More Than Just One Tree

I didn't catch this but I should have. However, elpasospeak caught it in their post Naturally Secret. I quote:

"Also troubling is what the city manager wrote in an email to city council:

'Staff has proposed alternatives to me, and apparently somehow the information has made it out to the public.' [Emphasis mine]


"The very thought of a public servant serving the public is evidently an abnormal event and it sounds like he plans to investigate the leak.  Maybe they should kill the tree in executive session." 

OMG! The public found out! How horrible! We need to find the source of the leak and clamp down or punish. We also need to stop future leaks.

What happened to all that talk about transparency during the last City Council and Mayoral elections? Weren't El Pasoans fighting mad that the decision about a ballpark was all done secretly? 

Check out transparency talk in the final 2015 Strategic Plan for El Paso:

5) Promote Transparent and Consistent Communication Amongst All Members of the Community
5.1 Set a climate of respect, collaboration and team spirit among Council, city staff and the community
5.2 Leverage and expand the use of current and new technology to reduce inefficiencies and improve communications
5.3 Promote a well-balanced customer service philosophy throughout the organization
5.4 Enhance internal communication and employee engagement 
5.5 Advance two way communications of key messages to external customers

5.6 Strengthen messaging opportunities through media outlets

Really?

Even in violation of a Strategic Plan that he helped to fashion, our City Manager sends out a memo that strongly suggests that information about our San Jacinto Plaza Park's remodel and the damage done to our Holiday Christmas Tree somehow should have been kept under wraps.

The issue facing us is more than just one tree. It is the LACK of transparency in this City and the total disregard of citizen initiatives, ordinances, procedures such as the Tree Manual and all the work done by Mayor Wardy's Green Sweep Program. 

I don't know Mr. Gonzalez. I've never met him and my attempt to get a meeting with him resulted in his getting surrogates to contact me. He may be a great guy but I'm beginning to wonder whether he isn't a graduate of the Tricky Dick Nixon School of Government. (Google "Watergate" if you are too young to know the reference.)

elpasospeak says it the best: "We deserve better."

Much more later. Stay tuned.