Is It Management?

Well, I have not posted on this blog in some time now. I have often wondered why. I have so much to say that it seems quite impossible to determine the reason for my lack of commitment.

As you can tell from my last post, I began speaking about the need to know and understand personal safety. Well not much has changed. As a citizen of the City of Tulsa or one of its visitors, one must be knowledgable about personal safety.

Over the last few weeks, you have heard of talks about layoffs, "bump downs", and pay cuts. They Mayors office has been very good about vocalizing the need for the unions to reduce their pay. The Mayor has provided options for the unions and he has set a deadline for a decision.

What really gigs me right now is that we, the citizenry of Tulsa elected an individual who claimed that he wanted to be our Mayor for the next few years. This individual stated that he had all the leadership skills he needed to run the City of Tulsa. This individual claimed that he knew the answers or at least knew what needed to be done to make our wonderful city a great place to reside, work and play.

I could spend some time looking at campaign promises. I could spend some time looking at scheduled events where speeches were made. I could spend some time on many things that will only produce the history of the election. George Santayana put it best, "Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

As I sit and listen to interviews and read newspaper articles, I find myself wondering how did we elect this individual who claimed that he had the business knowledge to run the City of Tulsa?

Mayor Bartlett has asked for recommendations from the police and fire chiefs. Mayor Bartlett stated that he had his own plan on cost saving measures. Mayor Bartlett receives those cost saving measures from the police and fire chief's. Mayor Bartlett does not like those cost savings measures.

So Mayor Bartlett goes to the police and fire unions. Mayor Bartlett openly speaks in front of both groups. Mayor Bartlett speaks hoping not to be sued if his plans take effect. Mayor Bartlett says many things in each meeting. But Mayor Bartlett also stands silent on the solution to the problems.

Here is where we get to the beginning. I am a cadidate that has the business savy to make Tulsa.

I just sat and listened to the Mayor speak. Mayor Bartlett came right out front and said that he had not read the collective bargaining unit agreement with the City of Tulsa & the FOP. Mayor Bartlett admitted that he had no idea what the document contained. Mayor Bartlett had very little knowledge of the Fire and Police Arbitration Act (FPAA). Mayor Bartlett spent a majority of the time speaking about what he did not know. I was shocked. I know previous Mayors who made sure they knew what the FPAA was and what was contained in the collective bargaining agreement.

This is a man, while running for office said he knew how to operate an office. But how can you operate an office if you do not understand the keystone of the collective bargaing? How can you operate an office if you do not know the key points in an agreement with a group of individuals who can make or break you? How can you operate an office without understanding contracts?

Mayor Bartlett says he came up with a plan. It took months to develop that plan. And yet he is only willing to allow the fire fighters and FOP one week to consider the plan.

Mayor Bartlett now sits in the glass house and speaks about his plan. Mayor Bartlett speaks about how the brotherhood and sisterhood will save the city. Mayor Bartlett is pulling the strings of the citizens of Tulsa and the surrounding area. Mayor Bartlett is speaking to the people and saying, that they can save themselves.

This is no more than Salem Witch trials. Take a woman who was accused of witchcraft. Tie her up. Add a few bricks and toss her in the water. A witch would be able to save themselves. How many times did the poor innocent people die? Too often. But the premise was they have the power to save themselves.

I am not sure about you, but this logic really pisses me off. When people voted for Mayor Bartlett, they wanted a leader. They looked at him and noticed that he was saying things like having the experience needed to run the city. Well, have you noticed that he is not running the city? Have you noticed that he is not accomplishing the task in which the majority voted.

I would hope that the Mayor of the City of Tulsa would be able to make decisions. Tough decisions about how to run this city. Mayor Bartlett was handed a large deficit and was told by the voters to fix it. After all, he stated that he had the knowledge the business savy to fix it.

But where is Mayor Bartlett. Hiding behind the sympathy of all the citizens who have been laid off. Hiding behind all those citizens who have had a pay reduction. Hiding behind the decision that he should be making.

Well, if Mayor Bartlett is wanting the fire fighters local and the FOP to make this important decision for him, I think that he should remove his Chief of Staff. Remove all those he hired to assist him in running the City of Tulsa.

Move over all, because the Mayor of the City of Tulsa has just asked the FOP and the Fire Fighters Local to run the City. These two groups have been asked to make a worth while contribution to the City of Tulsa.

I have heard the citizens of Tulsa speak about how unions have destroyed the economy. I have heard them say that the unions are the ones breaking the systems. I have heard nothing but evil when it comes to unions.

Well, if the FOP is the Union, then this collective bargaining unit deserves praise. The men and women who have participated on the negotiations team should, without a doubt, receive an wonderful standing ovation from all the citizens of Tulsa.

Because the FOP has not just negotiated contract provisions for the employees, they have made the work of public safety a priority. This priority has provided provisions that have made it safer for officers to patrol the streets. This priority has provided for tools that make working the streets safer. These tools are used to make Tulsa a great place to live and the FOP has made it happen on many occasions.

The young officers may not know what this all means. The old officer may also not know what this all means. But it is the members of the FOP who faught for a change in working conditions. When these changes were made, it often provided for greater safety for the officers. This safety for the officer spelled out safety for the citizens.

It was the FOP who negotiated education pay. This was the beginning of the recognition that an educated officer is one who provides better leadership. This lead to what has often been called as a higher class of officers. I have heard many say the more education an officer has, the better he is prepared to make the decsions that are needed.

It was the FOP who negotiated the protective vests (often called bullet proof vests). It was their negotiations that provide for vest replacements every five years (the life of that vest). It was based on this premise that replacing the vest would provide for a safer environment for the officers. Keeping officers alive means keeping bad guys off the streets.

I am sure that I could spend many hours on how those men and women have written proposals that have made the job safer. It is not always about compensation. It is about foreseeing the need and requesting the City to provide. I think that many do not understand the issues of why the FOP contract and the fire fighters contracts are so important. But if you really spend some time and find out why those provisions are in place, then you find out why the contract is so important.

So we are back to the basic question.

So if the Mayor of the City of Tulsa can not make a decision, why is he Mayor?

Oh yes, we are back to the shrinking behind sympathy. If a police officer was trying to hide, he would be a coward. Being a coward could get you fired. As you see, a police officer is often out then taking the abuse. Spreading the word of why this is so bad. And we are not the only ones. The firemen are out there too.

Come on Mayor Bartlett, grow the balls, so you can make the decision that the Citizens of Tulsa wanted you to make. Run this city like you said you would in your campaign speeches.

Then sit down and have employee meetings to describe how bad this all is and that we need to find ways to make it work.

Oh, by the way, the FOP once again offered to save some cash. By working on Compensatory Time only, the city could have a short term fix of half the money you are needing to save. It was offered under the last Mayor. It should be a consideration for you too. Because even when you look at us and say this is a short term fix and I don't like that proposal, wake up. Your idea to save money is also a short term fix. So what is the difference between the two? Oh right, you did not have anything to do with coming up with short term fix. It was the negotiations team of the FOP!

Mayor Bartlett, if you are afraid of scare tactics, then you might actually be afraid of the criminals who are going to take on this city. They are going to make it their employment grounds a place of opportunity for gain (money, drugs, etc).