Link: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100128/NEWS16/1280343/0/NEWS

From the, how not to start off a new administration, comes the school of ill timed pay raises.

"Charles Chambers of Chambers Business Consulting, a member of the CSI task force, said part of the city's challenge is the level of mistrust by the public.

He said news reports about the two salary increases compounded that problem."

By golly, someone seems to get it, maybe.

26k in pay raises to two people in the office of the Mayor,

"Mr. Bell, who took office Jan. 4, made the comments in part because of a Blade report that his executive assistant, Carmen Watkins, and Felicia James, administrative assistant to Deputy Mayor of Operations Steve Herwat, had received nearly 29 percent pay raises earlier this month to $58,331 a year each."

But we are being saved money, because the previous administration had a larger budget than this one, so far.

And then there is the thought that people feel that the city is over staffed.

Well, how about this? Is the city underpopulated?

As in, people have left and are not living here, and not generating income, and income tax that the city relies so heavily.

Hello? The empty boarded up houses? The empty commerical properly in the city center, all around One Government Center? Hello?

The combined leadership is nickel and diming. Saving money on a leased car, what about 6k a year, when we have a budget deficit of over 40 million dollars.  Nickel and dime.

"Charles Chambers of Chambers Business Consulting, a member of the CSI task force, said part of the city's challenge is the level of mistrust by the public."

Gee, why would the public be mistrusful or doubtful of the leadership?

After all, the leadership ran the SS Toledo aground, planted posies and pansies, erected signs, went and won awards, made the headlines with off the cuff remarks, and so on and so and so on.

And, now elected people think that people are mistrustful and doubting Thomas's.

Gee, wonder why.