Mr. Roland received his request in the form of a written memo dated Oct. 20, 2009 signed by the director of Human Resources, Jeff Wilkie.  This memo (see below) states that 8 employees received “stipends” in December of 2008 for “improvements found” and “acknowledgement of completion” of a certain city training program.

The memo does not state how much each stipend was. However, Mr. Wilkie confirmed to Bill Roland verbally that each stipend was $2500.   That would be a total of $20,000 given out in bonuses.

About a month after these stipends were handed out, the mayor sent out an email to all city employees that read in part (emphasis mine):

We have a duty to keep the City’s finances on firm ground. And with the economy stalling and tax revenues falling, that necessarily  involves making some hard choices. Nothing would please me more than to avoid some of the choices that will likely confront us in balancing our FY09-10 budget. But in the current economy, the only wise course is to prepare for the worst. All Tulsans should be confident that we will watch the City’s economy and budget closely over the next few months and take whatever actions are necessary to ensure that we deliver a sustainable balanced budget.

From my management team, to supervisors to all employees we must work together to emphasize responsible fiscal management. Therefore, until further analysis of the City’s economic outlook can be determined and effective immediately, all departments must engage in practices that either cut expenses or are revenue neutral. This means:

1. Placing a hold on hiring and promotions, including temporary employees;
2. Requiring that all overtime be approved in advance by supervisors. It goes without question that Supervisors should use sound judgment and common sense in making such decisions, particularly if overtime is required to deal with an emergency or public safety situation;
3. Supervisors will evaluate existing purchase orders to reduce obligations;
4. Unless it is revenue neutral (both in terms of cost and resulting overtime), no new travel will be approved until further notice;
5.Within seven days, all supervisors will report status of previously stated fuel reduction goals. Fuel savings are subject to recapture and may not be used for other purposes.

It would appear that these bonuses, or “stipends” as they are called in the memo, were given out shortly before the real budget crunch started happening.  Then again….  it was becoming obvious several months before these bonuses were given out that the budget was going to be in trouble.

As stated in the previous post on this subject, the amount is quite small when compared to the entire budget of the City.  However, it is disconcerting that a select few, priveleged employees – apparently all from the same work group – received more money in the form of a stipend than what most city employees earn in one month.

I’ve watched two mayors come and go (yes, Taylor is going…or not) the last 8 years.  When LaFortune took office he brought with him his own agenda, applied said agenda, wrecked some long-standing processes, and then he was gone.  In come Taylor who brings her own agenda, applies said agenda, and now she will soon be gone.  Guess who is left behind to clean up the mess?  We citeewurkors who have committed ourselves to the citizens of Tulsa as a long-standing career.

For some reason, this reminds me of a science fiction book by Larry Niven.  He wrote a book called the Mote in God’s Eye.  In this book Niven describes an isolated civilization called the Moties.  The Moties have this serious problem where they will die an agonizing death if they do not give birth to offspring.  Not wishing to have an agonizing death, this results in cyclic population explosions for the Moties that always result in wars and essentially near-extermination back to their stone age days.  Then they begin again.  The Moties have tried and tried to stop these cycles of the rise and fall of their civilization.  They always try to figure out solutions toward the end of a cycle but always fail.

The city of Tulsa is like this in some ways.  We have cycles that repeat generally every four years.  For the most part, department managers are able to keep a good semblance of normalcy and can protect established civil services from meddling by the ever-changing administration in the form of the Mayor.  But sometimes the head honcho inflicts damage that is difficult to recover from.

Take for example Taylor’s policy of furloughing city employees.  While I wish these were not necessary, I understand that they are and will adjust my budget accordingly.  However, the last time this happened under LaFortune the city incurred massive expenses in the form of a lawsuit from certain citeewurkors just because of the way the furloughs were implemented.  One astute worker pointed out to the mayor when she gathered us all together with a question:  “Why are we going down this road again?”  One astute city attorney responds by saying a certain judge overturned a certain judgment.

Why risk it, Mayor?  While I hate to even say this, the solution provided for in the Charter appears to be layoffs in the affected fund area.  I’m not sure why this is so hard to understand.  Perhaps I do not fully comprehend the black and white rules that we all live by, but I’d say I’m pretty sure of what I read.  Somebody please enlighten me if I’m wrong.

Surely with all the brains we have working for the city, there is a way to come up with a solution that will not appear to violate anything.

All that said, I will have to concede one point the Mayor made.  Funding city government via sales tax has the disadvantage of being subject to a poor-performing economy.  I have no illusions of proposing solutions to this except maybe to figure out a better way to fund those areas of city government that rely upon sales tax revenue.  How that could come about is for those with bigger brains to discuss.

In any case, this brings me to the title of this post.  I submit to you that Tulsa would benefit from hiring a city manager.  This city manager would not be subjected to political whims every four years or influenced by lobbying interest groups and yes…  unions.  He or she would be concerned with one thing:  operating the various city departments in the most effective and efficient manner.  As a hired hand, it wouldn’t matter if he or she were a Donkey or an Elephant.  He or she would also have no need to hire a “cabinet” or create positions of vague description with high salaries.

Then we could just kick the mayor into a figurehead status instead of a jumping ramp to another political office.

A buddy of mine gave me some tobacco seeds he got from an “old indian feller o’er yonder”.  Said it smoked like Marlboro.

So, I took some and started them in little styrofoam cups.

In about a week, these sprouts will be large enough to transplant outside in my large planters.  Then I will transfer them to a larger, tilled area.  I hear they get very large and have beautiful flowers.

I’ll keep you guys updated all the way until I roll my first one in celebration of not paying taxes on tobacco.

In the mean time…  bite me federal government.  Raise my taxes on a consumer good?  Guess what, I’ll just make it myself and you will get nothing now.  It is my choice to smoke.  I like to smoke.  Smoking is bad for me, yes.  It is my choice.  Not yours.

Mayor Taylor had a meeting with city employees today at 9:30am (05-01-2009) regarding furlough days and/or pay reductions.

Full Playlist Here, or watch in sequence below after the jump.

NOTE: Comments are welcome, but remember this is a public web site and comments are visible to anybody in the world with an Internet connection.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=10287641

original video files cut up with PiTiVi

KOTV coverage

KOTV video:

Fox23 Video

Fox23 coverage
Fox23 coverage 2
Fox23 coverage 3
Fox23 coverage 4

Tulsa World
Tulsa World 2
Tulsa World 3

Homeland Stupidity sums it up for you:

Last week the Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis published an “analysis” of “right-wing extremists” in the United States in which it claims, quite vaguely, that: “Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”

I would suggest that anybody and everybody has at least once in their life fallen into that broad-faced definition of “right-wing extremist.”

While reading up a little more on this I noticed that Michael Savage is suing DHS for this report that labels as “extreme” the vast majority of Americans:

“It is a civil rights action brought under the First and Fifth Amendments to the United States Constitution, challenging the policy, practice, and custom of the United States Government that targets for disfavored treatment those individuals and groups that are considered to be ‘rightwing extremists,’” the complaint announced today said….

According to the federal government, members of the suspect group of people include those who:

• Oppose restrictions on firearms
• Oppose lax immigration
• Oppose the policies of President Obama regarding immigration, citizenship and the expansion of social programs
• Oppose continuation of free trade agreements
• Oppose same-sex marriage
• Have paranoia of foreign regimes
• Fear Communist regimes
• Oppose one world government
• Bemoan the decline of U.S. stature in the world
• Are upset with the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs to China and India

Wow.  That set of descriptions includes, I believe, every single person I have ever met or known.

Watch out folks.  Big Sister is watching you.  Smile for the camera.

I bet the King of England and his majesty’s armies in the original American colonies had a similar pdf scroll about those who would dare question his majesty’s rule back in the day.  You see where that got them.

Was randomly listening to Sean Hannity today as they were sort of recapping yesterday’s events.  He got very emotional and said how awesome he felt when he saw all these people coming out and taking back their nation.

A coworker told me today that he saw all kinds of people at a rally yesterday, but one person that struck him the most was a young teenager out there holding a sign.  He said that it gave him hope that the future isn’t lost, that America isn’t lost.

I agree with him.

Wish I could write more, but I’m short on time.

I can smell it folks.

July 4th, 2009  ……   We’re gonna go to DC.  Millions of us.  Since they won’t listen, we’re gonna go to them and take back what is ours.

Greyhound bus is about $140 round trip from Tulsa.

Amtrak is about $180 or so.

Hopefully, somebody will get the big idea to charter some busses for this exodus.

Apparently, Iowa now permits same-sex marriage.  Whatever.   Who cares.  The only thing accomplished with this nonsense is that more divorces will occur.

This post, however, is only about one sentence in the Whirled article, where the Iowa supreme court states:

Iowa lawmakers have “excluded a historically disfavored class of persons from a supremely important civil institution without a constitutionally sufficient justification.”

Hmm…  I read that three times before I decided they meant:

Representatives of Iowa’s citizens historically never had to deal with this issue, because it was always understood by the populace at large that marriage was between men and women.  Historically nobody would have dreamed that marriage would have had to be defined.

It’s kind of like the courts defining that cereal is historically eaten in a bowl with a spoon and milk.  Somebody comes along and says, “No, I use a plate and a fork with my cereal and you shouldn’t historically disfavor me because of that.”

Of course, marriage already is defined.  I guess nobody chose to look.  I’ll just say that I don’t believe man’s law trumps natural laws already in place.  But hey, men and women have “historically disfavored” themselves in holding the sanctity of marriage intact, and I see no reason to believe those of the same gender will – after sufficient history – prove themselves otherwise.  In the end, we are all (or we all will be) guilty of demeaning and giving little value to marriage.

After awhile, I suspect this will be the norm.  After it does, our increasingly degenerate culture will likely soon debate other issues that already have a natural definition.  After the culture becomes numb or immune to one controversial  issue, it will more quickly and easily accept other, more bizarre issues.

Well, the estimated population of Oklahoma in 2008 was:  3,642,361

What percentage of Oklahomans are on food stamps.  That is what I wanted to know, but didn’t find in the daileeee’s article.  Ok, remember your junior high algebra?  (45,057/3,642,361) = x/100

Solve for X and that number is the percentage of Oklahomans on food stamps.  It comes out to 12.36%  We’ll just say 12 to make it easy.

So, let’s put it into perspective:

Every 12 people out of 100 receive food stamps.
Or every 6 people out of 50.
Or every 3 out of 25
Or every 1 out of about 8.

About 1 out of every 8 Oklahomans receive food stamps.

Now, go walk down the street in downtown during rush hour.  Every 8th person you pass receives food stamps.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t help people that need help, but seriously… Tulsa World.  Give us numbers that help us understand the magnitude of the issue.

I’ve come up with some ideas that could help those that have this issue.

First, obviously, is there an existing dwelling or structure on the property that will become a community garden?  If so, it is likely that the structure has an existing water faucet or spigot that could be used to attach a water hose.  Get with the property owner and work out a deal to have water supplied to the address.  There is, more than likely, already a water tap that serves the address.  You’d have to work out a monthly payment process with the property owner, of course.

The second idea applies if there is no existing structure on the property.  However if there is water service to the property (call the City and inquire about this if you can’t find a water meter).  If there is look into installing a stand-alone water spigot.  Be sure you install everything to code and get a permit and inspection if necessary.

Another idea that can alleviate the problem is building a water collection system.  Can’t beat free water, eh?

Other than that, you can take your chances by “borrowing” water from a neighbor if they give you permission.  Will the city really enforce this rule when it pertains to a community garden?  Seriously, if the neighbor agrees to the usage of the water and has no issue with it, I don’t see the problem.

Of course, you can get around the wording like so:  (my opinion only).  If some inspector actually takes time out of their busy day to investigate a complaint that probably won’t happen, try this:  Well, sir, I didn’t buy it from them.  He was just storing the water in these 50 gallon drums and got permission to place them on the community garden property.  It’s been sitting here all winter, and he asked me to dispose of the water for him as a favor.  I obliged him and instead of dumping it down the street, I used it in this here garden.  If you don’t like lying, just have your neighbor say out loud, “Friend, will you store some water for me in these fifty gallon drums and store them on the community garden property?  I’ll use the water in my flower bed here as I need it.  That ok with you?”  You respond, “Sure, Fred, you bet! What are neighbors for?”

If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS. 

Personally, I believe this agreement is in place to address people who have their water service terminated for non-payment and then hit up their neighbor for water, or simply outright steal it without their knowing.  Seriously, I don’t think I or any of my coworkers are going to be busting you for using a water hose graciously provided by a neighbor willing to pay for the water consumption.  Besides, this is a “community” garden, right?

Good luck to all those folks that are looking into starting a community garden.  I think it’s an awesome idea!