By now, I am sure, everyone knows that the Civil Service Commission has passed Chief McQueen’s new promotions plan for the Columbus Police Department, two-to-one. What you may not know is, and what the Civil Service Commission failed to address, that there is no real plan. Stop me if you have heard this before, but, once again, a City agency has “no plan.”
However, with that said, what is more disturbing is that McQueen “killed” the promotions list that already existed. If Chief McQueen had done this as soon as he was promoted, that was his prerogative. Unfortunately for McQueen, the police officers and the city, McQueen had told everyone repeatedly, including The Real Story, that he was going to promote off of the current promotions list as soon as he could. And, now he has made a complete 180 in his comments, and he is not going to promote anyone from the list.
At this point, both the quality of the list and the process are moot. The only thing that really matters is that McQueen has misled everyone in the process. At Thursday’s Civil Service meeting, confusion reigned again, as all three Civil Service Commission Members – Chairman Al Hatcher, Glenn Jefferson and General (Ret.) Thomas Moore – once again looked like people stuck in an uncomfortable situation.
Immediately, when challenged about the process, McQueen always wants to go into “Executive Session.” He always says that his concerns are about the process and not the people, but that doesn’t hold water. So, here is a hint: if you are going into “Executive Session” it is about people not the process. If not, you are in violation of the LAW.
Much credit goes out to WCBI’s Steve Rodgers, who called the Civil Service Commission out on their confusion about this issue and about going into executive session without a reason. He also stood up to General Moore, whose only response to Mr. Rogers’ concern was the comment, “Life is hard.”
And, he is correct. Life is especially hard when you don’t know the rules of your own Commission, and a television reporter has to call the City Attorney to come to the meeting to set the rules straight. Yes, that is correct, boy and girls; Steve Rogers was the only person who had enough sense or desire to call the City Attorney, Jeff Turnage, to correct the problem.
But don’t worry, when Charlie Box requested, on Tuesday, to give all City board members training, it was met with a three-to-three tie. And guess what? Mayor Smith voted against the training, saying the boards can train themselves.
And, after a faux pas like that, he wonders why Harry Sanders makes fun of him and the City and everyone laughs. This is the bizarreness that happens in the City of Columbus everyday and no one says a word, until now. The members of all Council-appointed boards must be trained!
After he returned from the closed session, it was revealed that it was a personnel issue. And, it always had been. There is a person(s) who McQueen doesn’t want to promote. That is his business, but don’t hide behind the fabricated fact that not enough people passed the test (They all did, since there was no pass or fail.) or some people have been suspended and there is no promotional restitution attached. Just stand up like a leader and say it. Don’t hide behind the concept that you don’t like the process. The truth is, McQueen doesn’t like certain people on the promotions list and he doesn’t want to promote them. Period.
The rules he wants are vague, at best, and dangerous, at worst. It may sound great to say that everyone needs to pass the test with a 70 to be promoted, but everyone better understand that if the three worst officers are the only ones who pass the test, they get PROMOTED!!!!!! That’s right, campers, by using the antiquated 1970′s concept of testing, the three sorriest officers on the department could be the only ones who can be promoted. Talk about no flexibility for the Chief.
As I have written, before, there is no plan about lateral transfers. No understanding of who and how they would be qualified to work for the City. A Major on a five-man police department in a rural county has no business holding rank in an urban city with over 70 police officers on the payroll. The lack of a plan is what has every officer upset. And, saying that present personnel have top priority is as cheap as the paper it is written on. The officers have no Civil Service protection from the Chief. All he has to say is that the other person is more qualified. Without strict guidelines, the Chief is free to rule as he likes.
In the end, the Civil Service Commission voted, two-to-one, to give Chief McQueen’s plan (?) the green light, with only Hatcher voting no. That was a tragedy, because the good officers who did nothing wrong received the “screw job.” They paid for the perceived sins of others.
But, in the final analysis, all of this is moot. McQueen told the press and his officers that he was going to promote off the present list. He then changed his mind and destroyed every bit of credibility he had with his officers.
Chief McQueen had very little support outside of the CPD to be Chief and with the gross reversal in his comments to his officers, it will be years before he can every get their trust again. He told the media and his officers he was going to promote off the list, then he changed his mind and left the whole department in shock and disillusionment.
And as he stormed out of the meeting, officers chasing behind him angrily, all that could be thought was, “this is going to be the metaphor for the rest of his career.”
Mojo
NOTE: And, if the CPD doesn’t have enough to worry about: …Judge Nicole Clinkscales pulled the double whammy. Reports have it, that while on the bench Monday, January 30, 2012, Judge Clinkscales found an individual guilty of DUI and as soon as the officers left the courtroom, she reversed the decision and told the individual’s lawyer that she had changed her mind, and now the person was not guilty. Apparently, she had a change of heart after the officers left the area. Word has it that Prosecuting Attorney Tim Hudson was livid, and who can blame him if the allegations are true (and they are). Chief McQueen stated that he was aware of the situation and was looking into the matter. Boys and girls, I can t make this stuff up. Can anyone say Court Watch? Maybe it’s time we pay close attention to what our judges are doing.—- From The Real Story Print Edition 020812
February 11, 2012 at 11:09 am
Joe, who is the officer that Chief McQueen doesn’t want to promote? What do you think his reasons are?
February 11, 2012 at 12:15 pm
I have heard at least three or four names, so I do not want to speculate! However, McQueen told everyone he was going to promote off the list!!!! And, you can see what has happened.
JBS
February 11, 2012 at 11:12 am
It will be of great interest to see who the Chief promotes and as to their race. The Mayor is digging a large hole that will be hard to escape from. The Chief has no clue as to the repercussions of this act. This will be a bad train reck. Thanks go out to Mr Al Hatcher who was the only one to take the right stand on this issue. How are these people pick for the civil service commiission? Anyone with half sense can see the direction all this is going. I do not understand why the people do not demand better goverment and accountable from their elective leaders of this community. If Columbus is to grow, changes have to take place. Soon!
As for the Judge, we all knew what we were getting. Same story as above on the Mayor, Chief and Council. Stop and take a good look atwhat and who is running the City. Can you not see the direction we are going. This has passed the point. The inmates are running the asylum.
February 11, 2012 at 11:19 am
Thanks Joe for pointing all this out. Maybe more people will go and vote this next election. If they don’t, then take what you get and don’t complain.
February 11, 2012 at 12:32 pm
What is the promotion test?….looking at the rank of some officers, its apparent PT is not involved.
February 11, 2012 at 12:44 pm
The mayor and some councilmen put McQueen in place. He is probably their puppet. Could get dangerous in town with so many disgruntled police officers. I hope there are no more police shootings.
February 11, 2012 at 1:19 pm
I don’t think the people have a clue who is running this town. Don’t give up your guns. You will need all you can get. Stock up on ammo. Grab you a$$ it is going to get a lot worse. This can only get better if these fools are voted out. That means from the Mayor down. Wake up, all they do is cut grass and try to look pretty. All those workers are connected to some one in office. I thought the highway dept. were to cut the bypass. What’s up with the Cith putting 20 – 30 mowers out everyday from April thru Oct. What do all these people do for the other 5 months. I never see where they have a lay off. If you have to cut back on the schools, why not in the public works dept? Because they are all connected. A racket. We need answers to a lot of questions that they cover up. Call the Mayor, councilman or supervior and ask why. They work for us! I really don’t think we have seen anything yet. Pray often. Don’t except what we are getting now. These people are having their way with us. As stated above tell everybody to go and vote. We need good people to step up and run for office. If you really want to throw up listen to AM radio 1050 at 12:00 each day. Your city council Mr kabir is at his al time best. Just try it one time. It will make you sick at your stomach.
February 11, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Everyone should listen to 1050 and hear the NEWS!!!
JBS
February 11, 2012 at 9:06 pm
i never knew of this, but I shall begin tuning in.
February 11, 2012 at 1:25 pm
THUGS – That’s what we have running the big show. It won’t get any better folks!!!!!!!!
February 11, 2012 at 5:41 pm
The city is sinking and it was predicted by many many people when McQueen had to withdraw his name from the race for sheriff. Call it the domino principle, Karma or just more train cars crashing in a never ending train wreck, but one fiasco is leading to another, which leads to another and on and on and on. And more people packed up and left.
When the city council did everything it could to get JD Sanders to leave, it was in progress. Then Mr. Mojo came in with a bulls-eye on his back. It was only a matter of time after the council changed. Ignoring what the people wanted, the mayor and council were hell bent on an agenda and plowed ahead. And more people packed up and left.
Now the mayor and council’s hand picked chief is pushing another agenda. Somewhere there are people the mayor, council and McQueen want to bring to Columbus. All they are waiting on is a green light, that they can keep their rank. That’s the names I’d like to see in print. Who is it in another department that knew this was going down, that is waiting to leave their own department because promises were made before this all started? Do their own departments know they’re leaving?
Mr. Mojo, I’m sickened by the fact that every argument the mayor, the council and chief McQueen made to justify this agenda of lateral transfers, about having a bigger pool to hire from, about getting the best possible officers, it is all what the taxpayers said about the police chief position. But as we know, that was an inside job and the fact that a huge number of people accurately predicted the outcome was no coincidence.
I hate to say it but the train wreck that started with the friction between Robert Smith and JD Sanders, and Chief Sanders’ constantly having to deal the distraction of having a criminal on the city council, is not over yet. The dust is far from settling. More and more agendas (Kabir has been going on about the city public works director and the LInk’s Joe Higgins) will be revealed and pushed, more and more people will pack up and leave and more train cars will continue to pile up.
I challenge anyone who doubts this to talk to the tax assessor. The value of a mil in the city is sinking like a rock. Annexing huge sections of crackerbox houses and outdated apartments will not help. The mayor and council should resign and a special election should be held as soon as possible. Business investor and home buyer confidence need to be reinforced and that can only happen with an all new city government. The current one is not working and is all too obsessed with destructive agendas that are destroying the city.
February 11, 2012 at 9:10 pm
Please remember, when you are talking about politics….everything is related!!!
JBS
February 11, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Amen to more train wrecks coming. The people of Columbus still don’t get it. Your sleepy little town has been taken over by THUGS. Go back to bed and pull the cover over your head. Think about who is protecting you tonight. Feel warn and fuzzy about that?
February 11, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Send the board appointeesto Reno, Nevada for training. Wonder how much bonus and moving expenses the city will pay to recruit out of town thugs.
February 11, 2012 at 9:33 pm
This is indeed a disappointing development in this process. Disgruntled employees within the city services, especially the law enforcement function, will only exacerbate the day to day issues that any city faces. In a city such as ours, where the entire government appears to be totally dysfunctional with the exception of the politicians who seem to have no problems lining their pockets from the various resources which should be directed to the benefit of the citizenry, this could be catastrophic.
These guys work for us !!! Each employee of the city is the direct responsibility of the people who have been elected to the various city offices. The most qualified employees should be the ones leading each division of the city. If that is not the case, then we need to replace those elected officials who are in this for personal power, personal gain, or personal influence.
I have to say that I never believed that I would ever find myself in this place again, that place where racial politics dominates the conversation and influences almost everything else. i grew up in Montgomery, AL, yes the place where MLK preached, where Rosa Parks did not give up her seat, and so many other events took place, including State Representative Alvin Holmes, in his true asenine fashion, climbed his 300+ lb rear end up on the capitol dome to try to remove one of the flags that flew there. Every issue was made a racial issue, each day in the news, because it was a handy way to create emotional energy by those who wanted more power and influence … and of course more money. They did not want to be leaders or to solve problems, they wanted more for themselves.
I have begun to hear this more and more frequently here in Columbus, and can say with certainty that the citizenry cannot allow this to continue to build, or else we will certainly have a dysfunctional goverment and a failing city. If the next election cycle does not bring sweeping changes at all levels of local government, then the only recourse that any dissatisfied citizen will have left is to move away from the city.
If the next election is too long to wait, does the city code include a mechanism for impeachment?
We need competent and “good” people leading and managing the city. I don’t care whether they’re black or white, just that they be of good heart and mind, and have the interest of each and every city resident as the first priority each day they show up at the office.
February 12, 2012 at 9:27 am
“When INJUSTICE becomes law, RESISTENCE becomes DUTY” Thomas Jefferson
February 13, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Going to the polls to “vote them out” sounds great and idealistic. I would like to know how this is going to be done when the majority of the city is black?
February 14, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Be that as it may, the vote is the option afforded us, absent a provision for impeachment.
If the vote against making an improvement is insurmountable, the remaining options would be to either live with it, or pull up the tent-stakes and re-set them somewhere outside the city limits.
February 14, 2012 at 2:36 pm
I agree. It is insurmountable and people are pulling up the tent-stakes.