Winston Churchill once said...

...when you're going through hell, keep going. Sound advice.

It's June and I have many things I'd like to say. Some are rants and some are outright vents. But as much as I want to speak about things with a passion that would likely embarrass people in responsible positions, it really doesn't serve to accomplish anything beyond satisfying my own need to feel better about the injustices I see.

I can do better than that. We can do better than that.

So here are few items to move us into June:

1. Last week six long-time librarians were laid off effective June 30. That constitutes 6/7 th's of our entire full time librarian staff. These are the people primarily responsible for the library's standing, identified in the Hennen's American Public Library rating index, which states the Troy Public library as one of the finest library's in the nation - top ten in our population category. So why give the librarians the credit? First of all, the entire staff is responsible, but most know that without the librarians it wouldn't happen. They are on the front line of service, and do a job so misunderstood as to make me want to scream. And because according to the posting, "Data is based on statistics collected in the 2006/2007 reporting year." That means it predates both our current city and library administrations. And their reward is to lose their jobs. The library unwinding has begun in a big way and it's utterly shameful. Is this what our city has become?
2. We have some new data, as posted last week. It's quite fascinating in how it exposes the many missed opportunities to begin making the necessary fiscal adjustments by exposing the historical data. Please take the time to review it and comment or ask questions if you don't understand the numbers.
   
3. Our Option 3 &3A are still posted and available for your review. They can be downloaded and shared. No one has said they won't work financially. The only comments we keep hearing from many in city leadership positions is that there is no political will to do so.
   

And so we move toward the end of a painful and dysfunctional fiscal year. The future appears to dark for many. But I do not accept that judgment. It won't be easy, but we can drive our leaders to follow the path they don't want to follow. We can continue to appeal to our union staff's to give more and get over whining about what they already gave. The fact of the matter is that many of them will be giving back 100% shortly, as so many of the non-union staff's are giving now, if we don't come together and do it PDQ. And I say this as a city employee who is at risk and willing to give back to help our community save it's services. The only way to do that is to save the jobs that provide those services. This calculus is undeniable.

Most of us are ready to take pay reductions to fix this, or at the very least make it less draconian (the City Manager won't even consider it). But those that aren't, regardless of department, are making a choice to lay themselves off. Well, that's their choice to make. Many high earners will take early retirement which fixes a big mess, or leave for greener pastures, wherever those are. Choosing to leave voluntarily fixes a big mess, too. And the remaining employees will be here, at a lower rate of pay, to continue to serve the community.

What's wrong, exactly, with that plan?