Friday, Dec. 15, 2006 | Yesterday, the mayor was on KOGO, substituting for Roger Hedgecock, who was on vacation.
This was a real learning experience.
First of all, with all the problems faced by this city, how could the mayor spare the time to spend a half day at a radio station as an announcer? He was not elected for such collateral functions.
Then he has Carl DeMaio as a guest, consulting him about city problems; one of which was the police department.
The mayor had the audacity to state that serious crime is down in this city, even though the PD is short over 200 officers and detective personnel. Yes, the PD is doing the best they can but, crime down, no way. Just read the stats each day.
The mayor said he depended on ex-military personnel to fill the PD void but of course they were not available. No other solutions came forth.
I tried to get him on the phone but he wanted to talk only to police officers.
He “yes’d” them to death while patting them on the back. One officer asked him if it was true that the chief and he did not get along. He side stepped that question by declaring that he does not interfere with the PD management; they make their own decisions, and he does not second-guess them.
Yet, there he was, discussing the PD and the chief was nowhere to be heard.
I got so tired of hearing him yes-ing every question or agreeing with everyone’s suggestions, I had to turn him off, literally.
If the mayor is so concerned about the PD and the safety of the citizens, why is there no positive recruitment being conducted other than telling officers he hopes they do not leave the department? The officers are wise to this mayor. He deprived them of a raise and he neglected them in the budget. It’s obvious the (short) blue line has no respect for this mayor.
Two traits I learned from listening to the mayor yesterday were: (1) he is not in the no spin zone and (2) he is a born sycophant.