[Vision2020] Moscow city pay raises
Tim Lohrmann
timlohr@yahoo.com
Wed, 3 Sep 2003 09:09:08 -0700 (PDT)
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Bill et al.
I've noticed an odd situation in the dynamics of the mayor/city council/city manager working relationship. What I've seen is that the councilpersons who should be making the decisions become overly dependent upon the recommendations and opinions of the city manager/administrators/other bureaucrats. In fact, it seems that the council becomes very reluctant to oppose these upper level employees, becoming almost cowed by them. The council, when questioned, sometimes passed this off as "deferring to the staff's professional expertise," or "not having the time to understand the problems as well as the staff does." I haven't been a close observer of the Moscow City Council. Do you believe they are in effect being controlled by the city staff? There has to be some way to explain this.
The situation you mention about the pay increases is outrageous, especially in these economic times. Even worse is the reluctance or outright refusal of the appropriate officials to share the information on these raises. It is unbelievable that so many on the council are successful business persons yet they come up with decisions like this. Decisions which seem very inappropriate if the city is to be run efficiently and fairly.
TL
Bill London <london@moscow.com> wrote:
I assume that you doubt that changing membership of the Moscow City Council will
make little difference because you have (like so many others in this country)
stopped believing in democracy.
Perhaps I am terminally naive, but I still think that even here in Moscow, with
an entrenched self-serving city bureaucracy and a servile Council, that
replacing the Council members with people who value the long-term good of this
city will make a real difference.
BL
Jim Baillargeon wrote:
> Exellent points, BL,....Why do i doubt that electing "public minded" council
> members is going to change a bloody thing??
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill London"
> To: "letter to editor"
> Cc: "Vision2020"
> Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 10:38 AM
> Subject: [Vision2020] Moscow city pay raises
>
> > When it was time for the Moscow City Council to give out raises last
> > year, they made sure that it was Moscow's city administrators who got
> > most of the money. These administrators' salaries were boosted by as
> > much as $11,000 annually.
> > The rank and file workers (the ones who actually clean the streets
> > and weed the parks) were not so privileged. Most got a one-percent
> > raise.
> > The Council chose to use our tax money to give more to the already
> > well-paid, and a token to those who could really use it.
> > And now, the Council is covering up the results of that impropriety
> > by refusing to tell the public how much of our tax money those
> > administrators actually receive from the city.
> > As was reported by Ted McDonough (Daily News, August 30) City
> > Attorney Randy Fife refuses to give out the total salary the
> > administrators (like himself) receive. Council members should be
> > disgusted by this effort to hide legitimate salary questions regarding
> > public officials. They are called public officials since the public
> > pays their salary--and the public has every right to know how much they
> > are paying.
> > This city government is in need of an enema.
> > I am ready for the election of some public-minded Council members in
> > November.
> > BL
> >
> >
> > _____________________________________________________
> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > http://www.fsr.net
> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> > ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
> >
_____________________________________________________
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http://www.fsr.net
mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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<DIV>Bill et al.</DIV>
<DIV> I've noticed an odd situation in the dynamics of the mayor/city council/city manager working relationship. What I've seen is that the councilpersons who should be making the decisions become overly dependent upon the recommendations and opinions of the city manager/administrators/other bureaucrats. In fact, it seems that the council becomes very reluctant to oppose these upper level employees, becoming almost cowed by them. The council, when questioned, sometimes passed this off as "deferring to the staff's professional expertise," or "not having the time to understand the problems as well as the staff does." I haven't been a close observer of the Moscow City Council. Do you believe they are in effect being controlled by the city staff? There has to be some way to explain this. </DIV>
<DIV> The situation you mention about the pay increases is outrageous, especially in these economic times. Even worse is the reluctance or outright refusal of the appropriate officials to share the information on these raises. It is unbelievable that so many on the council are successful business persons yet they come up with decisions like this. Decisions which seem very inappropriate if the city is to be run efficiently and fairly.</DIV>
<DIV>TL</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Bill London <london@moscow.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">I assume that you doubt that changing membership of the Moscow City Council will<BR>make little difference because you have (like so many others in this country)<BR>stopped believing in democracy.<BR>Perhaps I am terminally naive, but I still think that even here in Moscow, with<BR>an entrenched self-serving city bureaucracy and a servile Council, that<BR>replacing the Council members with people who value the long-term good of this<BR>city will make a real difference.<BR>BL<BR><BR>Jim Baillargeon wrote:<BR><BR>> Exellent points, BL,....Why do i doubt that electing "public minded" council<BR>> members is going to change a bloody thing??<BR>> ----- Original Message -----<BR>> From: "Bill London" <LONDON@MOSCOW.COM><BR>> To: "letter to editor" <LETTERS@DNEWS.COM><BR>> Cc: "Vision2020" <VISION2020@MOSCOW.COM><BR>> Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 10:38 AM<B!
R>>
Subject: [Vision2020] Moscow city pay raises<BR>><BR>> > When it was time for the Moscow City Council to give out raises last<BR>> > year, they made sure that it was Moscow's city administrators who got<BR>> > most of the money. These administrators' salaries were boosted by as<BR>> > much as $11,000 annually.<BR>> > The rank and file workers (the ones who actually clean the streets<BR>> > and weed the parks) were not so privileged. Most got a one-percent<BR>> > raise.<BR>> > The Council chose to use our tax money to give more to the already<BR>> > well-paid, and a token to those who could really use it.<BR>> > And now, the Council is covering up the results of that impropriety<BR>> > by refusing to tell the public how much of our tax money those<BR>> > administrators actually receive from the city.<BR>> > As was reported by Ted McDonough (Daily News, August 30) City<BR>> > Attorney Randy!
Fife
refuses to give out the total salary the<BR>> > administrators (like himself) receive. Council members should be<BR>> > disgusted by this effort to hide legitimate salary questions regarding<BR>> > public officials. They are called public officials since the public<BR>> > pays their salary--and the public has every right to know how much they<BR>> > are paying.<BR>> > This city government is in need of an enema.<BR>> > I am ready for the election of some public-minded Council members in<BR>> > November.<BR>> > BL<BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> > _____________________________________________________<BR>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,<BR>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<BR>> > http://www.fsr.net<BR>> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>> > ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<BR>>
><BR><BR>_____________________________________________________<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>http://www.fsr.net <BR>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ</BLOCKQUOTE><p><hr SIZE=1>
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