Pull A Weapon On A Supervisor, Threaten Him And Keep Your Job

Going Postal As State Worker Doesn't Jeopardize Position

by Johnny Gunn

This is no time to be the supervisor of Nevada Transportation Department employee Bryan Patrick. He was just given the official right to pull a gun and threaten said same supervisor. In public yet.

At a safety meeting in a public place, disgruntled Patrick pulled a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol from his waist band, laid it on the table, told one of his co-workers, "You might want to switch places so I can get a better shot." He then told his supervisor, Larry Boge, not to worry, he was OK with not getting a job promotion.

People go to jail for a lot less than this and that's exactly where Patrick should have gone. Instead, a state hearing officer said the incident was juvenile and stupid, but the man should not be fired.

It seems like we read on a regular basis where some screwball has gone to his work place and killed supervisors, co-workers, by-standers, anybody nearby. People with rifles, shotguns, pistols kill their fellow workers regularly. It's called violence in the work place, and most businesses have a zero-tolerance policy regarding such. Apparently not the state of Nevada. Threaten your boss, with a loaded weapon, and get a slap on the wrist.

Let's ask Hearing Officer Patrick Dolan a couple of quick questions. If a cop had been sitting at a near-by table and witnessed this action, what do you suppose his reaction would have been? Mr. Patrick could very will have been shot to death, or arrested at once. It was a criminal offense. What if one of the other people at the table had been super macho and attacked Mr. Patrick? A face full of boiling hot coffee followed by a chair across the chops, and then arrest. Or, maybe Mr. Patrick would react and shoot Mr. Macho.

Hearing Officer Dolan should be dismissed as well. This is not a case of juvenile and stupid. This is a felony assault with a deadly weapon on a work supervisor. Mr. Patrick should not be allowed to go back to work, in particular in the same division with the same supervisor. If I were Larry Boge I would already be at the District Attorney's office looking to get a concealed weapon permit. He must know his life is in jeopardy.

Another question, please: Why wasn't Patrick arrested? They arrest seven-year-old children for acts far less dangerous.

Politics is local, Politicians are local

Editor, The Observer,

Wow! It's a quarter past six in the morning, and I've been reading for the better part of an hour.

You gave some excellent examples of the saying, "All politics are local." Or is that 'is local"?

One of these days I'll take you up to the Red Hawk area. The number of homes being built around there is staggering.

Gotta take a break and get some breakfast.

Good work, John!

Pal Hal, Sparks

The Good Word From Battle Mountain

Editor, The Observer,

Here in Lander County the automated voting went well also. Kind of an interesting process, especially when the machine wouldn't let me go on after I (intentionally) didn't vote for a candidate running unopposed. I had to go back to that part of the ballot and then go forward again.

It was also interesting to see the juxtaposition of that technology with the election workers manually looking up each voter in a huge register of names - something akin to what Saint Peter must have resting on a gigantic pedestal at the Pearly Gates. And of course having lived in Lander County all of my life, and in Battle Mountain for over twenty years, the name Gandolfo was unfamiliar to them, Took three tries to find it in St. Peter's book.

Lookin' forward to November.

Buckey Gandolfo, Battle Mountain