Y'ALLing it up on Buffington's Diaz Appointment

The politicos over at Y'allPolitics are talking up Buffington's appointment of Diaz. Just a few comments at this one: SALTERBLOG - Chancery Judge Larry Buffington strikes again but more than twenty comments at this one: Diaz ordered to Simpson job. A lot of them are simply discussing semantic issues regarding retirement funds. Here are just a few choice thoughts.

This effects all PERS retirees and the fund and is just plain wrong. -north ms lawyer

So Judge Buffington and Diaz are hurting the tax payers of Simpson County, the tax payers of all of Mississippi, and Mississippi retirees. I hope someone in Simpson County can stop this and make Diaz call on some other friend to help him get his state retirement. Or, he could just apply for a regular job like anyone else. -josepacheco

We can’t reward bad behavor, especially in the conduct of a judge, no matter how close they are to retirement. Granted, small potatoes in the whole scheme of all the wrong things that are happening in our world but the voters of Simpson County should not be penalize because someone feels sorry for him. -catty

But this one is the best one.

Judge Buffoon is utilizing his judicial office to take care of a buddy and supporter. Basic rule - that is wrong...Taking care of your friends by use of the public watering hole is wrong. And in my opinion its even worse when it is a judge...Buffington is appropriating taxpayer dollars from the citizens of Simpson County when that is a proper function of the Supervisors - not a Judge. Remember your 8th grade Civics - legislative branch appropriates, judicial branch has no authority to appropriate. Same thing applies to the hiring of employees. The Supervisors are charged with deciding WHO to hire, not the Judge. IF - and that is a big “if” - the youth court needed a public defender and it was not being provided for by the county - and the only way to get this required service done would be by court order - the judge cannot name who the county hires. (There are established procedures for making such a selection - not just hiring your buddy because he needs a job.) He might require that they get the service provided, but he can’t compel them to hire his choice for the job. And he doesn’t specify the pay rate or other details. The five members of the Board of Supervisors were elected to take care of these administrative issues, not the Chancery Judge. If a person is hired for this position, surely there are lawyers in Simpson County that would like to at least apply for it. Currently, there are two defenders in Simpson County, and according to the records there, every time their services have been needed in youth court, they have provided them. Every youth court defendent that needed a public defender has been provided one by the county. Why does the Chancery Judge decide to add to the county’s employee burden by hiring his buddy just so that he can qualify for state retirement? Understand this might not be the only time he has abused his discretion in Simpson County on issues like this. Might just be the beginning of an interesting story here. - pete perry