Florida Keys News
Thursday, September 10, 2009
County fights unemployment pay

An ousted Monroe County commissioner and former administrator have been receiving unemployment compensation since April. The state last month booted former County Commissioner Dixie Spehar off the dole and the county is trying to get it to do the same with former County Administrator Tom Willi.

The state in August ruled that Spehar must repay $2,647 in unemployment pay sh...

For the complete article, please pick up a copy of The Citizen for this day or purchase this day's electronic edition at http://secure.floridakeys.com/keysnews/enews. Home Delivery & Electronic Edition subscibers to The Citizen may access this article, once logged in to keysnews.com, at no charge. If you forget your password, please call us at 305-292-7777, ext. 4.
Share your thoughts and opinions related to this posting. Login or register to post comments. More Info

County Must Fight Unemployment Pay

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 6:33am
It is really sad that these greedy bastards have raped the County's funds and want to continue to live off the taxpayers. They left a big budget mess that we are now going to have to take a big hit in our taxes. Also, the County Administrator and other department heads are having to endure the taxpayer's wrath because of these thieves. They should had been escorted to the Dade County line.

Know Unemployment Law Before Rushing To Judgment

Submitted on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 8:40am
I don't know this character but I do know unless the County can prove he committed "misconduct" connected with his work as defined by unemployment law in Florida, he should not be treated any differently than anyone else who applies for unemployment benefits. TheWorkDoctor www.beattheboss.tv

The budget mess

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 9:04am
was caused by the real estate bubble burst. If that didn't happen the idiot politicians would still be pissing the money away....It had nothing to do with Willi.

Hardly. Stupid is as stupid does.

Submitted on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 5:52pm by *.*
He is the cause of most of our problems. He didn't manage the whole airport fisasco. He didn't manage ANYTHING. He was a total worthless, arrogant, childish mess with a really bad attitude. Don't allow these irresponsible people to continue to blame the 'real estate bubble' for every problem. The job of a good administrator is to manage based on a conservative tax base and not on the 'high end'.

Willi was a victim of circumstance

Submitted on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 10:27pm
He did exactly what the 5 criminal commissioners wanted him to do. As far as Dixie....She was brain dead.

I agree with you...but

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 9:31am by Kiki
that absolutely does not allow him to collect unemployment benefits. I have to work 50+ hours a week for 6 years to make what he made in severance. Did he deserve that much severence= I am unssure- does he also get unemployment- no WaY!

So you are Judge and jury.

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 5:24pm
So you are Judge and jury. Willie deserves those benefits just like anyone else who is FIRED. My recollection is that he was paid thru the end of his contract. That is what a contract is for. You have a lot of nerve comparing what you make to anyone else. Ignorant!

FYI

Submitted on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 8:54am
People who are fired are not eligible for unemployment. Only those that have lost a job thru no fault of their own. It was the county HR dept.'s responsiblility to fight the claim. Looks like they failed to do so. As a result the percent of payroll tax they pay goes up with the number of claims filed and approved.

And Willi was fired for cause.

Submitted on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 9:39pm by *.*
As you can see from his childish post above, he was hardly the 'adult' necessary for the job. He cost the taxpayers millions. He still has the arrogance to think he's right and his employers, the taxpayers, were wrong. Please, Monroe Co. - nail this guy for the fraud he is.

I know that tone of voice. It's Willi himself posting above!

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 9:46pm by *.*
He posted on the Vandenberg thread with his arrogant tone and this is indeed Willi, so everyone - ignore him. He's filth.

And remember, he was paid for work he never did. He got money for doing nothing and simply because he was crooked and incompetent. Think how much money we've lost because of him. Monroe County, don't let him get one dime - and collect the amount that Dixie collected illegally. SHE should go to jail if she doesn't pay up properly. She wants a payment plan? Give me a break!

Louie

Submitted on Sat, 09/12/2009 - 8:21am
When does your jail sentence start? Can't happen soon enough.

Not Louie but that's another good friend of McPherson who

Submitted on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 5:54pm by *.*
needs to be in prison NOW, now that you mention his name. McPherson vouched for him, remember? Why is it that the big-politicians all vouch for these crooks who kill, and maime people and steal from children and taxpayers? Oh yah - I remember! It's because they're every bit as guilty of harming humanity with their own greed. AND a bubba helps a bubba, right?

When you have to put up with 5 idiots

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 3:17pm
that position is priceless.....

Dixie and unemployment benefits...

Submitted on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 3:56pm by notMac
I truely believe Dixie had Monroe county's best interest in mind when she held office. She was viciously maligned and may have lost her true focus, but when everyone was raking in the dough during the property boom, she saw good things for the county and tried to do what she felt was right at the time. I believe she just listened to the wrong people who used her to their advantage.

What???

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 11:01am
OH PLEASE !!!!!! GET REAL, TRUE FOCUS MY A**.

The people in this county

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 8:54am
that suffered during the during the real estate collapse and are attacking Dixie for listening to the same "experts" they did are hypocrites. Most people that ended up against Hickory House do it with perfect Hind-sight. Move on. She lost the election.

And she's still trying to bilk the taxpayers with unemployment??

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 4:59pm by *.*
Give me a break. Can't move on if she continues this kind of crap.

Many people were against the Hickory House purchase. It never hurts to see who her friends are and see who benefited, to get to the real truth.

I got two words for you...

Submitted on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 9:53pm
Hickory House.

Funny

Submitted on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 9:46pm
Hey...that would be so funny if it weren't so false.

Oh, give me a break! She lined the pockets of her friends

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 9:20am by *.*
who owned, for instance, the Hickory House. She supported every utterance of DiGennaro, McCoy and their development crooks, now bankrupt benefactors such as Cay Clubs. She was part and parcel of the scam and she knew it. Don't try to feed us any line that she thought she was doing the right thing. She's as scummy as they are!

Dixie Who?

Submitted on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 6:51pm
Hey Dixie... What happened to the commission on the Hickory House Sale? Was there a shoe sale in Costa Rica?

Incredible...

Submitted on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 3:42pm
Pretty incredible that the sleazeball got a quarter million of OUR dollars in severence pay and thinks he's entitled to unemployment compensation to boot. Has he no shame?

Nothing new here. The guy is real SLIME!

Submitted on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 3:42pm by *.*
His good buddies DiGennaro, Spehar and McCoy saw that he got more than he ever deserved and he still gets more???

Not right at all!

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 8:32am
Tom Willi is collecting unemployment and yet owns his own business? Isn't that considered fraud???!!! I was laid off in April, and currently still looking for a job, however; when I went to work as a sub-contractor (considered self-employed) I reported that to the unemployment office as soon as I started working. I received the difference in pay and then nothing more until that job ended and reported back to unemployment. Can someone refresh my memory on this one: Did Willi resign early or was his contract not renewed? I can't remember. If you resign, walk out, quit at your own discretion OR are fired (for for anything considered to be inappropriate in your job) then you do NOT qualify for unemployment. Someone please tell me if that is considered fraud or not. I hope AWI takes a long hard look that this claim and does the appropriate thing here. My opinion is not based on that fact I believe Willi is slime, but the fact that many Floridians have faced losing their jobs due to cut backs and now you have someone taking advantage of the system. Every claim is supposed to be investigated before it is paid on. That means the county was contacted either by phone or in writing to inquire about the former employee and the reason for which the person is no longer employed. Did someone in the county lie about the reason? That also needs to be looked at.

Apaulled

Submitted on Sun, 09/13/2009 - 9:58pm
Willi OWNS..Yes OWNS his own business. And evidently prospering with each smile... "New Ventures of the Fla Keys". He even oversees installation of SEWER LATERALS for the new sewer system...recording handfuls of notice of commencements weekly. I am wondering if HIS permits are ready and waiting or does he have to stand in line/ I remember the article when all of the Willi stuff came about. He DID say HE WAS NOT LEAVING THE KEYS.. I am angered that he continues to thrive here in the Keys while many residents have left the Keys after becoming financially strapped. Those who can afford to stay are struggling day to day.... while others keep getting golden parachute replacements...If his unemployment claim was filed and the county contacted for verification, someone had to help cover for him . What agency does a concerned citizen contact to report this possible abuse? I am also having someone from the paper run an update....This just smells !

Re: Apaulled

Submitted on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 8:29am
If you suspect unemployment fraud you need to go to this website: http://www.floridajobs.org/Unemployment/, scroll down on the left hand side under "quick links" and look for "Report UC fraud" and there ya go. I just don't understand. Mario De' Gennaro even states it's wrong. They had a contract upon severance that states after the severance pay of $200K+ the county would have no further financial obligation to Willi...and WILLI SIGNED IT!! I couldn't fathom having a check for that amount put in my hands...how does one spend it so fast? This whole thing is a smack in the face for the people down here that have really been laid off and are applying to jobs left and right. I have personally applied to 25 jobs since being laid off in April. I have had several interviews, but there is A LOT of competetion out there right now and I am being beat out by veteran's preference, state of florida preference, people with 15+ years experience, someone who knows someone who gets a quick shoe in, or just a dern hiring freeze. I have a child to feed, my boyfriend was in a serious work-related boating accident and can't work at this time (btw, his boss doesn't even carry workman's comp so we are having to battle it out in court) and we are just plain grateful for my mom moving in to help. This, I'll state again, is a slap across the face for those of us who are really trying to better their situation!

Willi

Submitted on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 1:06pm
He was FIRED so he had to gett all this money, etc etc etc.... and wants to collect unemployment come on how much more?

Another Ripp-Off

Submitted on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 3:07pm
Willie appears to be a career criminal. First he ripped-off the county coffers and now he's doing the state...nothing but a smart bum!
More Florida Keys Headlines
Redrawn district maps disqualify two candidates
Friday, February 3, 2012
3 comments
Rapist convicted
Friday, February 3, 2012
4 comments
Dorms too strict, remote
Friday, February 3, 2012
20 comments
Jailer charged, suspended in alleged solicitation
Friday, February 3, 2012
Griffiths seeks another term
Friday, February 3, 2012
8 comments
Delta: Baggage lawsuit too little too late
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Available Only in the Electronic Edition
City backs off park smoking ban
Friday, February 3, 2012 -
Developer seeks hotel approval
Thursday, February 2, 2012 -
Buoy to help measure carbon impact on coral
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 -
Schools referendum wins handily
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 -
Keys evacuation hearings begin
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 -
Fishermen to march on capital
Monday, January 30, 2012 -