Friends of Sandy Blunt

Bob Wilson of WorkersCompensation.com fame has a new group on his LinkedIn page – the Friends of Sandy Blunt.
This isn’t one of those exclusive, fancy clubs, merely a virtual gathering of like-minded intelligent and insightful folk who share a mutual respect and admiration for Sandy.
I’m honored to be one of the founding members, and look forward to seeing you there.
For those who don’t know Sandy, here’s a quick note on why you’ll love the guy.
The former head of North Dakota’s state workers comp fund has been – and continues to be – vilified by a few people who obviously don’t know the guy. (more on the appeal in a future post).
Prosecuted for ‘misuse of funds’ by a rogue Prosecutor who withheld exculpatory evidence, Sandy’s life has been ruined because he approved payments for balloons, small ($5 – $10) gift cards, sweets, and cakes for employee recognition events, along with refusing to seek repayment for relocation expenses for an employee terminated for performance (which was legal and appropriate).
Well, I do know the guy, and there’s plenty wrong with him. Here’s the real scoop on this horrible guy/abuser of the public trust/scofflaw/criminal mastermind…
Well, he worked for George HW Bush in the White House (our politics are pretty different, but I keep hoping he’ll come over to the bright side).
He’s an avid, very well informed – and extremely loyal – Cleveland sports fan. (Gotta respect that, even if you don’t understand it)
He isn’t a golfer. (Me neither, so that’s actually a big plus)
I don’t think he can dance.
He went to one of those fancy Eastern big-name business schools (Wharton, I think).
He is such an Eagle Scout (which he actually is) that he won’t let his kids download music from file-sharing services because it is unethical. I’m sure the young Blunts think he’s horribly unfair.
For a non-IT guy, he’s pretty good at tech stuff, making me think he was an AV club guy in his high school days (and no, that’s not meant pejoratively).
Sandy was COO of Ohio’s Bureau of Workers Comp before he was recruited to professionalize the NoDak state fund (so much for that honest effort). By all accounts he was well-liked, and more importantly, very well respected in that role. But still, he was a workers comp exec, and you KNOW what those people are like…
He’s unremittingly positive, unerringly cheerful, and undeniably an upbeat person. Despite what the ‘criminal justice’ system has done to ruin his life, Sandy’s always positive.
I don’t get it.
So – click here and join the party.