I usually watch some portion of CNN or their Headline News channel during the day, and with the economy the way it is there is a myriad of discussion about bonuses and golden parachutes. It got me thinking about our own local golden parachute poster boy, Mr. Malin. I couldn’t remember the exact drama that unfolded in 2007, but I remember it being part of the foundation of my arguments that if Keith Meyer was better at communicating, we may have noticed that some of his ranting had merit. That being said, a little advanced search on the QC Times website led me to memory lane.
It seems that Mr. Malin’s contract expires in December of 2009, and I want to start the conversation now about what I think should happen in the revision of this document.
In the article ‘Malin lays out options for his possible departure’, back when the council was looking to oust him, it is clear that no matter how this guy leaves, he gets a parachute. And that parachute, is about what I would have to work between 2 and 6 years to make at my current rate of pay. The article reads:
“Although firing Malin, maintaining the status quo and opting to change the city ordinance to take power away from the manager and put it into the hands of elected officials have been discussed often, the “succession agreement” option is relatively new.
Such an agreement would require six votes to pass, and Malin’s agreement to a “graceful exit.” According to the document, that option would cost the city $156,000 — compared to the $416,000 if he’s fired or the $234,000 if his powers are stripped.”
*This, all of course, just prior to him getting a glowing performance review from the council… Who knew.
Here are the ridiculous numbers according to the document provided to the council which seem to differ from the article a little bit. (Here’s the link)
He’s Fired – 234,000
His position is changed or deleted – 416,000
And here’s the one that just pisses me off…. Administrator resigns without council control – 156,000. And wait, there’s more. He actually wrote the following statement: “… creates extraordinary impediments to future recruitments for professional staff (especially if City Administrator speaks unreservedly following separation.)” What the ?#!**!? Do I take that as, even after paying him 156,000, there’s no line in there about him keeping his pie hole shut??
With the political nature of his position and the ability of an elected body to remove him from his position, I am all for the severance package idea. But I think the package should be appropriate, and not a winning lottery ticket. I think a severance package similar to industry, like a week’s pay for each year worked, or even a months pay for each year worked, would still be far more appropriate than the fleecing of the taxpayer than what is currently in place. And I hope that there is a clause in there that in a case of blatant negligence, insubordination or illegal activity, etc., that would eliminate any compensation for termination.
And as far as leaving on your own, “making a graceful exit”, I think he should get what everyone else does. If you go to a restaurant and you eat, pay for your meal and then you leave, the restaurant doesn’t owe you a steak. Cash out your vacation, clean out your desk and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Showing posts with label Malin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malin. Show all posts
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Is It All That Bad?
An article in the Times about housing starts has spawned some interesting comments. Getting past the mindless drivel is easy, to see some interesting comments about the good and bad that is Davenport.
4-6-08 Davenport Leaders Worry About Tumbling Home Starts
Every US city, regardless of region, has good and bad aspects. I currently choose to live here and rather enjoy it. The only point I see in moving away from here is the weather, and after this winter, most of you may be nodding your heads in agreement at this point.
The good…
I like being in a city that has many of the amenities of large cities without the headaches that they present. We have good shopping areas, recreation, a small touch of culture and great attractions and festivals. I can guarantee each and every person enjoys at least one event in the area every year. What we don’t have is traffic jams, minus the occasional bridge delay, a high rate of crime, over priced amenities, and most of the other problems faced by areas with high density populations.
The complaints fly, but what is there to really complain about? Is it really that bad? We complain about parking downtown. Well, I went to the University of Iowa and had to have a vehicle due to the job that I had at the time. I paid almost as much in parking as I did in tuition. At 10-15 minutes for a quarter, that was an expensive day, especially with the lack of residential parking and meter-less areas. Parking ramps are a complaint as well. To eat dinner in downtown Chicago costs over 20.00 at a parking deck. Much more expensive than anything I could imagine paying here.
Police are an issue, always complaining about how the cops don’t do what they are supposed to and are ineffective. Well, I did notice that of all of the homicides in the QC in the last couple years, it seems that the alleged inadequate DPD has had someone in custody within 48 hours. Personally, I think this is a bar that is set pretty high, and one that larger cities couldn’t reach if they wanted to.
We have excellent fire protection. If you have questions about that, ask your insurance man. Mine says we have one of the best fire ratings out there, hence a cheaper policy premium. Though I take exception to some of the rest of the city services as being in need of improvement, if you compare this again to other cities we are doing pretty well. Have you driven in Clinton, Iowa City or other areas during or shortly after a snowstorm? I would say the snow removal we have here is pretty good. Unfortunately, we have Bettendorf next to us that exceeds expectations on this one.
As far as cost, I think we are on the level with most places in the area, and certainly living a lot cheaper than other areas of the country. If you want to point to Bettendorf all the time, remember, they are the first ones to charge more. They were the first to charge a garbage fee, the first to charge for yard waste pick-up and has more city fees. And for all that, here’s what you don’t get… Bettendorf has been horribly behind on fire protection. That blew up in their face recently in the major house fire, that likely wasn’t the fire department’s fault. To have fire protection where you must rely on other cities, including Davenport, to fight a simple house fire, is not an amenity that I would like to sacrifice. I think I would rather have a little snow on my street than have to worry if the fire department could put out a fire in my home. Bettendorf, though on the surface looks to have better amenities, it is evident that they are cutting corners where Davenport does not.
The bad…
Streets. But look at a statement in the article. Bettendorf has done better on development starting in the 1970’s since the town was all new. New streets, new infrastructure, and after all, we all like new things. But look at Bettendorf now. I would argue that the streets in Bettendorf, once new and attractive to development, are deteriorating to levels that are at or worse than Davenport. The problem becomes keeping up with maintenance and replacement of deteriorating streets, especially in a region with weather that is horrible in relation to heating and freezing, rendering havoc on pavement. I think that in the very near future, Bettendorf is going to need to address the issues of their deteriorating infrastructure, just as Davenport does, causing a cutback in amenities that currently exists due to Bettendorf’s seemingly minimum expense in this area.
Crime. For the density of population, crime is a little high. But I see many positives here. The crime free housing program seems to be having an impact, at least in the public eye. It would be interesting to talk to some of the officers and see if they are seeing impact with this program at all. I know that comments have been made in relation to crime and its source being in rental housing. Hopefully the new chief, with experience in other areas of the country, will provide a vision of how some mitigation in the department can help improve efficiency and maybe even prevention strategies.
Infrastructure. I think a serious lack of good decision making in the past has led to a situation in a couple areas that are now at just short of crisis level. The sewer situation and the fact that we have a large business park along I-80 that doesn’t have the infrastructure to support it. I am hopeful that the current council has the priorities right to get some of these critical projects underway. I am not upset at the investment in Centennial Park, as it has been years of planning and countless hours of public input. There does have to be a balance between attractions and necessities. I am interested to see if the council, mayor and Malin are able to secure federal funds for some of these projects. I think that if the city gets aggressive in securing outside funding, this may come out in the end as a relatively significant win for Davenport.
So that’s what I have off the top of my head. Maybe someone can add to the list. Here is the challenge. Instead of complaints like are present on the Times. Try this. If you list a bad, also list a good. It’s worth thinking about good things on occasion.
4-6-08 Davenport Leaders Worry About Tumbling Home Starts
Every US city, regardless of region, has good and bad aspects. I currently choose to live here and rather enjoy it. The only point I see in moving away from here is the weather, and after this winter, most of you may be nodding your heads in agreement at this point.
The good…
I like being in a city that has many of the amenities of large cities without the headaches that they present. We have good shopping areas, recreation, a small touch of culture and great attractions and festivals. I can guarantee each and every person enjoys at least one event in the area every year. What we don’t have is traffic jams, minus the occasional bridge delay, a high rate of crime, over priced amenities, and most of the other problems faced by areas with high density populations.
The complaints fly, but what is there to really complain about? Is it really that bad? We complain about parking downtown. Well, I went to the University of Iowa and had to have a vehicle due to the job that I had at the time. I paid almost as much in parking as I did in tuition. At 10-15 minutes for a quarter, that was an expensive day, especially with the lack of residential parking and meter-less areas. Parking ramps are a complaint as well. To eat dinner in downtown Chicago costs over 20.00 at a parking deck. Much more expensive than anything I could imagine paying here.
Police are an issue, always complaining about how the cops don’t do what they are supposed to and are ineffective. Well, I did notice that of all of the homicides in the QC in the last couple years, it seems that the alleged inadequate DPD has had someone in custody within 48 hours. Personally, I think this is a bar that is set pretty high, and one that larger cities couldn’t reach if they wanted to.
We have excellent fire protection. If you have questions about that, ask your insurance man. Mine says we have one of the best fire ratings out there, hence a cheaper policy premium. Though I take exception to some of the rest of the city services as being in need of improvement, if you compare this again to other cities we are doing pretty well. Have you driven in Clinton, Iowa City or other areas during or shortly after a snowstorm? I would say the snow removal we have here is pretty good. Unfortunately, we have Bettendorf next to us that exceeds expectations on this one.
As far as cost, I think we are on the level with most places in the area, and certainly living a lot cheaper than other areas of the country. If you want to point to Bettendorf all the time, remember, they are the first ones to charge more. They were the first to charge a garbage fee, the first to charge for yard waste pick-up and has more city fees. And for all that, here’s what you don’t get… Bettendorf has been horribly behind on fire protection. That blew up in their face recently in the major house fire, that likely wasn’t the fire department’s fault. To have fire protection where you must rely on other cities, including Davenport, to fight a simple house fire, is not an amenity that I would like to sacrifice. I think I would rather have a little snow on my street than have to worry if the fire department could put out a fire in my home. Bettendorf, though on the surface looks to have better amenities, it is evident that they are cutting corners where Davenport does not.
The bad…
Streets. But look at a statement in the article. Bettendorf has done better on development starting in the 1970’s since the town was all new. New streets, new infrastructure, and after all, we all like new things. But look at Bettendorf now. I would argue that the streets in Bettendorf, once new and attractive to development, are deteriorating to levels that are at or worse than Davenport. The problem becomes keeping up with maintenance and replacement of deteriorating streets, especially in a region with weather that is horrible in relation to heating and freezing, rendering havoc on pavement. I think that in the very near future, Bettendorf is going to need to address the issues of their deteriorating infrastructure, just as Davenport does, causing a cutback in amenities that currently exists due to Bettendorf’s seemingly minimum expense in this area.
Crime. For the density of population, crime is a little high. But I see many positives here. The crime free housing program seems to be having an impact, at least in the public eye. It would be interesting to talk to some of the officers and see if they are seeing impact with this program at all. I know that comments have been made in relation to crime and its source being in rental housing. Hopefully the new chief, with experience in other areas of the country, will provide a vision of how some mitigation in the department can help improve efficiency and maybe even prevention strategies.
Infrastructure. I think a serious lack of good decision making in the past has led to a situation in a couple areas that are now at just short of crisis level. The sewer situation and the fact that we have a large business park along I-80 that doesn’t have the infrastructure to support it. I am hopeful that the current council has the priorities right to get some of these critical projects underway. I am not upset at the investment in Centennial Park, as it has been years of planning and countless hours of public input. There does have to be a balance between attractions and necessities. I am interested to see if the council, mayor and Malin are able to secure federal funds for some of these projects. I think that if the city gets aggressive in securing outside funding, this may come out in the end as a relatively significant win for Davenport.
So that’s what I have off the top of my head. Maybe someone can add to the list. Here is the challenge. Instead of complaints like are present on the Times. Try this. If you list a bad, also list a good. It’s worth thinking about good things on occasion.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Invitation: Isle of Capri, You are Invited to Fly Your Bird out of Davenport
After reading QCI’s entry on the Isle of Capri, I was inspired to look into this and truly review the lines and lines of complete bullsh*t that we have been fed by this company. I want you to take a moment and read this article:
8-16-2000, No Agreement Yet on License for Isle
If you’re back and not happy, let me spray some lighter fluid on this cozy little campfire.
“…the Isle of Capri include guarantees that the gaming company's existing riverboat in Bettendorf and the one in Davenport will remain competitive and an assurance that the RDA will continue to get at least the same annual income from the Davenport riverboat as it does now.”
Now, let us review the article that got the fire started at QCI’s camp…
“At the same time, hopes for a first-class casino and hotel property in Davenport were dashed. Isle officials said that the Rhythm City Casino will be rebranded as a Lady Luck property — the casino company’s new brand for smaller casinos serving local markets.”
Now back to my fun little history lesson,
"We're looking for an income guarantee," Chamberlin said. "We want assurances that our current level of income will go forward and assurances that there will be competition so the gap in income between Davenport and Bettendorf won't grow wider."
Now it seems to me that there is a blatent about face in the promises of a short 7 and a half years ago. This, combined with the constant chain jerking of develop or not develop, on top of the let’s let the Blackhawk Hotel collect another year of dust scenario has certainly put a sour look on the face of most of us in the QC.
We are dealing with a company that is not being truthful, consistently changes their minds and took what was a profitable President Casino, and turned it into an overall embarrassment for the city.
Do they help the economy, sure they do, about a million in taxes doesn’t hurt the city coffers at all. But let’s look at something else, as I have found another bottle of lighter fluid…
“During talks with company representatives, Chamberlin said the RDA was assured that as many existing jobs as possible would be kept at the two boats, although there will probably be some immediate reorganization of human resources and training functions and staffing.”
Hmm… cause here is another article of interest:
9-10-2001, Isle of Capri Makes Changes at Rhythm City
“Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. has shuffled its top management in the Quad-City market. And in the process, Mark Lohman, the general manager of the Rhythm City Casino in Davenport and one of the first people to be employed in the gambling industry in Davenport, is no longer with the company.”
Here is where someone needs to be slapped. Just waiting a year, not a whole 7 and a half, the lies from the first article begins, and nobody calls them out on it. This move, started a cascade of layoffs from the company, combining most positions from the Bettendorf property and resulting in job losses, likely approaching the million dollar mark, if not more.
A friend of mine, and former casino employee, stated that there have been constant lay-offs and combining of positions. Everything from the general manager, food and beverage positions, gaming operations positions, human resources and even housekeeping positions, most all of them good paying supervisory or management positions have been eliminated. So which is better? Tax revenue directly from the casino, or tax revenue from our citizens of Davenport that we lost to a dishonest company.
Had the President remained, or the license be issued to a competitive firm, would we have been jerked around? Well, who knows. Business is unpredictable and companies do work to maximize profits for themselves. However, I would place a bet that we would not have seen so many job losses, and Davenport would still be getting their tax money.
Now, what do we do? Malin needs to fix the problem, and I think we should hold him responsible, along with Mary Ellen Chamberlin and the RDA. As of now, much like Stephen Colbert, I am putting Malin and the City Council on notice. (It has no authority and doesn’t hold water, but it sounds fun.)
1. Get the documentation and do the research. Show us where they lied to us and hold their noses to the fire. (Yes, even despite the fact that I have emptied two canisters of lighter fluid on it. They have been burning us this whole time, our turn.)
2. Take this to Mary Ellen Chamberlin and not only show her the burns, but let her smell it too.
3. Use every power and right that the city has been bestowed by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, to remove the Isle of Capri from this gaming license and give that license to someone that will compete with the Bettendorf establishment.
This is not just Malin, this is the council members too. I would hope that each of them take this seriously and do something about it.
8-16-2000, No Agreement Yet on License for Isle
If you’re back and not happy, let me spray some lighter fluid on this cozy little campfire.
“…the Isle of Capri include guarantees that the gaming company's existing riverboat in Bettendorf and the one in Davenport will remain competitive and an assurance that the RDA will continue to get at least the same annual income from the Davenport riverboat as it does now.”
Now, let us review the article that got the fire started at QCI’s camp…
“At the same time, hopes for a first-class casino and hotel property in Davenport were dashed. Isle officials said that the Rhythm City Casino will be rebranded as a Lady Luck property — the casino company’s new brand for smaller casinos serving local markets.”
Now back to my fun little history lesson,
"We're looking for an income guarantee," Chamberlin said. "We want assurances that our current level of income will go forward and assurances that there will be competition so the gap in income between Davenport and Bettendorf won't grow wider."
Now it seems to me that there is a blatent about face in the promises of a short 7 and a half years ago. This, combined with the constant chain jerking of develop or not develop, on top of the let’s let the Blackhawk Hotel collect another year of dust scenario has certainly put a sour look on the face of most of us in the QC.
We are dealing with a company that is not being truthful, consistently changes their minds and took what was a profitable President Casino, and turned it into an overall embarrassment for the city.
Do they help the economy, sure they do, about a million in taxes doesn’t hurt the city coffers at all. But let’s look at something else, as I have found another bottle of lighter fluid…
“During talks with company representatives, Chamberlin said the RDA was assured that as many existing jobs as possible would be kept at the two boats, although there will probably be some immediate reorganization of human resources and training functions and staffing.”
Hmm… cause here is another article of interest:
9-10-2001, Isle of Capri Makes Changes at Rhythm City
“Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. has shuffled its top management in the Quad-City market. And in the process, Mark Lohman, the general manager of the Rhythm City Casino in Davenport and one of the first people to be employed in the gambling industry in Davenport, is no longer with the company.”
Here is where someone needs to be slapped. Just waiting a year, not a whole 7 and a half, the lies from the first article begins, and nobody calls them out on it. This move, started a cascade of layoffs from the company, combining most positions from the Bettendorf property and resulting in job losses, likely approaching the million dollar mark, if not more.
A friend of mine, and former casino employee, stated that there have been constant lay-offs and combining of positions. Everything from the general manager, food and beverage positions, gaming operations positions, human resources and even housekeeping positions, most all of them good paying supervisory or management positions have been eliminated. So which is better? Tax revenue directly from the casino, or tax revenue from our citizens of Davenport that we lost to a dishonest company.
Had the President remained, or the license be issued to a competitive firm, would we have been jerked around? Well, who knows. Business is unpredictable and companies do work to maximize profits for themselves. However, I would place a bet that we would not have seen so many job losses, and Davenport would still be getting their tax money.
Now, what do we do? Malin needs to fix the problem, and I think we should hold him responsible, along with Mary Ellen Chamberlin and the RDA. As of now, much like Stephen Colbert, I am putting Malin and the City Council on notice. (It has no authority and doesn’t hold water, but it sounds fun.)
1. Get the documentation and do the research. Show us where they lied to us and hold their noses to the fire. (Yes, even despite the fact that I have emptied two canisters of lighter fluid on it. They have been burning us this whole time, our turn.)
2. Take this to Mary Ellen Chamberlin and not only show her the burns, but let her smell it too.
3. Use every power and right that the city has been bestowed by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, to remove the Isle of Capri from this gaming license and give that license to someone that will compete with the Bettendorf establishment.
This is not just Malin, this is the council members too. I would hope that each of them take this seriously and do something about it.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Hip Shots...
Though I have been busy lately, I am paying attention. There are just a few things I would like to throw out there...
1. Will the Iowa Legislature consideration of moving the local option sales tax to a statewide tax affect promise? My initial thought is that it might. From what I understand, each initiative must be approved by voters. I am leery of a project that would come up for vote possibly on an annual basis and lose finding all together with one election. I am still on the fence about promise anyway with the lack of private funding.
2. Though Keith Meyer has managed to post Craig Malin's resume on his blog under Blues Clues headings, I assure everyone that this is another delusion and that I am not Craig Malin. If I found that Craig was blogging like me, I would consider it unprofessional and would be happy to go after him like anyone else in government making bad decisions.
3. I think the open forum in relation to the police chief position was a very good thing. I hope this shows that this council isn't just BS'ing us in relation to the openness of government. I also hope this is the start of many items that can be referenced to point at when the crybabies (see last post about meeting changes) start saying there is no public input. I am confident that wont be the case with this group.
4. More aldermen are coming up with blogs. I think this is a great communication tool. I just hope that people use the alderman's blogs constructively and use it for information and genuine comments, instead of psychotic entries. If you want to see a psychotic entry on a blog, read Keith's question about how many D1 businesses are laundering drug money. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. Does anyone know why nobody comments on Keith's blog? Oh wait, we are sane... Opinionated, but sane.
I'm verclempt, talk amongst yourselves.
1. Will the Iowa Legislature consideration of moving the local option sales tax to a statewide tax affect promise? My initial thought is that it might. From what I understand, each initiative must be approved by voters. I am leery of a project that would come up for vote possibly on an annual basis and lose finding all together with one election. I am still on the fence about promise anyway with the lack of private funding.
2. Though Keith Meyer has managed to post Craig Malin's resume on his blog under Blues Clues headings, I assure everyone that this is another delusion and that I am not Craig Malin. If I found that Craig was blogging like me, I would consider it unprofessional and would be happy to go after him like anyone else in government making bad decisions.
3. I think the open forum in relation to the police chief position was a very good thing. I hope this shows that this council isn't just BS'ing us in relation to the openness of government. I also hope this is the start of many items that can be referenced to point at when the crybabies (see last post about meeting changes) start saying there is no public input. I am confident that wont be the case with this group.
4. More aldermen are coming up with blogs. I think this is a great communication tool. I just hope that people use the alderman's blogs constructively and use it for information and genuine comments, instead of psychotic entries. If you want to see a psychotic entry on a blog, read Keith's question about how many D1 businesses are laundering drug money. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. Does anyone know why nobody comments on Keith's blog? Oh wait, we are sane... Opinionated, but sane.
I'm verclempt, talk amongst yourselves.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Will the Real Shawn Hamerlinck Please Stand Up?
I am confused as to what the last election did to Shawn. It seems the “outspoken critic” of Malin on a regular basis is now giving him a positive review. If you haven’t seen the initial article that just tickled a little here it is…
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/11/16/news/local/doc473d39efd720b997719139.txt
Essentially, Shawn has been browbeating Malin, along with his buddies Lynn, Ambrose and Meyer, and is now blaming it on himself and the council. At least, that is how I read the passage in that article, that the council gives Malin no direction, and it is their fault.
So what is Shawn really saying? He likes Malin and the job he’s doing, even though he voted to fire the guy? In an April 17th article in the QCT, Shawn says: “I will grant that Craig Malin offers institutional knowledge,” he said. “It’s amazing the ability he has to get stuff done. The problem is sometimes in what that stuff is and what direction he wants to move.” Huh? So where does Shawn get this magical “he’s doing a good job” gameface?
It seems to me that Shawn might be a little frustrated. In my view, and I don’t think I’m alone, he is attempting to micromanage the city from his ward. Charlie Brooke tried to explain to Shawn why this was a bad thing when Shawn was fired up about taking responsibilities away from Malin. Here is a snip from the same April 17th article referenced above:
Alderman Charlie Brooke, 6th Ward, said a city with a $180 million budget and 900 employees would be a nightmare to run by a micromanaging elected body.“It needs a professional, a CEO, to run it, not 10 politicians elected every two years,” he said. “Nine of the 10 aldermen of Davenport have no experience running a business. Eight of the 10 have no real job at all. One is in jail. No other city in Iowa runs without an administrator.”Hamerlinck said his idea would be to keep an administrator but give the power to hire and fire department heads to the council and mayor.
Now back to the latest article where Shawn is quoted as saying:
“The biggest issue affecting the city administrator is a City Council that has refused to give him direct policy direction,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to tell him exactly what we want him to do, and too often, we haven’t.” Is that it? Is that the issue? Shawn, remember wanting to eliminate the position all together?? Here’s a clip from an April 14th article from the QCT:
Alderman Keith Meyer, 3rd Ward, who attended Hamerlinck’s meeting, told the Quad-City Times late last week that he will support the alderman’s (Hamerlinck's) efforts to eliminate the position. Aldermen Ray Ambrose, 4th Ward, and Bill Lynn, 5th Ward, also have positioned themselves in support of Hamerlinck.
So what do you want Shawn? Do you want the council to do everything, or do you want to just tell Malin what to do? It seems to me you should leave a significant amount of decision making in the hands of the person, whom you give glowing approval of that has “institutional knowledge” and not in the hands of 9 of 10 aldermen who “have no experience running a business.”
Links to the other cited articles:
April 14, 2007
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/04/14/news/local/doc462197afb7bf0094213189.txt
April 17, 2007
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/04/17/news/local/doc4624548342483807602860.txt
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/11/16/news/local/doc473d39efd720b997719139.txt
Essentially, Shawn has been browbeating Malin, along with his buddies Lynn, Ambrose and Meyer, and is now blaming it on himself and the council. At least, that is how I read the passage in that article, that the council gives Malin no direction, and it is their fault.
So what is Shawn really saying? He likes Malin and the job he’s doing, even though he voted to fire the guy? In an April 17th article in the QCT, Shawn says: “I will grant that Craig Malin offers institutional knowledge,” he said. “It’s amazing the ability he has to get stuff done. The problem is sometimes in what that stuff is and what direction he wants to move.” Huh? So where does Shawn get this magical “he’s doing a good job” gameface?
It seems to me that Shawn might be a little frustrated. In my view, and I don’t think I’m alone, he is attempting to micromanage the city from his ward. Charlie Brooke tried to explain to Shawn why this was a bad thing when Shawn was fired up about taking responsibilities away from Malin. Here is a snip from the same April 17th article referenced above:
Alderman Charlie Brooke, 6th Ward, said a city with a $180 million budget and 900 employees would be a nightmare to run by a micromanaging elected body.“It needs a professional, a CEO, to run it, not 10 politicians elected every two years,” he said. “Nine of the 10 aldermen of Davenport have no experience running a business. Eight of the 10 have no real job at all. One is in jail. No other city in Iowa runs without an administrator.”Hamerlinck said his idea would be to keep an administrator but give the power to hire and fire department heads to the council and mayor.
Now back to the latest article where Shawn is quoted as saying:
“The biggest issue affecting the city administrator is a City Council that has refused to give him direct policy direction,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to tell him exactly what we want him to do, and too often, we haven’t.” Is that it? Is that the issue? Shawn, remember wanting to eliminate the position all together?? Here’s a clip from an April 14th article from the QCT:
Alderman Keith Meyer, 3rd Ward, who attended Hamerlinck’s meeting, told the Quad-City Times late last week that he will support the alderman’s (Hamerlinck's) efforts to eliminate the position. Aldermen Ray Ambrose, 4th Ward, and Bill Lynn, 5th Ward, also have positioned themselves in support of Hamerlinck.
So what do you want Shawn? Do you want the council to do everything, or do you want to just tell Malin what to do? It seems to me you should leave a significant amount of decision making in the hands of the person, whom you give glowing approval of that has “institutional knowledge” and not in the hands of 9 of 10 aldermen who “have no experience running a business.”
Links to the other cited articles:
April 14, 2007
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/04/14/news/local/doc462197afb7bf0094213189.txt
April 17, 2007
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/04/17/news/local/doc4624548342483807602860.txt
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