12.13.2005

What a load of hooey...

I'm watching the Oshkosh Common Council meeting. Esslinger just came out of nowhere with wanting to move the City Manager's contract to 2 years from 3 years.

Now, everyone is talking about the fact that they discussed his contract over the summer, I'm guessing that means 3+ months ago.

Why couldn't Esslinger have mentioned this 'idea' in that time.

Very unprofessional.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

He explained that he changed his mind after giving it additional thought. As long as he changed his mind before thevote, that's what is important Jef. Can't someone change their mind in your book? Maybe something new came to light. You're just so anti-Esslinger you won't allow yourself to say anything good about him. When will you be running for council?

Jef Hall said...

He said he changed his mind after thinking it over.

He had 3 months to do research about it or bring it up to the council.

Why wait until the vote to say anything?

If it was something he really believed, he would have brought it up to give the rest of the council a chance to think about it, and get more information.

He didn't. He sprung it on everyone just before the vote. Why? It is grandstanding, pure and simple.

If he truly wanted it to pass because he believed in it, he would have worked with the council on it.

Anonymous said...

Did it occur to you that something might have just come up that wasn't obvious or apparent earlier? Either way, it just seems you'd rather always believe it is grandstanding with Mr. Esslinger. Your comments are pretty shallow and therefore transparent.

Anonymous said...

There is no need to give the city manager more than a one year deal. That is the standard in this line of work.

Jef Hall said...

According to the discussion last night, 3-5 years is the average contract

Anonymous said...

According to city staff? He is also overpaid considering his qualifications.

Jef Hall said...

That's the point. Neither you or I or any of the Councilors or Esslinger really know what the average contract leangth is for that position.

I do know that his pay is less than comprable city managers or managers overseeing oganizations of similar size and scope in the private sector.

We also know that he has turned down raises that were offered in the past.

Launching this on everyone at the last minute, instead of sometime in the 3 months previous did not allow people to have these facts.

Esslinger himself last night admitted that he did not know the answers to alot of those questions. Why didn't he look into it if he was so concerned?

It was grandstanding, pure and simple. We deserve better.

Anonymous said...

You know those things because Paul Esslinger pointed them out last night. Guess he is good for something after all, huh. Jef? Esslinger is the face we continue to need in this community. We deserve better, if what you mean by better is having more council members like him.

Jef Hall said...

And if Esslinger would have asked before he took the grandstand at the meeting last night, he would have known as well.

If nothing else, Esslinger helped point out what a great job and good man we have in Mr. Wollangk.

I'll give Esslinger credit and congrats for that.

Anonymous said...

Jef, you apparently do not understand what any halfway decent attorney knows, and that is that you never ask a question you don't already know the answer to. Esslinger had already found out his information, but wanted to point it out to the general public, as council members so often do. That is why the question was asked on camera. If it is not done that way, none of us have any way of knowing. You're wring about some things but you ego evidently won't let you concede any points.

Anonymous said...

Jef,
I understand you think Paul's action was unprofessional. You don't like anything he does. We got that.

Please tell us, Jef, how professional is it for you, the chair of the Winnebago County Democratic Party to become so inebriated that he walks into someone's home and passes out on their couch?

Anonymous said...

Jef, please do not compare the city managers job to that of the private sector and CEO's. Do you really believe the private sector would be stupid enough to hire an office manager to oversee 600 employees with on the job training at $100,000.00. Our city manager did not have the experience or education to handle the job he currently has. City Managers and Mayors around the state laugh at Oshkosh and our on the job training City Manager. It is time to get a professional city administrator with some education and experience in the field of city government that can truly lead this city.

Jef Hall said...

I personally think that Mr. Wollangk is doing a very good job.

Now, whether you agree on that or not, is a very different matter. Wollangk says himself that his job is to keep 4 members of the council happy (it takes 4 votes to fire him).

The question should be, in my opinion, what is the job worth? The job of running a city the size of Oshkosh is definitely a $100,000+ per year job.

If you do not feel Mr. Wollangk is up to it, you need to convince 4 members of the council that.

As is, I think he is probably underpaid.