“I Just Laid Off 108 Cops, I’m Going to Disney World”

This post has a Soundtrack. Listen to this while you read:

We all knew this was coming. We’ve heard about this for months, and knew something of its sad inevitability for a long time. Back in May, we even knew the actual number, within 3. So, it was no surprise.

That still does not take away any of the sting, the hurt, the dismay and the outrage when we heard the news this morning. Can you reduce a peace-keeping force by nearly a third, during a hot summer crimewave, and expect it to remain an effective department? We are about to find out, I’m afraid.

But what I want to focus on this morning is the bloodless, impersonal, responsibility-avoiding, craven, spineless and cowardly way Mayor Tony Mack announced these layoffs of Police and other city personnel.

Here is the Press Release, posted on the City’s official website. “The City of Trenton posted an amended layoff plan,” it announces. No person says this. No person is named in this release. No person got up before a live audience, looked them in the eyes to announce this. No expressions of regret to the employees to be released, no statements of sympathy to the families about to be thrown into turmoil. No reassurances to an anxious Public that Public Safety will not be compromised. No bold statements that our City will not rest until we can bring these people back. Not even any kind of acknowledgement that these actions are painful but necessary. Nothing. No leadership. Just “The City of Trenton is executing this layoff plan for reasons of economy and efficiency.”

That’s it. I can’t believe that NOT ONE PERSON is named in this release. Is there no one who will take responsibility? Is there no one to show Leadership? Was there no other way to make this watershed announcement other than to throw a release online, where “The City of Trenton” perhaps thought no one would notice?

These are all rhetorical questions, of course. If you’ve lived in this city over the last year, you know the answers!

Of course, last year, when the announcements were good, it was a very different story. In November, MAYOR MACK “Saved” Public Safety, not the City of Trenton! Of course, this year, when these layoffs loomed, he pulled back from this “Accomplishment,” and claimed that “Save” was only effective for 2010. But “Punts” would have been such a weaker word than “Saves, ” so guess which word got used.

Look at the City’s Announcements page. How often do you see “Mayor Mack” in the headline? You will be excused if this might make you think that the “City of Trenton” only has one employee, “Mayor Mack.” So, for this announcement, not one quote, not one name, not one whiff of someone Owning This? Give me a break.

For this announcement, which has to have been brewing for several weeks if not months, our Mayor is conveniently out of town, in Florida reportedly, at Disney World for part of his two weeks. Now, I never begrudge a man an opportunity to vacation with his family. But the optics, and the substance, of his absence during this announcement, frankly stinks. If your family is on vacation for two weeks and the layoff announcement is scheduled for one day, you get your ass on a plane, and make the announcement in person! That’s what a mayor taking responsibility would do.

But not Tony Mack. He just laid off 108 cops, and he’s in Disney World.

This is just Standard Operating Procedure for this man, after all. Let’s review a bit:

In the last several weeks, this city has experienced a rash of murders, assaults, gun crimes, beatings and more that have stretched the resources of our pre-layoff Police Department. Has the Mayor said anything about it? No, but he went to Disney World.

Supporters, city workers and relatives of the mayor have been involved in several incidents of harassment and intimidation of volunteers circulating recall petitions, sometimes using ugly race-baiting language and tactics. Has the Mayor condemned this, or even said anything about this shameful behavior? No, but he went to Disney World.

The State of New Jersey betrayed its promise to Trenton and other New Jersey cities by first cutting $139 Million in Transitional Aid, then offering to restore it if the Legislature writes into Law stringent oversight measures that would effectively mean a State Takeover. Does the Mayor have any response to this? No, but he went to Disney World.

Tony Mack’s style of leadership has infected the rest of his Administration. In the absence of any Mayoral voice on this issue, one might have expected some other person to take the lead. The Business Administrator, perhaps. The Director of Policy, maybe? The Finance Director, CFO? Anyone?

The way this layoff announcement was handled today is further proof of how the Leadership and Management style of Tony Mack has seeped down throughout the rest of his Administration.

There is only one word for this. Gutless.