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Veterans Affairs commissioner perplexed by suspension

Sep 06, 2007 - 10:04:42 CDT

By the Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — State Veterans Affairs Commissioner Bob Hanson says he has fulfilled all of the duties asked of him and does not know why he was suspended.

The Veterans Affairs Administrative Committee put Hanson on paid leave this week, saying he has done a poor job of management.

A written performance evaluation prepared this summer says Hanson has failed to correct problems in the department's Fargo office that were brought to light eight months ago. The evaluation also scored Hanson as meeting standards in 11 of 14 areas.

Rudy Jenson of Valley City, chairman of the administrative committee, this week credited Hanson with doing an outstanding job in the field but said he ``has no management abilities in that office.''

One of the issues raised by the administrative committee, which includes representatives of five veterans' groups, is that Hanson micromanages the office's five employees.

Hanson said in an April memo to the committee that he had met with the employees as directed and that three of the five said he did not micromanage their areas. He said he asked employees to speak up when they think he is micromanaging.

Hanson this week said that he thought a mediation session he and his employees had with a state personnel official was productive, and he was agreeable to meeting again.

Hanson, a former state treasurer and tax commissioner, has held the Veterans Affairs job for about three years. Jenson plans to call a special committee meeting to discuss Hanson's position.

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Comments

a g thomas wrote on Sep 17, 2007 1:29 PM:

" it sounds like a snow job on a man who represents veterans in an outstanding manner.if you call,he is there to help vets.Not crossing your t's,of dotting your i's is a cheep shot on an good man "

not his employee wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:06 PM:

" The funniest comment was regarding him asking his employees to tell him when he was micromanaging. How many of us would tell our boss in a situation like that, "Well, actually, you are acting overbearing and bossy."? "

RJ wrote on Sep 6, 2007 2:48 PM:

" Let me see, if I were a doctor in surgery and your were my patient, the operation was considered life or death...and I watched over every move the nurses and other doctors performed under my seniority and leadership...you survived and were cured... You would approve of my "micromanaging style, yes?" I smell a rat . The official statement comes from a beauracrat, not a leader. "

Beesh wrote on Sep 6, 2007 1:32 PM:

" The new standard moral authority of complaints, "he micromanaged his office". That is the new child abuse type of accusation meant only to discredit a person, destroy his credibility and make it impossible to counter. It is insincere, cowardly and vague. To micromanage his image with this accusation is low. Saying he "did an outstanding job" then saying he stinks as a manager smells on its own. Bob Hanson has been a strong advocate for the veterans of ND. . "

Crap wrote on Sep 6, 2007 1:18 PM:

" This is a sham. Bob is excellent at representing the veterans of North Dakota. The micromanaging is coming from the administrative committee members and is being fueled by insubordinate employees who don't know the first thing about the plight of veterans and only care about themselves. "

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