I want to thank Bob over in Orland for this “way out theory based on little factual information.” That Bob, he keeps me paddling when I’d rather sink to the bottom of the Think Tank and go to sleep.
Bob reminded me, Mark Sorensen is the city manager of Biggs. Maybe you remember – he got that job through his neighbor here in Chico, Pete Carr. Carr had been the manager of Biggs when he left to take the management position in Orland. So, I guess, over the back fence, he mentioned to Sorensen his old job in Biggs, $90,000/year plus benies, was laying there like a warm cherry pie in an un-guarded window frame. And, Sorensen being no dummy, he snatched that cherry pie faster than Yogi Bear would go after a picnic basket.
I have to ask, are people stupid or just don’t care? How is it okay for the guy who manages your town to live in another town, where he is completely insulated from the consequences of his actions? City councilors are required to live in the city, county supervisors are required to live in their district, but you can hire a guy from Timbuktu to manage your city, and then give him an extra stipend to jet back and forth.
It is true, whether P.T. Barnum said it or not – there’s a sucker born every minute.
Just when I was drifting off to the sound of my vacuum cleaner, Bob also reminded me, Mark Orme has stepped into the vacancy left by Brian “The Hit Man” Nakamura, so now we are out an Assistant Manager. Bob, who’s met Carr, says Carr is probably qualified for such a position.
Then Bob adds, this would leave another position open for somebody else – Carr’s manager position in Orland.
That Bob, he’s always poking my brain with a stick to see if it’s still alive. Holy Cat Crap, I realized – that would be Gruendl! But my balloon never even got halfway inflated before it let itself out – that doesn’t mean we’d be rid of Gruendl, anymore than the Biggs job meant we’d be rid of Sorensen.
Like I asked before – are people stupid or just don’t care? These bureaucrats change jobs like underwear, have car will travel. They used to have to sign a contract that said they wouldn’t have any other job – and I’d guess, an elected position in another town would be a conflict – but that’s just my guess. Apparently none of that matters anymore. They aren’t even required to be in the office five days a week – remember Brian Haddix, who took the CAO position for the county without quitting his job in Tulare County? Nobody noticed he was just never in the office. For 14 months. Good God, don’t ask any of these people to look after your cat. After the board FINALLY found out, Haddix “abruptly resigned,” leaving five wet hens looking for a replacement. He was doing two jobs, hundreds of miles apart, for 14 months before anybody figured it out. Hellllooooo? Anybody home?
Thanks for that prediction Bob, I don’t think it’s so far-fetched at all. We’ll have to see how it plays out!
Chico Taxpayers Association 
Public works management raises are on the agenda for Tuesday.
OMG Frank, thanks for the wake-up call. Chico Taxpayers Association has been asleep at the wheel. I actually read that agenda and did not see the salary increase, just the reorganization and hiring. I’ll have to give that a re-read!
Thanks for the poke, I’ll try real hard to drag myself out of Spring fever.