During the last election cycle I elected to exercise my
right to share my opinion about the Chico City Council candidates by way of a
narrative wherein I issued grades to each candidate…you know, an A through F
kind of thing. I will likely do the same this cycle, but I have realized that
there is a more pressing issue that cannot wait until I have fully considered
my perspective on all of the candidates for purposes of expressing my
opinion of their grades. Specifically, there are some pressing issues with our
Mayor, Scott Gruendl that our public needs to be aware of.
In my 34+ years of public service, 18 as a
manager/administrator I have had occasion to be exposed to a variety of
individuals who held formal leadership positions….like mayor, chief of police,
city manager, city council member, etc. I have observed a commonality between
many of those to whom I have been exposed, and am experiencing the same
commonality during this election cycle. The commonality is this: when their
feet are being held to the fire….or when they are feeling threatened for
whatever reason, they will openly expose their fear by lashing out at critics
and they will misrepresent, mis-state or even lie about how things really are.
In relation to Chico’s current Mayor, Scott Gruendl, who is
running for re-election this cycle, I have these concerns specifically:
1.
It is frequently emphasized that Chico is a
“non-partisan City Council. Yet, at a League of Women Voters Forum the other
night, when asked why he would run for Council at this time, Mr Gruendl’s first
and very emphasized response was to the effect of: “ I don’t want to give up my
seat to a conservative.” Really? Not, “Because I want to serve our citizens,”
or “Because I want to make a difference,” or “Because I want to make things
better.” It’s all about my political affiliation. Holy crap!!!
2.
In a number of recent published news stories, it
is noted that Mr. Gruendl has been on the Council for a dozen years or so.
Coincidentally, this is the same period of time during which the City of
Chico’s finances absolutely fell into the gutter. Also during this time, Gruendl
was the Mayor, a member of the Council Finance Committee and even the Chair of
the Finance Committee. News reports indicate that Gruendl has indicated he
wants another term on Council because (essentially) he was a part of the City’s
demise, and now he wants a chance to help fix it. While his limited acceptance
of responsibility is noble, it seems like allowing him to have another 4 years
(as has been pointed out by at least 1 other citizen) is tantamount to
re-hiring the captain of the Titanic!!! Do we really want to do that???
3.
This one just kills me….Gruendl brags about how
he is the department head of so many departments in another county, including
the Public Health Department and the Behavioral Health Department (mental
health)….yet, the other night at the previously mentioned Chico City Council
Candidate’s Forum he declined to express an opinion about medical marijuana
because he had not yet talked to the different factions advocating
marijuana-related positions in our county. Really?! He is the head of Public
Health and Behavioral Health, but he does not yet have a position on medical
marijuana he can speak to publicly. I call BULLSHIT!!! This guy is a slick and
slimy politico. He knows exactly how he feels about the marijuana issues….his
professional position mandates it. The fact that he would be less that fully
transparent on this on this front and center issue is at a minimum suspect. And
I for one suspect that he is waiting to see which way the Dem/lib machine tells
him to go on this issue. In the current election cycle, Butte County will
decide if we want our identity to be based on marijuana and letting the stoners
for profit decide our community culture, or if we are going to let the voice of
reason prevail. I don’t believe we want our identity as county to be based on marijuana
(like Mendocino County). If Gruendl doesn’t have the ‘nads to be clear about
his position on this very public issue, that alone is sufficient to cause me
concern about his suitability as a community leader.
4.
In response to a question about the hiring of
private security in Downtown Chico, Gruendl indicated very firmly and very
assertively that effective 9-23-14 there would be “additional officers
downtown, including bike officers.” Hmmm….how can I put this without being
harsh….uh….well….Gruendl is wrong. In fact, based on the context, he’s a
liar!!! In fact, public records will reveal that it was not until 9-26 that the
City Manager communicated to Council a plan for diverting cops to downtown, and
this was based on a memo that was submitted to him by the chief (also on
9-26). This issue has additional
concerns that I consider very serious….
The Police Department is
authorized 84 sworn personnel (down from 102 at the peak level 4-5 years ago).
Of the 84 authorized, they are down another 16 due to vacancies, personnel in
field training, personnel in the academy and personnel off on injuries. That
means that effectively there are a total of 72 officers to police this City
24/7. Believe me, you don’t want to know the truth about what this translates
to in cuts to services (30% staffing decrease from the previously understaffed
police department). My point is not what the numbers mean, but what is really
happening. There are simply not enough officers to assign people downtown right
now!!!!
There is in fact an effort
underway to assign officers downtown. It DID NOT happen 9-23 as the Mayor said
(he’s a liar, and he is desperately trying to cover his tail). In order to make
this happen, officers who have already covered their 40+ hours per week are
going to have to be ORDERED to come in for extra time to cover downtown, and
because they are already so burned out trying to keep up with minimum shift
coverage there is a proposal to pay them, not time and a half overtime, but
double time!!! Hello!!??!! What is wrong when you have to entice burned out
employees to come in on double time? By the way, the double time proposal is based
in part on the fact that minimum shift coverage is not occurring…..folks: That
means they can’t get the cops to cover enough shifts to provide the basic
services….THAT is why you don’t often get a cop when you call one in Chico!!!
The bottom line is this: There are
not enough cops to staff basic shifts in Chico. The heat is on, and the Council
is feeling pressure to get cops downtown
on a dedicated basis….so much pressure, in fact that the Mayor is willing to
lie about what is actually happening. I’m not saying the sky is actually
falling (but it is close) but if it was, do we want one of our leaders to be a
guy who stands out in front and misrepresents or lies about whether or not it
is? I think not!
5.
Now, here’s a biggie: At the League forum the
other night, it was apparent to the whole room that Gruendl walked into the
room with a chip on his shoulder. He was angry, and initially it was not clear
why. But soon, it became apparent that a bit of his ire, if not all of it, was
directed toward another candidate. Based on my experience, his attitude and
demeanor were based on the fact that he perceived a significant threat in the
room….he was afraid! At every given chance, without mentioning her name, he
snidely alluded to things candidate Reanette Fillmer has posited or said during
this campaign. My read? He sees her as a threat, and he should, and he is
afraid she will beat him. She is a solid, no nonsense contender with real public
and private sector experience. And she has voter appeal. His conduct, his
demeanor, his attitude?…hardly what I believe we want to see in this city in
the way of leadership!
6.
Oh gawd….here’s another on this guy! It clearly
illustrates one of the concerns that I have had for years. While the rest of us
experience the real world on a daily basis, he lives in some fairytale utopia
where people don’t have to acknowledge or deal with the very real stuff that is
going on. In a published news story tonight regarding the opening of the Democratic
Headquarters in Chico, Gruendl is quoted as saying,” We are re-hiring employees
that were once laid off, and we are getting back to work.” Really? Who are we
re-hiring? Do you really have a clue? I think not!!! If you actually check, you
will find that his assertions are not true. He may like them to be….I mean,
after all, the City did come in with record sales tax revenue this year….but
hiring back laid off employees? Uh no. Nor is the City hiring back the dozens
of critically necessary employees whose positions were eliminated due to
mismanagement. It’s true that things are looking better for the City, but this
guy’s perception is clearly skewed. Perhaps if he were to remove his rose
colored glasses….but until then, my clear sense is that he is wrong, off base,
and no longer what this City needs.
Here’s the bottom line with Scott Gruendl. He tried for
years and years to get elected to a position where he could make a difference.
Eventually, he was elected. He actually did a fairly good job as a leader in
his first term as Mayor. But, alas, reality set in. Things got dicey for the
City, and the City’s circumstances exceeded the capacity of his capabilities.
Now, as the City digs out from the mess his acts and omissions helped us get
into, he dares to ask for one more chance…to fix what he helped screw up!? I
think not. His public positions and reactions to other candidates during this
campaign clearly illustrate that he feels threatened….and rightfully so. His shit
is weak, and he knows it. He’s grasping at straws, hoping that he can get
another term. But here’s the dealio: Do we want to reward one of the “leaders”
who led us into the mess we will be digging out from for the next several
years? I think not!
Time for Scott to go……
