Jonathan Ahl has the inside scoop:
WCBU News is reporting this afternoon that Henry Holling, a retired Caterpillar executive, is still the choice for interim city manager. A committee of council members along with City Attorney Randy Ray are hammering out the final details. Sources say at least three council members voiced concerns about Holling.
You can read more details at Jonathan’s blog.
On Friday, Oct. 26, 2007, Mr. Holling was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after he crashed his car into a light pole near W. Giles Lane about 8:55 p.m., according to a Journal Star report on Oct. 30. Holling retired from Caterpillar on June 1, 2007. When he retired, he was the “manager of social responsibility initiatives.”
“Sources say at least three council members voiced concerns about Holling.”
I would think everyone on that council would have had concerns about hiring a guy who hasn’t been involved with city government in 40 years, even on an interim basis.
I have the same amount of experience as a city manager as Holling, so maybe I’ll be considered the next time.
as Mr Burns would say on The Simpson’s: excellent!
Just what we need, another has been.
At 10:50am the train came by my house going south.Painted black and yellow it smoothly ran by tooting the horn.I would like to see it every day but time will tell.CJ you should hold a news conference just to give the candidates and the general public the truth behind some of these could be lies!It is now 11:20am and the train just passed my house headed north with the first load in along time YEAH!
Unfortunately, if Holling’s appointment is indeed confirmed by a vote of the city council, the ones who voted for it will rue the day they did in about 6 or 9 months from now.
Dear Henry is patently unfit for the job.
First, he has no public administration education or experience.
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The CLUB of Ardis/Van Auken/Spears/Jacob and Nichting want him because he will hire their cronies and do whatever they want, when they want. They ultimately want to say “oh Henry did such a great job that we should hire him permanently as the HR Director.” Spears also has a conflict of interest in voting to hire Holling because Holling was a big contributor to Spears’ campaign.
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Another shameful reason why he wants a government job for a short time is that he had some years of service in local government in the 1960’s. This would allow him to greatly increase his pension from IRMF.
If Holling is going to be hired for interim city manager, he needs a lot more vetting and verifying his record at CAT.
The City is headed downhill. This will be Ardis’ biggest blunder, and those council members who follow him will be tarnished as well.
Mayor and Council, save Peoria from another dramatic saga. Look for a qualified interim city manager.
And Randy isn’t the choice for Escambia……
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/NEWS01/80126009
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What a complete abdication of leadership for the council to pick this man!
Unfortunately, I’ve had to edit a couple of comments. I don’t doubt that what the commentators said was true about why Holling retired from Cat. However, without any way to prove it, I don’t feel comfortable opening myself up to a libel lawsuit. Sorry. Unless you’re a person with first-hand knowledge who’s willing to reveal your true identity to me (my e-mail address is available from the link at the top of the page), I’m not going to allow any comments speculating on the “real” reason Mr. Holling retired. However, I will say that the city council is aware of the allegations.
CJ….don’t worry about him filing a libel suit..he won’t. It’s all true. đ
What did he do? Darn I missed it before you deleated it.
Any hints?
It is fairly common knowledge at Cat and there are around 17,000 employees in the Peoria area you might ask.
While the “real reason he left Cat” might be interesting and important, at the moment I’m pretty concerned with the DUI. Has he gone to court yet? What was the verdict, and if guilty, what was the sentence? Could he spend time in jail (rich guys usually don’t) and how would that impact his new duties? More likely, was (or could be) his licensed revoked? I would think that having a valid driver’s license would be a pretty standard qualification for almost any city employee. Lots of questions….
CJ
It is public record that in Mr. Holling’s DUI arrest last fall that he was also charged for not having car insurance. How irresponsible is that for an executive to drive with no insurance? Now he is fit to manage the city???
With regards to my other relelvant comments which did not make your cut, let me say this: libel suits don’t work in the U.S. To do so requires each of three points to be affirmed: 1. The info must be untrue. 2. The person making the statement needs to KNOW it is untrue. 3.There needs to be malicious intent.
You most likely believe what I wrote to be true or that there is a good chance it is true since I’m sure you’ve heard it many times. So point two does not meet the test for a lawsuit. Plus by operating this blog, you are just providing a forum and you do not have malicious intent. Finally, since it is true, Henry certainly does not want a trial where all the details would be aired. Finally, hopefully on your homeowners insurance you have an umbrella liablity policy which would defend you. Please consider reposting the info if you verify it with a few other CAT management people, which won’t be difficult to do. This is an important forum to consider municipal government policy and these facts need to be aired.
The City of Peoria could have a huge legal liability since the council members know of the allegations. If they know about it but hire him anyways and it happens again, the legal liability would be astronomical to us taxpayers.
In any regard, please let my first paragraph about Henry driving with no car insurance stay on your blog. Again, that is public record.
Under existing court interpretations, the comments section of a blog are considered public forums, and the host if should be immune from libel. But the operative word is “should.” None of these decisions happened in any court having jurisdiction in Peoria. Nevertheless, the statements that were made about Mr. Holling would be considered libelous if they appeared in any newspaper, were there an absence of evidence they happened. As a public figure (and that’s what Holling is now that he’s a candidate for interim city manager) he would have to prove actual malice, or a reckless disregard for the truth. Were a newspaper to print the allegations contained in these comments WITHOUT any attempt to verify, and if they were not supported by facts, then I would suspect that the newspaper might very well be on the losing side of a libel suit.
C.J. behaved responsibly. It’s easy to say anything about anybody when your name isn’t attached. If having Holling become the interim city manager is soooooo bad for the public, let some of these anonymous naysayers attach their name to their concerns. Any takers?
Thought not.
More on libel and blog comments: The guiding law regarding whether a comment on a blog is libelous is Section 230 of Title 47 of the United States Code (47 USC § 230). Via the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
So what does this mean for comments?
It makes sense for bloggers and BBS owners to be immune to libel. Are we to hover over out computers 24/7, instantly reading all comments and instantly evaluating them for libel, praying we delete them before someone reads it and makes a screen capture and hauls us into court?
I nevertheless advocate bloggers take down stuff that states a person has committed a crime or some loathsome act when there’s immediate evidence that it happened, epecially when the comment is made by someone who won’t risk having HIS name attached to it. It avoids lawsuits (however futile as the might be) and hard feelings.
CATexec:
If you are so confident what you say is true, and you will be immune to any legal action, why don’t you tell us your name?
Why don’t you address the city council in open session and tell them your concerns?
Or maybe you can start your own blog. That would work, too.
Anyone else notice the absence of Mr Holling’s name in todays Word on the Street?
As to the rumors to why he left, I don’t believe he was ever charged with a crime related to any alleged character flaw, nor does is it relevant to the argument of how good or bad of a city manager he would be, therefore I believe it’s a moot point.
I think the City Council’s willingness to consider Henry is evidence they do not do their homework. Does this surprise anyone? Henry has a history – just ask his first wife Sue. Sharon (his current wife) was his secretary…you may draw your own conclusions.
The city staff needs someone they can look up to and Henry does not fill the bill. His job at CAT was to listen to requests for CAT donations. Henry was not handing out his own money- he was just the go to guy- the big decisions were made several levels higher.
He worked for Tim Elder and I would suggest people either call Tim (675-4872) or Sid Banwart (HR Director at CAT-675-5222) to hear a more complete description of his role at CAT. I know they will not be able to divulge the reason Henry left CAT- but phone calls inquiring will be uncomfortable not to mention annoying.
If someone is caught driving drunk- don’t you think that is an indicator of a cavalier attitude about life? I know only a handful of people who have been given DUIâs and I would say they all have serious issues with alcohol.
If Henry is confirmed it will be just one more reason to work hard to find more competent people to run our city- the current group is embarrassing.
Hollings appointment falls right in line with the thinking of the current council. He is a “good friend” of many on council, particularly our very own beer distributor who has a continual legit reason for not voting…liquor license. Jacob in unable to vote and was a poor appointment by Ardis. The barely squeeked by in the last election. His brother in law on council is another loser in elections out side of Peoria.
Just for the record, Holling did clerical work for a few months over forty years ago so it really isn’t fair to say he has NO experience.
The Pundit is in favor of Holling? I forgot, whatever Barbara and Gary wants so does he and his eight posters.
Whoa there, NP. I haven’t seen anything that indicates The Pundit (I assume you’re referring to Billy Dennis), Barbara, or Gary favor Holling. Where are you getting that?
CJ said: “However, without any way to prove it, I donât feel comfortable opening myself up to a libel lawsuit. Sorry. Unless youâre a person with first-hand knowledge whoâs willing to reveal your true identity to me (my e-mail address is available from the link at the top of the page), Iâm not going to allow any comments speculating on the ârealâ reason Mr. Holling retired.”
CJ – you made the right decision. Not that you need to hear that from me đ
Easy conclusion. The three people who are vehemently opposed have been vocal about their opposition around town. With all your connections I am certain you are aware of this “factual information”. BD questions why people won’t attach their names if Holling is “sooooooo” bad. He has been a long time defender of VanAuken and Sandberg and hangs out at Whitey’s after the meetings. Is this news? I have no problem with people having friends but may be difficult to be unbiased when you have an emotional attachment. Just an uneducated opinion.
NP: The Pundit (really, call me “Billy”) has never met Henry Holling. Given my druthers, I’d rather not have a Cat exec (retired or otherwise) hired for such an important position. But this is an interim position, and he’s NOT going to be in the running for the job full-time. Yes, people I know and like think he’s a great guy. I’m also aware than these people I know and like are NOT infallible themselves, and I tell them this quite often.
And as to all these anonymous accusations, I’ll say this: It the way cowards try to affect public policy. Whispering smear campaigns make me sick to my stomach. They cause legitimate journalists and bloggers all sorts of grief, not to mention the grief they cause the people they target. If WHOEVER is spreading this crap has any evidence, it’s time to man up and put you name to it.
CAT people are not going to sign their names. This is a blog sight not “throw yourself under the bus”. What “crap” is being spread? The reports in the paper about drunk driving and no insurance while running into a tree is documented. All city employees must have valid drivers licenses, not drive to work permits.
NP: I am refering NOT to the drunk driving incident. That’s a matter of public record. I’m refering to the material CJ declined to print.
OK “Billy”, I am not sure I read that. There are rumors running rampant about his departure. The council needed to do a little investigative work before they ran like their britches were on fire to push Holling into that spot. Hullinger or Landes could step in and short term nothing would suffer as each has stated. Oliver could have given the 60 day notice if asked and that would have solved that problem. It just seems that there are too many decisions that are rushed into, like that 2 million bucks we didn’t have that had to be recinded. My Grandpa used to say something to the effect of “decide in haste, repent in leisure.”
Has anyone bothered to call Cat HR for a reference check? I don’t know what Cat’s policy on references is exactly but most companies can tell you whether the person resigned, retired, or was terminated. They probably won’t go into details but you never know. Then there is always the follow up question: “Would you or could you rehire this person?”.
Where did you goof balls get the info that he hit a tree? ? ? The Whole Truth has investigated and uncovered that he hit a utility box on the NW corner of Giles Lane and Knoxville. Furthermore, our crack undercover division has now determined that the airbag explosion knocked him unconscious and he didn’t talk to a police office until he was interviewed in the emergency dept at St. Francis. When the officer asked for his proof of insurance, and he wasn’t able to provide such, he was ticketed for the infraction. While unconscious, he’d forgotten to retrieve the proof of insurance from the glovebox of the auto and carry it with him to the hospital. The charge was subsequently dropped. Wake up Peoria, do your research or shut your yap!
Big error, he hit a utility box/pole into a tree. The rest of it is so ridiculous there is not further comment needed.
Your name isn’t Holling, is it?
Nice name calling TWT, way to go!
Journal Star, Oct 30, 2007: Henry W. Holling , 65, of 701 High Point Terrace was driving north on North Knoxville Avenue about 8:55 p.m. Friday when he hit a light pole near West Giles Lane. Holling told police he was heading home when the collision occurred, according to police reports. Rescue workers transported Holling to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center where, when asked, he refused to undergo any field sobriety tests, reports stated. However, a blood sample was taken in the emergency room.
He was issued a notice to appear in court on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and no insurance.
This has all been fascinating to read. I have to believe there is something to CatExecâs comment that Holling departed early under a cloud. More alarming than him being Interim Manager is CatExec’s suggestion that this may just be a ploy to slip him into the permanent job of HR Manager. The City needs someone knowledgeable and experienced in the field to assume this position. The City, the County, the School District, all have plenty on their teams that were hired based on “who they know.” It would be great for a change to have key positions filled based on “what they know.”
Boy, sounds like Peoria has its hands full!! one candidate for state rep.with a police record….the other suspended at work….now the candidate for interim city manager running into light poles and DUI??? What a deal!! Okay, now that we are having “FUN” is there anything we should know about the the other candidates in the 18th. Come on. let’s get it all on the table!!!
Didn’t the city learn anything from Jim Maloof’s $2M lawsuit?
They learned not to show affection to females.
I see in today Journal Star where Hollings has given dollars to several council members. I guess it’s payback time.
Guy: $500. To George Jacob. Nice guy. Fairly well-to-do businessman. His suit no doubt costs more that that. Anyone who thinks GJ can be bought for $500 is a moron.
But “Guy” thinks $500 can buy an interim city manager’s job.
I occasionally let Gary Sandberg and Barbara Van Auken have some of my pizza at Whitey’s. I figure that’s worth at least a spot on the planning commission.
The rumors of Henry Holling are absolutely true. [Portion deleted by blog owner.] What is wrong with the city government?
TruthSayer — Prove it. Have one of the people you mentioned contact me and be willing to speak on the record. I will gladly publish something verifiable.
C.J. Please ask any employee that worked near Holling.
Truthsayer… hope you sent CJ some names.
TruthSayer: Did you work near Holling? If you have first-hand information, please contact me directly with your real identity and details. Are you willing to speak on the record?
There are many that have first hand accounts. However, none of them want to feel the reprocussions of having their name displayed in public. Haven’t these people been humiliated enough by what they endured at the hands of this man?
TruthSayer — Valid point, but on the other hand, if what you say is true, don’t you think someone should be willing to make that sacrifice to protect others? That’s the blessing and the curse of being a whistleblower. If no one steps forward, what are we to do? Take the word of anonymous commentators? What if someone else comes along that hasn’t done anything untoward, but someone doesn’t like him, so they start rumor-mongering? Do you really think we should judge someone in the absence of an accuser and/or any verifiable evidence?
Better yet, if this problem is as widespread as rumored, get a group of people to come forward. There’s strength in numbers.
I stand behind Truthsayer – unfortunately, we make too much money and have too good of benefits to disclose our names. Truthsayer might tell – if she can remain anonymous to her employer.