Why Am I Naked and Who Are All These People?

Every time I think a meeting will be boring I'm awakened by something of great tumult, the Board of Aldermen meeting of January 23rd was one of those. It all started about the time I was wondering why I came to the meeting at all, about three-quarters of the way through under "Unfinished Business, Item 5. (ID#4331) Church Street."

By the city's schedule, Church Street was supposed to be completed by January 15th but the Aldermen en mass were asking about street lights, stop signs, and amenities, and why they weren't installed—at least I thought that's what they were asking about. It seems that someone on the city staff prematurely terminated the contract of the oversight company; Cochran Engineering, I assume to save money and come in under budget. Normally this would be a feather in the cap of the Public Works Department however, in this instance it's a boo-boo.  All eyes turned to Mayor Guccione; "I'm kinda like the CEO of the City but someone made a decision without informing me." "Kinda like the CEO?" I'm asking myself, who's in charge of the City if the staff can make contractual decisions in the field without telling anyone, and we have a "kinda like the CEO?" Ohhhh! We have "kinda like" somebody in charge—problem identified.

Alderman of Ward 2, Chris Gard went on the offense saying; "Contract parameters were changed and no one was told. Not following policy can cost you your job! Mr. Mayor, this falls to you!" Mayor Nicompoop looked like the girl who woke up after a night of drinking and said; "Why am I naked and who are all of these people?" For a few minutes things got tense between the Aldermen and the Mayor and staff. Guccione defended himself by saying;"The company was told to stand down and I wasn't told,"

Every Alderman chimed in on this item with varying degrees of anger except my Aldermanequin of Ward 3, Michael Hays. I have to assume he didn't want to pig-pile on his buddy and benefactor Mayor Guccione. Giving Hays the benefit of the doubt, he may not have realized the severity of the discussion but it's his job to know it's a break-down in the system when someone on staff is violating policy. Throwing the staff under the bus Guccione reiterated, "I didn't know this was happening, I found out about it at this meeting," Alderman of Ward 1, Forrest Gossett said, "The process is busted!"

The Aldermen told Mayor Guccione in no uncertain terms, "Mr. Mayor, you need to take action!" They were a lot nicer than I would have been, I might have said something like, get off your dumb-ass and get a grip on the position that you so fiercely cheated to get elected to! Some think I'm a little bombastic but when we have a mayor who cannot or will not control his staff then it's time he be relieved of—and I use this word lightly—command. Mayor Guccione has achieved nothing in his first ten months of—and I use this word lightly—leadership. Guccione is derelict and it's time for these Aldermen to take action—anoint this turkey in the impeachment oil, give him the air, can his ass, fire him, do anything but keep the cancer he brings from killing our City.

What I gather from last night's meeting, someone will, or should be fired. I am not going to speculate about who it may be but I do know that two people have already lost their jobs with the city for similar offenses and it was directly due to a lack of leadership. Mayor Puccione, how many more good people will be in the unemployment line before you admit that you don't have a clue what being Mayor means?

I'm sick of this mess in our City, Guccione should never have been elected. Anyone with any degree of intelligence who didn't agree when they voted for him should know by now. Our mayor is like a fungus growing on the center seat in the city hall chamber, if something isn't done soon his disease will spread like fire on a Christmas Tree, or should I say, Holiday Tree—I certainly don't want to be politically incorrect.