Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Hurrah! To The True Civil Servants

One of the reasons we created this post is to have a vehicle for the honest, well meaning, and true civil servants in KCMO City Hall to have a voice. We want to bring pride, honor and integrity back to the position/title of civil servant in Kansas City. We don’t need assistant city managers who are a well-paid joke with authority. Kansas City municipal government has lost many wonderful civil servants because of the assault on their integrity, their intelligence, their morals and their ethics. They have been devalued, undervalued, scorned and sometimes bullied – physically and verbally. Some were fired; some quit or were made to quit and others shuffled off to made-up jobs or jobs that insult. The real loss is to us the taxpayers. A civil servant job should not be political payoff or payback; it is not a form of glorified welfare - a check and benefits with no expectation of providing labor or producing. Unfortunately there are many City Hall employees who are just that. They need to go. We need to expose them; we need to hold them accountable and responsible. And we need to start with Wayne Cauthen; we need to start with the Waynettes moving them on to jobs more suited to their capacity. Putting people in positions where they fail or cause the failure of others or they jam up productivity - is a theft - it is a theft to the taxpayers as they are cheated out of their expectations of performance and achievement on their behalf. And it's a theft to those who are the true civil servants. So those of you who have chosen to serve the community through service to the City - those of you who have watched idiots be hired, promoted and given outlandish raises at the expense of good business and at the expense of the citizenry, I hope you will find the courage, and your voice to help us root out the incompetent, the torpid, the lazy, the crooks, the thieves, the self-serving, and the slimy parasitic bureaucrats. We hope to not only engage but incite the residents of Kansas City MO to demand more bang for the bucks we are paying out. To those employees who are disheartened, frustrated, snap out of it! Let’s work to change the environment. If you are one of those employees – sliding – to maximize your retirement benefits – get your second wind, roll up your sleeves, get to work, or get out of the way – take your retirement – otherwise you’re a thief. If you’re bored and not giving it your all – find your passion someplace else – just get out of the way, we deserve better than you.
So, let’s name names on the “smelly” Citadel deal. Let’s make the Waynettes earn their money or move on. Let’s air the skeletons in Wayne’s closets. This will be the start of having the municipal government that we not only want but that we deserve. This is a great city and we deserve great people who want to serve her and well. So let the house cleaning begin, shine the light on the dirt and have a clean sweep (pun intended).
To all those civil servants who have integrity and caring, ethics and morals and are a tue servant to the community - thank you, you have our sincerest appreciation and regard. This blog's for you.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are the bomb!! Who are you??!! Most definitely an insider because you know more than anyone on the outside could for sure.

Only insiders know the topics of which you write and give such in- depth details.

You need to be listed on the Star's blog as another blog site--but then you would always be leaving them in the dust, and out scooping them. They are shooting gnats with elephant guns, you are going after the elephants with the truth.

I like your stripes skunk.

Anonymous said...

Skunk, you're pretty good at sniffing out the bad actors at city hall, I'm surprised that you've not gotten on the scent of the internal auditor's ongoing investigations. The rest of us are hearing some real smelly stuff.

Wayne put out an 8 page memo to the mayor and council on the Citadel. It's public info now and worth the read.

Garden Party Skunk said...

To Anonymous 11:08pm
Areyou referring to the new auditors in the Finance Dept. or Roy Greenway? Any hints as to where we should shine the light?

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with the blog. I too am a city employee who has become disarray with the tactics performed by the city manager. He has push 311 while other city departments are hurting. We are understaffed, ridiculed and outright push in the direction that is unethnical to our citizens. We also have an assistant city manager assigned to the department who is arrogant and rude. He does not have a clue of what's required to suceed in the department. The staff in charge know the job and only need the resources. I know we have good knowledgeable people in the United States besides Denver. It has become a joke among employees that only Denverites can do anything. What a joke? We are ready to roll up our sleeves and get back to serving my citizens without all of the politics offering up unethical behavior. I really needed to voice my opinion.

Anonymous said...

I hate to participate in this because I know I will be horribly disappointed. 90% of us can't stand Wayne or what he is doing to our City. We have all witnessed some kind of unethical behavior from him or at his direction. We have watched the organization deteriorate. Cauthen gets a high from destroying people -- we have all seen it. Yet, everyone, including me, hides and whispers because we are afraid. Noone speaks out.

Many of us walk around like zombies. I can't sleep some nights and am impatient with my wife and kids. How far are we going to let Cauthen take us down? I keep thinking if it doesn't get better next month I'll start looking for another job. But, dammit, I love Kansas City and I used to love my job.

It may not make any difference but I am going to vent on occasion on this blog. Maybe someone who cares and can do something will pay attention.

Anonymous said...

Believe me, they are paying attention.

This has taken 4-5 years or more to get this way and it isn't going to happen overnight.

Hang in there and vent when you can't take it any longer. I have a feeling that this blog is going to encourage and empower the masses, and like on the playground, the bully will get what he deserves and have to pack up his wares and move on down the road.

Anonymous said...

These are interesting posts. Wayne came to KC and changed a lot of things. In the mean time, we elect a mayor because we want change from the status quo.
Reading these posts makes me think that city employees who dislike Wayne liked the status quo.
As a tax paying citizen, I know that that there was no shortage of laziness and fraud before Wayne came to City Hall. The Beacon Hill, thing, for example, happened before Wayne.
It seems to me that city employees are upset the trough has been taken away from them and they simply want it back.
Skunk - if you have any balls, you will allow this post to be published and will not censor it.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 7:08 AM -

The way you respond makes me think that in your mind there are only two kinds of government employees - those who want to get paid for doing nothing and those who use their positions, resources, and influence to create scams that benefit themselves and their friends. I'm very sorry if your experiences with City employees have led you to these faulty conclusions.

After serving many years, I can honestly say that I know of many who could be characterized by the above comments. However, please do not generalize about a group of people about whom you obviously know very little.

The concerns being expressed have to do with how the Cauthen regime have subverted the integrity of the City system. Jobs, particularly higher level jobs that should be opportunities for career employees are filled before they are even posted - many with outsiders who have no knowledge of or commitment to the City. As descibed in some of the comments, there are evidently different standards for the imposition of the approved HR rules and regulations. This creates a terribly frustrating work environment, yet most of us still show up and we still try to get the work done despite the interference of the Cauthen Cronies. I wonder how you would feel if your work environment was infected with the same sliminess and disregard? I don't imagine that you'd be too happy either.

This blog provides an outlet for employees to let their feelings be known. To share experiences and situations that, at the very least, Cauthen should be called upon to explain.

We don't need more outsiders running City government. Despite your comments, there are some very accomplished and competent people in City government who should be given the helm to steer us through the financial straits that the next few years will present. The City Council needs to be decisive and swift in their actions to eliminate this situation sooner rather than later.

Anonymous said...

I don't know much about how Wayne runs his shop. In my job, if you don't produce you get the axe. I don't think that's the case at City Hall.

Anonymous said...

Skunk you have definitely given city employees a place to vent, hopefully the Wayne-stapo won't be able to trace back and wreck havoc on the those of us that do. Maybe if we put that we have been employed by Denver instead of Kansas City for however many years we've been employed for the city we'd be able to get the promotions and raises we deserve! The city of Kansas City has many qualified employees, IF anyone would look around before going to Denver or to one of Wayne's Waynettes. Actually, it would be nice to know there is a job opening before HR LOWERS THE JOB REQUIREMENTS so that Wayne can give LT a nice new title, a nice raise and another power surge. If you take all the money that has been wasted on Denverites the real city of Kansas City employees would be able to get enough of a raise to pay for the cost of living or maybe the increase in the cost of insurance. What a concept!