Government-by-Complaint

Saturday, July 7: Earlier this week, I heard from Parker Circle again that its park had not been cut since May, the day the Parks and Recreation Director attended a neighborhood meeting. Had this not been an ongoing problem, I would have first asked if the residents had contacted the Parks Department. If they had not, I would have recommended that person do that first. If that did not bring results, then I would have contacted the City Manager. Actually, he and the Parks Director were out of the office. The Assistant City Manager never answered the phone and his secretary was out for the week also.

But this problem existed at Parker Circle (and other outlying neighborhoods) before my election and has been an off-and-on problem since then. The Parks and Recreation Department's records indicate it is being maintained on schedule. Just a casual drive-by seems to indicate otherwise. Either that or the park's scheduled care is inadequate.

The following is a post I made yesterday as follow-up to the post earlier in the week. That post apparently prompted a response by the Parks Department and the Street Department.

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Friday, July 6: I heard from three Parker Circle residents today that work was being performed by the Parks Recreation Department as well as the Street Department -- work that was overdue in the traffic triangle and the park itself. While they were all delighted that work was being done, one remarked that our form of government seemed to be Government-by-Complaint instead of Council-Manager.

I spoke yesterday with senior staff about the grooming of the park. I was told that the park had been mowed twice in June. One of the residents who called today said that indeed, it had been mowed at least once, but only under the pines and not the baseball field nor any area outside of the wooden bollards. Apparently, it's a different crew that performs those functions. Regardless, I was there and it was easier to believe the park had not been groomed at all as another resident reported.

All of the residents who reported today that work was being done indicated two guys worked while one sat in the truck. I hear this complaint from residents across the city, not just those from my district....and it's not just about park personnel. These reports touch virtually every department in the city. The joke around town is, "what is white, shaded, and sleeps three?" Answer: A city truck. This sort of flies in the face of the staffer who said the park was not being done as quickly as it could be because of budget cutbacks. How can he say that with a straight face when we have workers sitting in the truck doing nothing?

City employees on average cost the taxpayer nearly $60,000.00 per year and apparently some of them are allowed to sleep, or at least do nothing....in public.

I remember an Energy Services of Pensacola project one day at a house across the street from me on a Sunday. The neighbor had been asking ESP to come out for weeks and a Sunday, with overtime, was chosen. It took three guys, each with his own truck, but only one of them worked. Mind you, that is not one at a time, it was one and only one. Maybe that is why ESP needed a rate hike.

While it's easy to blame the employee for not giving his or her all to the employer (taxpayers), it really comes down to management, doesn't it? And who is at the top of management? City Council.

Folks, it's time we played hard ball. It may have to be at the ballot box next year. I'm willing to take the hit myself if you will just vote all the incumbents out, sort of imposing your own term limits in 2008.

I think the so-called budget crisis the city is facing should be viewed as optimistic opportunity rather than with miserable dread and fear. Are we bold enough to reform our government and civil service? Are we willing to make our department's more efficient? Or, do we simply wring our hands and say woe is me? Do we accept less just because government is being forced to operate within reasonable limits?