Whitewater’s not the last place on earth where government should avoid unfunded mandates, but the last place is probably Rwanda, so that’s not much consolation for policymakers (and is no consolation for residents).
This is a full-time municipal administration of publicly-paid employees that shows almost no understanding of market conditions and burdens.
Each step like this reveals that full-time, publicly-paid managers don’t understand the relative disadvantage that costs impose on Whitewater. It’s always easier to explain away obligations that public employees don’t pay, or that their thin majority on Council doesn’t pay.
The administration’s majority on Common Council can push expensive regulations onto the community, and the DU can dutifully write what a few insiders want it to write, but there’s a limit to their current posture.
Nothing human stays the same: organizations and communities either wax or wane. Each day of imposing new unfunded obligations, or insisting on new regulations, or proposing waste-importation schemes resting on exaggerations, lies, and evasions brings this city farther along the road to a near-permanent, comparative disadvantage.
But the city manager already has his job, and these costs aren’t coming out of his pocket, so why worry?
It’s pretty obvious that you’re right about not getting business needs. These guys are getting paid, also at least four spenders on council are making money no matter what happens on city regulations. Once Cameron gets an idea he finds four to go along. Everybody sees that he’s a nice guy but he was a gamble and he’s not growing in the job. It’s kind of the opposite. He relies on others to excuse city flubs. Lynn’s a good guy but he’s turned out to be a big enabler. No matter what he says he votes to fish Cameron and staff out of mistakes. Others do too. There’s no real accountability.
The last two years (2015-2016) show that there is a disconnection between city staff and the community on taxes, fixing basic problems or new ideas. Whitewater is a complicated place.
This team has had four years now. Meetings have become “what went wrong” sessions. Growing into the job is a real concern.
Clapper’s leadership has been disappointing. I think his group is out of touch.
Outof touch is a good description.