job. With his salary that equates to about 63K to do nothing. Why throw that money away. Just fire him old school. He deserves nothing at all.
“Why are they letting him hang out till September???”
In business we call this a “sweethearts goodbye”.
Ex-Pat
Sounds like a ’sweetheart deal’ to me. They don’t call it Light, Gas & Robbery for nothing, you know…. nfin8lup has it right. “He lied and gets almost 5 months to find another job.” How many of us would get that opportunity? You lie on your application, that’s misrepresentation - you know, obtaining under false pretenses?
I personally could care less. That he is gone is not going to reduce my rates or give me any money back. Also, why couldn’t they just give him the option of relocating to the city?
They should have told him that if he wanted to keep his job he should live, not just in the city, but at the address he listed as his legal residence. If the Director of Human Resources engages in this type of behavior, it makes you wonder what type people he hires… No wonder LG&W is broken; but, then, that’s our tax dollars at work…
Why not give him the option to relocate to the city? Are you serious? He lied, he got caught, he should hit the road. The chance to do the right thing was past. You can’t unlie. That’s the problem. LGW needs to grow some and show everyone if you do this sort of thing it will not be tolerated at ALL.
“why couldn’t they just give him the option of relocating to the city?”
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This is a cla*s*s*ic! … Because, tj21, he has exhibited a complete lack of personal integrity, that’s why.
That trait may not mean much in your world, but it does to most people and businesses.
There you go again … “how many others”, blah … blah …. blah.
Always an excuse … never one for personal accountability & responsibility, are ye?
Armie’s broken … a dishonest Memphis employee who has been outed. This man was to lead by example!
I hope they find more, and there are many!
“Also, why couldn’t they just give him the option of relocating to the city?”
They already did! At the beginning of his employment! He signed an agreement to move into the Memphis city limits within a period of 6 months. Yet 10 months later, he produces his drivers license as proof of his fulfillment of his agreement - HE LIED!
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From CA:
“Ward has been employed with MLGW since March 8, 2006. Upon hiring, he listed the unincorporated address as his residence and signed a residency agreement to provide proof of Memphis residency within six months.
Along with MLGW bills for the Lola property — which the audit determined were being forwarded to the Shelby County address — Ward produced a driver’s license issued in January 2007 listing his residence as 2690 Lola in Memphis.”
Fire him and be through, why give the chance for things to really get jacked up for the next five months. Must be nice to have that kind of chance.
“why couldn’t they just give him the option of relocating to the city?”
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Even he don’t want to live in Memphis! That should speak volumes to ya.
This guy lives in a $650,000 house in the county and he would rather give up his job than move to Memphis? C’mon, think about it.
He should have not been allowed to keep his office key. He should have turned it in the day he was busted for lieing.
Fired and no “sweetheart deal” just a swift kick in the pants for the door.
lieing ?
Palisade ?
NC3 showed the policy that he was hired under and it CLEARLY states that any person who fails to comply and move into the city within the time given under that policy would be fired, I say that MLG&R is still violating the policy that he was hired under by letting him “resign” when the document that was shown last night said “fired” and this should be effective ASAP…And for the record I would feel the same way about anyone of any race who would do the same thing…Equal treatment and the enforcement of rules for all, not just one is what I say…
i just wishes yall goes and leaves us be
my rebate checks be coming on Friday
My good mahn, I do not tauk like that. I am a Euro-Amedican of the highest calibuh. If you people would be more respectful, maybe we would see that we have moww in common that we at fust believed.
Gent, I have mixed feelings about the guy. For one thing, he did break the rules. I don’t know if he was given the opportunity to relocate and he refused or if this was a chronic problem with him. I could care less about the guy.
i dont need no job
You have NO clue buckwheat.
I can tell you right now that you are a RACIST simply because of the term you just used, “you people”. You are always referring to whites and belittling us left and right. You are nothing short of the same racist as “Rev. Wrong”. Nothing short of it.
You only held private sector jobs as a hamburger flipper and Mickey Ds.
Get a real job and quit playing. Grow up, buckwheat!
NOw, if I get banned George, just remember, dump me and don’t post my email.
Thanks
Has Erik Sammis been found guilty of anything?
OK, point made there too.
“I am quoting YOUR words to prove what a bigot you really are. Memphis does not have a “black crime problem”; in fat, the “crime problem” in Memphis is mythical at best.”
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HUH … where did the ~165 dead bodies they found in Memphis , last year, come from????
Did all the r*a*p*e victims lie??? … The vendors, and citizens, who were robbed, carjacked & a*s*s*aulted … were they lying too???
At least you didn’t use the “n-word”, or the “m-word”.
True, I won’t use them as I know they are not welcomed. I try to play by the rules unlike others. But, sometimes I get tired of buckwheat idiot bigots.
Again, I never defended him because he was white. He was never charged NOR was he convicted of anything. I have come on here and condemned even white people for being wrong I have encouraged you (or tried too) and you do absolutely NOTHING but spew your venom and vomit all over every self-respecting and respectable person who tries to come on here and have intelligent dialogue (conversation, so you understand).
Now, if you have no more intelligence than you have failed to exhibit please go to work or whatever you call collecting a check and leave us alone.
Please do NOT try to match wits, nit wit!
Can’t we all just get along?
Many times and then you remember beginning to call me a “poly Christian”?
I tried my best to encourage ou and there are many people, including blacks on here, that will vouch for that. You remember, be honest.
Once again drawing, or trying to draw, attention away when he is busted and wrong.
YOU most certainly DID! you called her other names.
Thank you Gent for the “facts” there.
I agree, it must be that time for her……LOL
It’s actually fun to watch him have his fits and to get under his skin some. He can be quite amusing.
He actually might be right on one point. I think he called me a “psuedo Christian”….
Proud,
What’s funny is his predictability.
Makes you feel like a puppeteer playing him.
hahahaha
George, can you please delete comment #45 please. There is a RACIAL SLUR (paleface) that is offensive to me. Thank you.
Well, he lied…..if the rule states in MLGW’s policy that management has to reside in the City of Memphis then you must reside in the city…..so, since he broke policy rules then he should be fired…..although, I am curious to know how is it that he is still at the job when he got fired. Usually when you get fired they show you the door right then, not give you four additional months and then let you go.
ladyl1 I could not agree with you more, the policy cleary states “fired” not hey we will let you quit on your own terms letting you collect a paycheck for the next four months…would you or I get the same treatment?? I am willing to bet that we would be held to the exact wording of the policy that was in place…He should be no different…
Unfortunately, many executives have clauses in their contracts which give them a sweetheart of a severance package even if they are asked or forced to resign. This may be the case in this instance as well. These contracts are usually iron-clad, and many executives are not going to go against them for fear they may encounter some difficulty hand be forced to leave their position, and want the same compensation package for themselves.
True, but these executives are not employed by a PUBLIC company owned by the citizens who pay his salary… The public should definitely have a say in this.
One would think based on his app being false, and him providing false info to the DMV that would negate his severance if one is in place…Not sure how that works though..
No, they are not…but in some cases when companies have not been profitable, the executives still get golden parachutes. One executive got a $45 million bonus, even though his company was $57 million in the red.
In fact, most executive contracts reward them if the company does well under their leadership, but do not punish them if they do not. That is very commonplace in the business world, and has been that way for years.
“many executives have clauses in their contracts which give them a sweetheart of a severance package ”
Watchdog Mike Matthews reported that there was no severance package.
When Army Ward began his employment, he told them he lived out of the city limits. At that time, he signed a residency agreement affirming that he would move into the city limits within 6 months and provide documentation of proof. He didn’t. He worked there for almost a full year before he provided his proof. This is something else he got away with (after the 6 month period pa.ssed, he broke the agreement). Guess who was his boss at that time who allowed that to happen.
This brings up the other issue - his falsification of his Tennessee drivers license application…violation of Tennessee state law.
So basically, he (1) broke the agreement he signed, (2) falsified his TN DL (3) knowingly provided manufactured proof to his employer.
So now, his employer (under pressure to do the right thing) says, “You’re fired” but please feel free to hang around another 4 months to collect your check. Jerry Collins needs to step down now for that retarded decision.
If there was no severance package, then my guess would be he and the other executives reached an agreement allowing him to stay until September. By the way, I really don’t care how you feel about that word. Just so you know.
Maybe they should just pay him the amount equal to 4 months salary and show him the door now. It is unlikely that he will be productive anyway as is the case with alot of short-timers.
“What do you think, pale____?”
You proudly said your true feelings in comment #45 but now you are backing down because you know it (your racial slur) was wrong. That’s good! Little baby steps are better than no steps. We’ll take what we can get.
Hogfan, I agree. Although, I would still like to know why someone gets to stick around for 4 months when they’ve been fired. I’ve never heard of anyone getting to do this anywhere, ever.
“I’ve never heard of anyone getting to do this anywhere, ever.”
But then again, you have to remember where you are…..
Hogfan, very true! And you are right, go ahead and give the fraudster his check and get him out of the building. His continued presence sends conflicting messages about the rules and regulations that ALL are required to follow and shows favoritism.
Nfin8lup, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for his response, he clocks out at 5 sharp.
Hey George,
WREG isn’t doing itself any favors with the shameless pimping of that $6200 hole in your garage floor (aka, the “Storm Shelter”).
That is one helluva long running advertorial. … Quite annoying, it is.
Who got the freebies??? … The weather bully, station hijackers, … Jaggers & Simpson???
He should have been FIRED on the spot. He lied and misled. He should not be allowed to have the time to find a new job or been allowed to resign. This is a gross negligence n the part of our leaders.
He probably is not the only MLG & R executive that is lying about his actual residence. Why make an example out of just him?
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From George: If we get some more names we’ll go after them too.
Don’t get me wrong, George: If he didn’t follow the rules, he should be gone. Then too, we don’t know if there were any other disciplinary problems w/ Mr. Ward or whatever his name is. He did break the rules. As a result, he made himself subject to any punishment dealt to him.
1. He should have been fired and IMMEDIATELY gone for violating the rules, regardless of his skin color.
2. I AM qualified to digest and interpret crime statistics, and anyone who would state that Memphis’ crime problem is “mythical” is, at best, horribly misinformed.
3. Perhaps if we quit making excuses for bad behavior and demanded good, honest behavior this city would be a better place in which to live. However, when bad behavior is tolerated at the top (think Herenton), it trickles all the way down to the lowliest of employees.
He probably is not the only MLG & R executive that is lying about his actual residence. Why make an example out of just him?
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From George: If we get some more names we’ll go after them too.
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And if you know of anybody else (of any color) who is cheating and lying, then please call MLGW’s SilentWhistle Fraud Reporting System like someone did when they reported Armstead Ward.
When that call came in on Ward, they performed an audit and found that ONLY Ward was pulling a fraud…the top dog who is supposed to be enforcing the RULES.
For what? MLG $ R should be policing its own policies. That Mr. Ward flagrantly flouted this rule is an indication to me that the utility comapny needs to domore than rely on News Channel 3 to cheack and see if its employess are follwing company guidelines.
“For what? MLG $ R should be policing its own policies.”
You answered you own question. They’re obviously not following their policies. And how can you expect for them to when the top dog in Human Resources is violating it?
And they’re not relying on WREG, silly a$$. Thank goodness for the whistleblower in this matter - this person deserves a bonus for putting a stop to this nonsense!
I’m sure the SilentWhistle Fraud Reporting System is there to report violations by city of Memphis employees too. So you may want to mind your Ps and Qs with your playing on the Internet all day on the taxpayer’s dime and equipment.
Is this your feeble attempt at affirmative action, George?
You seem to be deleting everyone’s comments, except tj21’s comments.
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From George: Each of tj’s posts I’ve seen are in relation to the topic posted.
George,
You’re getting more ridiculous by the day.
I just perused the postings … you deleted my comment correcting tj21’s dumb comment regarding taxes & city / county schools … and, let his dumba$$ comment remain.
I believe I’ll join the many who have retired from visiting this blog.
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From George: Most left because they felt this area had been hijacked as a personal message board and the topics always going off course.
WT_ did I do???
You deleted my polite question if TJ had behaved while I was gone…..
Oh wellllllll, come on????
OK, I asked yesterday if you were going to leave TJs post with the “D” word in it. Then today and yesterday nearly all of mine are deleted with NO cussing in them.
Here is a refresher from him:
From: TJ
“For one thing, stupid, how many other executives are currently skirting that same policy? You don’t know a damn thing about me, so any personal insult you lodge againt me is proof of your clear and present stupidity. I accept your pathetic excuse for an apology in advance. Second, you bigot, don’t play; you don’t know anything about “my world”. If people like you would just shut the hell up and act like an adult, maybe you wouldn’t get banned from forums all the time.”
Now, what is ok with this?
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From George: I don’t see that comment. Which number is it?
#12
Thank you.
George, can you delete #50, #52 and #54? These were my posts that are off topic but was in response to TJ00’s racial slurs. But since you deleted the posts where he made racial slurs against white people, I believe these I mentioned should be deleted too. Thanks.
don’t retire fly, I enjoy reading your posts.
Children, pleeeeezzze….. Shake hands and play nice.
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From George: EXACTLY
Have you banned me, George?
tj–lol made my day
this fresh bread thinks the man needs to be taken from his job immediately. How else gets fired then left on the job for months?
One could only wish……..