I want you to think, really think, about what being the coroner is like, and then ask yourself what it would be worth to you. I lived and worked in Laramie for nearly a decade. I gave up several years of my life to work as a public servant. I was available at all hours: Ive walked out of restaurants, family and community events, classes, movies, doctors appointments, the gym, you name it, to take calls. I have not spent Christmas with my family in four years. I never took a shower, or went to the bathroom, without my cell phone. I have worked on my birthday, and while sick, and while injured, and while 9 months pregnant. I have washed other peoples blood out of my clothes, who knows how many times, for barely above minimum wage. This revelation by Graham and Taylor that the county, particularly the law enforcement community, was terribly unhappy with the performance of my office, completely unbeknownst to me, was heartbreaking. These were people with whom I thought I had good working relationships, and many of them I considered friends and confidants. The campaigns of my former opponents have felt like a tremendous stab in the back. Anyone who has actually done this job will tell you that the physical and psychological tolls it takes on a person are nigh-unfathomable. It is truly a position of public service. It takes some serious dedication to get out of bed at 3am, over and over again, to see the things that we see, to be exposed to dangerous conditions and countless bio-hazards. The deputies that I had at the coroners office were universally amazing. I would have floundered without Amanda Pittman, and to see her included in the mudslinging that has gone on is ghastly. I loved Laramie, and despite all of the difficulties, I loved the first campaign, and I loved my job, right up to the very end. Some of the best days of my life were a direct result of professional satisfaction. I am proud of the work that I did, and I am endlessly proud of the men and women that I hired. They are some of the best friends Ive ever had. I received dozens of calls, and cards, and thanks for my work, and I would not take back the last few years for anything. Apparently I dont have the stomach for a negative campaign, and frankly I am thrilled that my job now depends on performance and qualifications, rather than winning. If you want to see real change and accountability in the coroners office, petition your lawmakers to make it an appointed position, with a real budget and minimum qualifications that actually mean something. I am glad to hear that the two candidates currently running are superhumans who will never make mistakes, and will manage to accurately certify deaths without waiting for pathology or toxicology reports, which often take weeks or months to arrive. I expect that they will never sleep, shower, go out for dinner, see a movie in the theater, maintain as second job to supplement the countys low salary, visit the doctor, or be anywhere that does not have perfect cell service. I also imagine that they will wear a uniform and boots at all times, especially while sleeping, to maintain the promise of prompt response. An intimate knowledge of all the unnamed, backwoods roads in Albany County is essential too, so I hope they have been studying. I wish the best for whomever wins the election tomorrow. I also hope that no one ever makes either of them feel the way that they have made me feel.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 22:37:43 +0000
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