From The Times
Excerpt:
Bossier City Council voted against replacing a departing secretary for Mayor Lorenz "Lo" Walker on Tuesday, the first test of a recently passed hiring freeze that left some behind the dais upset.
"This feels like 'Yeah, I'm all for a hiring freeze, until it effects me,'" Councilman David Jones said.
Bossier City passed a hiring freeze earlier this year stipulating that council would vote on whether to approve new hires for critical positions if existing employees leave.
Tuesday was the first time the ordinance was put to the test. The mayor's office has only four staff employees: a city administrator, a special projects coordinator, an office manager, who is the main receptionist for the office, and a personal secretary for the mayor, who is leaving city employment.
Walker said he needed a personal assistant to help run the city and it was "unbelievable" the council wouldn't renew the position. Without that person, Walker said he was being put in a position where he wouldn't be able to run the city properly.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
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I am glad to see the city council make a responsible decision. I understand the mayor's argument that he needs a personal assistant, but other city departments are having to make due with what they have and his department should be no different.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe it was run properly with his personal assistant. Hooray for the council.
ReplyDeleteim glad the council is not making exceptions just because hes the mayor let him answer his on phone.
ReplyDeleteThe city council finally got something right. I cannot believe that the Mayor actually believes that he should have someone answer his phone and help draft letters to the tune of $ 35,000.00 a year depending upon experience. If he cannot draft his own letter or answer his phone, he should step down.
ReplyDeleteLo - feeling vunerable huh? Thats how the BC residents will feel if you continue w/ axing our police & fire men. Get to work, maybe you'll understand what it means to be a grunt, you should also take a pay cut as well. Good decision CC!
ReplyDeleteThe council pointed out to him that he could transfer a secretary from another city department. Just means that some other poor sucker will have to do some of his own work.
ReplyDeleteMake do Lo. That is what you are expecting the folks who have/are losing jobs to do.
ReplyDeleteWho wants to bet ol Lo takes a secretary from police or fire? Any takers?
ReplyDeleteCouncil member David Montgomery, Jr. asked the mayor to compromise on hiring from within. He said lessons can be learned from deficit spending in the federal and state governments, arguing that the city needs to address their situation now to fix their finances.
ReplyDeleteFrom the article:
ReplyDelete"I guaran-darn-tee it if one of you were in my position, you would need a secretary as well," Walker told the council.
I guaran-DAM-tee you that if you're a citizen of Bossier, you need those policemen and firement back . . . as well.
Dang Jim, I was listening to American Pie while I was about to type out a comment. I clicked back, and it was GONE! Sigh... (maybe I'm just imagining things...it's happened before)
ReplyDeleteUmmm...The Mayor does need a secretary. The article states that there is a person that acts as a "receptionist." Now, I am ignorant of the inner workings of the Mayor's office. But, I suspect that the receptionist can likely pinch-hit as a memorandum helper. And, I'd almost betcha' that there is a concerned Bossier Citizen out there that wouldn't mind volunteering some time to do some clerical work, and other stuff.
These are tight times, and I'm pretty sure the office of The Mayor can adjust. Ya' know, old Paul Harvey always used to say, "Recession Re-Teaches Resourcefulness."
Dang Andy, guess I took down 'American Pie' too soon. I was thinking a lot of people just wouldn't get it!
ReplyDeleteThe City Council has become an embarrassment - we are now just like shreveport. what a joke - bossier does not grandstand and wash their laundry in the public eye - the City Council should be ashamed of the lack of leadership they have displayed. Good lord - what a freaking joke - David Jones should be ashamed of himself
ReplyDeleteOh Jim, I was "feeling it" for sure. Thinking about the time Larry Ryan played American Pie for about 36 hours straight on KEEL when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteOh man...good memories. I'm gonna go YouTube it, and hit the sack.
51 years ago today in a town in north central Iowa, Clear Lake, the music died. This past October I went to the Surf Ballroom and paid my respects.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was standing in front of the building I swear I heard "That'll Be the Day" and "Maybe Baby"
Not taking away from the "Big Bopper" J.P. Richardson and Ritchie Valens, but I am a Buddy Holly fan, even though I was born 3 weeks after the Day the Music Died.
Anon, you're talking about "Charles Hardin Holly!" I'm a fan myself. I share your same birth year, even though I'm a Sept. 1959 baby.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I share your fanboy status of Buddy. Oh man...I have been in loooooong discussions with fellow Holly fans. Many of them are old enough to remember watching Buddy live and in person. I came across a fabulous Elvis video a while back. It was backstage with Elvis, James Burton, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Buddy.
Wait, lemme see if I can find it...
Okay...I found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr497wmZOq0
So, what was the original post about? Oh yeah...Lo needs to suck it up and adjust.
Thanks to the magic of the internet, that video has appeared at the top of the blog above the posts.
ReplyDeleteHeh! Jim, I just love that vid. No singing, nothing but fresh-faced dudes with a real love for what they were doing.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet none of them could really imagine what the future held in store. One to die way young. One to die too young. One to die not really old. And, one (the least likely) to die an old man.
Man...I love that era of music. I share with MANY Bossierites a whole lot of family/personal stories and memories of that crowd.
Oh yeah...Lo Walker needs to suck it up and adjust.
Ooops! I forgot to mention that one ain't dead yet...and still doing mighty fine. If James is reading this, I apologize for leaving him out of the previous comment.
ReplyDeleteAnd Lo needs to suck it up and adjust. You forgot that one :-)
ReplyDelete...and Lo needs to suck it up and adjust!
ReplyDeleteMy work here is done...
Now, I'm definitely hitting the hay. Oh man...I'm truly laughing out loud. Thanks for the fun. C ya'!
In a time when you are already looking bad in the publics eyes you have a chance to make it at least appear you are empithetic to the plight of the people being fired by letting a position go and taking advantage of all the technolgy out there he needs for organizing and he blew it big time by trying to rehire himself a secretary. Another bullet in the gun for his next opponent to use in the election. Andy, quick take Barney's bullet away and make him put it back in his pocket.
ReplyDeleteI doubt old Lo will run again. Or at least I hope not. But who will follow him? Maybe a clown from the Shriners' Circus? Won't be any difference than what we already have running the city now.
ReplyDelete