Framing the Questions

"I Am Not a Vulcan!"

R Stephens — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:06:02 GMT

It's been a hectic week, but interspersed with moments of humor. Those moments of humor are what get us through the daily stress and grind of municipal politics.

One such moment occurred Wednesday morning following Jim O'Neal's resignation from City Council on Monday night. A photo of my swearing-in as Mayor came out in the Springfield News-Leader Wednesday morning. Immediately, FaceBook lit up with a discussion of whether I was truly a Vulcan (from the Star Trek series) because of the way my hand was shown during the ceremony.

At the risk of disappointing my Trekkie fans, my hand was being held that way because I used to play a lot of baseball as a kid and I was a catcher. Both hands are fairly beat up from the foul tips that would come off the bats of opposing batters.

I've had broken fingers on both hands along with what I suspect was a broken knuckle, although I never had it x-rayed. Because of that knuckle on my right hand, it's difficult to get my third and fourth fingers together. Hence the Vulcan rumor.

Of course, because I was a bit overdue for a haircut, folks were commenting that my hair hid the pointy ears of a true Vulcan. And one even pointed to the fact that I have been known for rational and logical comments as further evidence of my Vulcan forebears.

The News-Leader even got into the act on FaceBook by reprinting my wife's tweet explaining the hand. Just having fun--what can I say? How about, "Live Long and Prosper."

Structure Airlines for Profit

R Stephens — Sat, 05 May 2012 04:04:14 GMT

On our recent trip to Denver, I had a chance to observe an airline in action. Frontier Airlines, which has either just emerged from bankruptcy or else just entered bankruptcy protection, was contracted to deliver my wife and me from Kansas City to Denver and back.

The first thing I noticed was the new fee for any bags that you check. I had a small bag that held my clothes for three days (I could do laundry in between trips and wear them again) and my shaving kit. My bag cost $20 to check through to Denver International Airport.

The bag my wife had was about double in size and hers was dwarfed by some of the huge bags I saw being checked while I was in line. Her cost and presumably theirs: $20.00 per bag. So, I think the next time we fly, we’ll pack our clothes in one super-duper rolling wardrobe and only pay one $20.00 fee.

Once I had entered the plane, we stood in the aisle for about 15 minutes while all those passengers carried on their one allowed bag tried to cram them into the overhead compartments. There was even one passenger who had to remove some items from the bag and put it in the bag to go under the seat, so the first bag would go in the overhead. So much for those little white lines that bags are supposed to fit in before you carry them on.

And, finally, upon our arrival—both in Denver and in Kansas City—folks jumped up as soon as they could. Of course, everyone who was not in an aisle seat resembled that stereotypical “little old lady with a dowager hump.” Why? Because once they stood up, the overhead compartments hung so low that they couldn’t stand upright.

So, why did I entitle this “Not Structured for Profit?” Simply put, airlines make money when they are moving people from Point A to Point B. They do not make money while the planes are sitting on the ground. They do not make money in the runway checking multiple bags that should have been checked earlier. They do not make money while passengers are fighting with the luggage compartments. They do not make money while the flight attendants are working to get all the overhead compartment doors closed prior to take-off.

Any General Business 101 text will tell you there are three basic ways to increase profit:

1) Price the service higher, assuming costs are the same;

2) Reduce costs and keep price the same;

3) A combination of 1 and 2.

So here’s my idea: airlines should continue to charge for the bags. Airlines should eliminate that “runway baggage check” that clogs up the space right before you step on the plane. Make passengers check those items at the beginning. They should then remove the overhead bins and compartments for storage, leaving only those little lights that say “no smoking” and the “restroom is occupied.” The airlines should—and here’s the biggie—change the rule to allow only one carry-on bag, period. If it’s a purse, fine. If it’s a briefcase, fine. If it’s a backpack, fine. But they all have to fit under the seat, period.

This will greatly reduce the loading time of the plane—thus facilitating the plane’s getting in the air—where it makes money for its shareholders. It will reduce the unloading time, therefore allowing the next loading to occur quicker and get the plane back in the air. Passengers with only a purse or briefcase will not have to wait for multiple passengers to search out their bags and then wrestle them down. Oh, and perhaps the number of bags whacking passengers in the head will be reduced—thus reducing or eliminating that liability for airlines.

Also, without the overhead compartments, passengers can stand up straighter and be able to deplane more quickly, even after a rather lengthy flight. Bending over the seat in front of you is conducive only to meeting people you’ll never see again or folks you have no desire to meet anyway.

Now, lest you think the airline is getting all the good stuff here—not so. The airlines need to structure themselves that if a human arrives at the airport with one bag of luggage or even multiple bags, then that human and that (those) bag(s) should get on the same plane at the same time. And that human and bag should arrive at the same location at the same time.

Anytime there is a lost bag, there should be compensation paid to the owner of the bag. Nothing improves performance like the possibility of consequences for erroneous actions. While this may be a draconian, West-Point-theory of management, it does work in the short term. And if it works for the short term, pretty soon the employees will understand that a “new normal” has arrived.

That’s pretty much it. Sure, there’ll be some adjustment period, but if airlines would focus more on customer service—true customer service—things could improve in a hurry. Things like on-time arrivals, quicker emplaning and de-planing, more comfortable flights (unless you’re in first class, the phrase “comfortable flight” is an oxymoron), and customer retention would become the norm. Just structure an airline for profit—it can get there.

Stepping Up in the Ozarks

R Stephens — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:27:08 GMT

This is what I love about living in Springfield and Greene County: when it comes down to the crunch time, folks step up.

Today’s results in the Law Enforcement tax vote speak volumes about the kind of people we are. We may fuss; we may fight; we may argue passionately about different issues, but when there’s a real problem, we lay all that aside and do the right thing.

Just look three years back. The Springfield Police/Fire Pension deficit was threatening to tip the city into bankruptcy like a number of other cities around the country. However, voters educated themselves, believed the new Council, and voted to tax themselves for a period of time to get the pension plan back into solvency. Since that vote, Springfield has been able to fill the frozen positions in the police and fire ranks and restore a level of public safety that had been missing for about four years.

A year ago, our neighboring city to the west was devastated by a Force 5 tornado. Joplin’s first call was to Springfield and it was a simple message: “We need help.” Springfield responded with firefighters, police, and public works. And then the citizens weighed in. By the thousands, we volunteered for clean up, for food preparation, and for donating water. We delivered food to Ozarks Food Harvest; we put together ration packages at the Rainbow Network. We repaired houses; we built houses; we planted trees.

And tonight, faced with another type of significant need in the other side of public safety, voters in Springfield and Greene County stepped up again and voted in favor of a 1/8-cent tax for law enforcement officers, for prosecutors, and for jail improvements.

The new revenue will allow the Sheriff’s department to add deputies—thus reducing the response time on 911 calls, which are now approaching 15 minutes—if there is a deputy available. In addition, additional jailers can be hired, providing more security for County employees as well as prisoners, and reducing the possibility of federal officials closing the jail.

Also, the Prosecutor’s office will be able to process more cases more quickly with additional assistant prosecutors. Part of the jail overcrowding is caused by the bottleneck of cases that can’t move very rapidly through the legal system. Voters have said it’s worth 1/8-cent per dollar expenditure to have better law enforcement and to feel more secure.

As I’ve said before, the southwest Missouri economy is driving our state economy and Springfield is driving the southwest Missouri economy. Voters are feeling a bit more positive about the economy and their governments—city and county—and are expressing that feeling at the ballot box. A big thank you to voters in Springfield and Greene County.

Too Little, Too Late

R Stephens — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:18:14 GMT

This past week, members of City Council received a letter signed jointly by the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the One Air Alliance, and the American Heart Association.

In this letter, the organizations indicated, “This is our final attempt to compromise on this issue.” I want to point out that this is the first communication from these organizations that they have initiated with me since the election. They may have talked to one or two other Council members, but this is the first communication I’ve received.

The letter was signed by Stephen Hall, Jace Smith, Leah Wiggs, and Melissa Snodgrass who, I believe, was the lady who sat on camera the entire Council meeting vigorously chewing her gum. Some of us wondered if she needed a cigarette!

The groups offered the following:

The removal of current language pertaining to e-cigarettes, which also allows theater groups additional options for on-stage performances.
A new exemption for private clubs, when not open to the public, and that have no employees present. (Please see the attached definition language.)
A new exemption for retail tobacco shops with a minimum of 70% of tobacco-related sales. (Please see the attached definition language.)

So, in essence, the three compromises they offered are actually a non-offer. They made them conditional on LiveFree Springfie;d’s withdrawing its petition. However, per the Springfield Charter, once the petitions are certified by the City Clerk (as these have been), they take on a life of their own and they cannot be recalled or withdrawn.

So, the so-called offer to compromise is apparently just a publicity stunt. Meanwhile, we on Council will meet later this week in a workshop session to see if we can craft some type of middle position that honors the vote of Springfieldians, while at the same time, doesn’t require businesses or patrons to relocate or go out of town.

It won’t be easy but it’s something we have to try.

Proud of my Minister . . .

R Stephens — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:39:32 GMT

Check out the link here"

https://philsnider.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/my-comments-from-clergy-e-verify-press-conference/

Behind the Scenes with e-Verify

R Stephens — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:09:37 GMT

In two days, a small percentage of Springfieldians will go to the polls to pass judgment on what is being called the “e-Verify ordinance.” This ordinance purports to establish local prohibitions against the hiring of illegal and undocumented workers.

Below is simply a series of glimpses and random thoughts about this topic that I have had from a position both behind the scenes and in front of the cameras.

One of the things that has struck me very strongly is the effort by supporters on both sides of this issue to remain calm and to keep the conversation at a civil level. This is a topic that can prove to be very contentious and lends itself to strong emotions. Both sides of the argument should be complimented on how they have handled themselves during this time.
People on both sides of the issue were convinced that people on the other side were ignorant ____________. (You fill in the blank.)
I am continually amazed how folks think complicated issues can be reduced to 10-second sound bytes or a bumper-sticker philosophy.
Where has been the faith community? Where are the ministers of the churches—large and small? We pride ourselves on being a religious community—why the thundering silence on this issue from the churches?
This is a human issue. Why did it break along the traditionally political lines of liberal versus conservative instead of more philosophical lines?
We apparently have forgotten our national history and narrative.
The more I heard the “debates,” the more I realized that this really was about race and not about jobs. One spokesman for the Ozarks Minutemen, at the League of Women Voters forum, said everything Tuesday evening except, “Beware the Brown Wave.”
We have over 106,000 registered voters. Yet I will be shocked if more than 10% will actually vote. The rest of us will be content to allow barely 10,000 people—roughly the population of West Plains—to determine what kind of reputation this city will carry into the future.
This election will make the national news.
The petition language, and therefore the ballot issue, are seriously flawed.

Mayoral Announcement Comments

R Stephens — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:14:46 GMT

Good morning—Today I am announcing that I will be a candidate for Mayor in the 2013 election.

I am making this early announcement for two reasons: first, since Mayor O’Neal mentioned in the Springfield Business Journal that he would not be running again, I have been on the receiving end of numerous questions about my intent. I’d like to lay the speculations to rest. Secondly, I would like to focus on consolidating the gains that we have consistently made since I was elected in 2009.

Some of our new economic development policies are beginning to pay off. Springfield was recently named the #3 city in the nation in job growth. Southwest Missouri is driving the state economy right now; Springfield is driving the southwest Missouri economy, and the downtown area is one of the drivers of our local economic engine. That’s why I wanted to have this announcement here. My thanks to Andy and Chantal Drennen for the use of their Gelato Mio store for this announcement. When we’re finished here, I understand that they may be talked out of some samples of the best gelato in Missouri.

When I was elected, there was a very real chance that the Police/Fire Pension issue could tip Springfield into a municipal bankruptcy. As Council members, we made several promises to voters; the voters trusted us, took a deep breath and voted in a temporary pension tax increase. We now have the numbers in the pension fund headed in the right direction.

In the three years of my service as a General Council member, we have worked hard to restore openness and transparency to the local political process. It’s sometimes been ugly—we pretty much conduct all our discussions and arguments in public and they can sometimes get pretty heated. However, in a recent local study conducted by MSU’s Dr. Mike Stout, trust in federal elected officials was down; trust in elected state officials went down; but trust in local elected officials ticked upward. I am very proud of that small but significant increase.

I am also proud of the fact that, last April, my colleagues on City Council selected me to be their Mayor Pro Tem. Their trust and support mean a great deal and serving as Mayor Pro Tem continues to be a great experience.

In Springfield, we have conducted the City’s financial affairs the past three years in a way that ensured our operating budget was balanced without dipping into reserves, without borrowing, and without using one-time grant money.

In fact, our most recent audit showed that we actually were able to increase some of our reserves and also pay down some of our debt. This is conservative fiscal management at its best and there are not very many cities around the country that can make this claim. I am proud to be able to stand here and point to these accomplishments.

At this point, I would like to turn the podium over to Mayor Jim O’Neal.

Intro: Shawn Martin and Eric Latimer of the IAFF

Intro: Matt Morrow, CEO of the Home Builders Association

Intro: Mike Evans and Chris Welch, Springfield Police Officers Association

To wrap up, there are three acknowledgements that I want to make at this time. First of all, a huge thank you and “I love you” to my wife Cindy. I could not do what I do on City Council if it were not for her absolutely rock-solid support and encouragement.

Secondly, I want to thank all the folks in the City Clerk’s office—the three Brendas, the two Anitas, and the Lisa—for all their work for the citizens of Springfield and on behalf of City Council members. They do so much to manage our schedules, find answers to millions of obscure questions, and—for the most part—keep us out of trouble. Please remember that when we on Council say the wrong thing or miss an appointment—it’s our fault, not theirs.

Finally, Cindy and I have often talked about what a wonderful group of people allow us to call them friends. Many of you are in this room today. Again, the support, love, and humor we get from our friends mean so much to both of us. And, yes, even that small sub-committee of friends who have taken on the task of making sure I don’t get too puffed up—I appreciate them, too.

Thank you all for being here. Your presence means a great deal. I am looking forward to working as a General Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem through 2012 and to the campaign in 2013. All the speakers today will be around for a few minutes if any of the news folks have specific questions. Thank you and enjoy the gelato.

Wrapping Presents Leads to Wrapping Up the Year

R Stephens — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:04:45 GMT

As we move into the last week of the year, all the newspapers are filled with “year-end, wrap-up” types of stories, whether the subject is weather, disasters, sports, politics, economy, or whatever.

This will be a little like that, only just dealing with some of the things that have occurred in the City during the past year.

The big issue two years ago when I was elected was the Police/Fire Pension deficit and the fund’s ability to tip Springfield into bankruptcy. Now, after some reorganization of the Pension Board, some of their investment decisions, and the temporary tax that voters approved, we have the numbers headed in the right direction for the first time in a number of years. In addition, City Council had made several promises to voters at the time of the tax election and we have kept every one of those.

Led by Mayor O’Neal, the Council has opened up the decision-making process and has utilized several citizen-staffed task forces. Not only does this give Springfield more voices at the table, but it enables voters to have a first-hand look at complicated issues and a deeper understanding of what City Council members have to wrestle with from time to time.

In addition, we “borrowed” an idea from our neighbors to the west (Joplin, MO) and established a citizens tax oversight committee. This group of citizens have access to all the numbers showing sales tax receipts from the state and then the various deposits of those funds. In this way, citizens and voters can be assured that the City is using the tax revenues in the way we promised they would be.

And speaking of Joplin, you can’t talk about 2011 with mentioning the tornado that hit our sister municipality to the west in May. Once the tornado lifted, their first call was to Springfield and the message was simple, “We need help.” And Springfield responded. Within an hour, we had two collapsed-building rescue teams on the way to Joplin, followed by many, many additional firefighters and police officers (all of whom volunteered for the duty) during the next few weeks.

Also, a tip of the hat to our Public Works personnel who also were detailed to assist in the clean-up in Joplin. After Joplin administrators made the decision to clear the streets first, it was many of our PW folks who helped get the roads open again.

And a heart-felt thanks to all the other City employees and City Utilities personnel who either volunteered through their jobs, through their churches, or other organizations to help our neighbors in Joplin. I have heard several of the Joplin administrators speak about the outpouring of help from all over the country, but every one of them singles out Springfield for special praise.

While we’re talking about disasters, Springfieldians raised over $54,000 to send to our Sister City of Isesaki, Japan following the huge earthquake and tsunami. When we began the campaign to raise money, we were hoping for $10,000, with a stretch goal of $15,000. The final total just blew us away and I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of Springfield than when talking about how we reacted to these two disasters, one close and one half a world away.

And to end up the year on a positive note, at our last Council study session of the year, our outside auditors delivered a glowing report of the way Springfield handled its money. We have delivered the services we promised; we were able to pay down some of our debt; and we were able to put some additional funds back in reserves. As City Manager Greg Burris has said on several occasions, “We operated a balanced budget without dipping into reserves, without using one-time money for operations, and without borrowing.”

And the other positive item coming at the end of the year, Springfield was noted as the #3 City in the nation in job growth. While our unemployment is still higher than we want it to be, we’re still far better off than many of our other similarly-sized cities around the country. And we’re working hard to grow jobs here and to bring new jobs to the area.

Finally, it’s been a lot of work on behalf of City Council, but especially the great team of people who work for the City of Springfield. All of us should send a little thank-you their way whether

we see someone repairing a pot-hole,
we receive an answer to a question regarding zoning
a police officer helps clear an accident from an intersection
we hear a fire truck rushing to another medical call
we get an answer to a Sunshine request
we flush the toilet and it goes somewhere
a relative arrives at the airport for a visit
we take our grandkids to a park.

Springfield is poised for another great year in 2012. I look forward to the challenges, but also to the continued good news coming our way. As the slogan at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce goes, “Every place should be like this!”

Letter to Wally

R Stephens — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:38:06 GMT

A friend of mine accompanied his step-father on one of the Honor Flights to Washington, DC. He asked if I would write a letter than could be shared during the flight and afterward. I was happy to write the following:

Dear Wally:

As Mayor Pro Tem, I have had numerous opportunities to speak to veterans groups and to take part in celebrating the courage, the dedication, and—yes—the sacrifices of those who have served our Country in the past.

I recently spoke to the U. S. Retired Submariners’ Association at their national convention here in Springfield. I mentioned to them that we on City Council often speak of those who have gone before us.

We who are elected officials could not do what we do, had our veterans not done what they did in World War II, in Korea, in Viet Nam, and in various other “hot spots” around the world. We in the United States could not have our peaceful transition of governments had we not suffered through and won the violent World Wars.

We who have been elected to serve the public have often commented that we truly stand on the shoulders of giants. And there are no shoulders more gigantic than those of our World War II veterans. The “Greatest Generation” truly showed the world how to define the concepts of courage, dedication, heroism, and—at home—the building of a great nation.

Wally, you are one of a number of veterans on the World War II Honor Flight. This will be a wonderful experience to meet some of your fellow veterans, to relive some of the past glory of hard-fought and hard-won victories, but yes, to also remember those who did not come back from Europe, from Africa, from Hawaii, from Guadalcanal.

We are glad you came back. We celebrate with you on this Honor Flight. And we will never forget what you contributed to the security and the well-being of our nation.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Stephens

We Really Take It for Granted

R Stephens — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:49:57 GMT

Earlier this week, the Mayor and I met with four journalists and two translators from the Ukraine who were in Springfield studying democracy in general and our municipal government in particular. The over-arching conclusion that I came away from this meeting with was that we her in Springfield and the US truly take our systems of government for granted.

The four journalists from the Crimean Sea insisted on taking our photos with each one of them so they could prove that they actually were in the same room with us. In their country, the Mayor travels in an entourage of four large black vehicles with four large bodyguards—even though, as the journalists related, there is no threat to the Mayor. In addition, the general populace cannot enter the municipal building nor talk directly with members of the City Council. They can send letters, but they have no idea if the letters are read or acted on.

In addition, our system of government is far more transparent. In the Ukraine, only recently has a law been passed to require government entities to provide minutes of official meetings to journalists. Contrast that to our Freedom of Information Act on the national level and the Sunshine Law on the state and local levels. Furthermore, the amount of information on our municipal website is phenomenal, especially in comparison to our visitors’ home city.

The journalists also mentioned that, in their hometown, the Mayor owned the company that counted the ballots for City Council elections and, as a result, members of the City Council who were friends or relatives of the Mayor kept getting re-elected. The Mayor and I took great pains to explain that both Greene County’s County Clerk and Springfield’s City Clerk zealously guarded their reputations for being independent and unbiased elections officers.

One point that I made was that, even though the Mayor and I had different political philosophies, we could put those aside to work on the major issues for the City of Springfield. Of course, there was a light-hearted moment when I held my hands about a foot apart in describing the difference in philosophies and the Mayor was holding his hands about three feet apart! But our visitors got the point—if people of differing viewpoints had faith in our system of government—they could work together for the betterment of the community.

Finally, Mayor O’Neal stressed that the United States had been working on developing a democratic society for over 225 years, while those folks in the Ukraine were in the very beginning stages. We stressed that we still didn’t have a perfect system, but that we continued to work on it. The journalists were coming from a country with a long history of totalitarianism and that it would take a long time for them to convert completely to a democracy. But the fact that they were allowed to come here and to report on what they found is a very encouraging step. We wish them continued luck.

And the Mayor and I left the meeting with a renewed pride in our system of government and in how Springfield handles the issues it’s faced with.

When NIMBY Meets the New Urbanism . . .

R Stephens — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:24:56 GMT

A couple of years ago, a friend who works for the National Weather Service told me that meteorologists fight to get to this area of the country because the weather is so changeable that it presents a real challenge to forecasters.

The weather changes because the cool, dry air from the Rockies tends to collide overhead with the warm, moist air coming up from the Gulf. Those collisions, when the conditions are right, produce an amazing array of weather, ranging from a gentle rain to the type of storm that recently struck Joplin.

Metaphorically speaking, a similar collision is beginning to take place—not overhead—but under our feet, as we as a City continue the generations-long conversation about land development and re-development. The most recent example is the request by developers to build a five-story hotel on the south side of Republic Road, just north of the Ravenwood sub-dvision.

Obviously, the neighbors don’t want a five-story hotel looking down on their backyard bar-b-ques, on their sunbathing, or simply spoiling the skyscape. This has been named the NIMBY syndrome, meaning “Not in my back yard.”

We’ve seen this syndrome all over town--ranging from the neighbors to the east not wanting the PD330 zoning changing from agriculture to commercial to mid-town neighbors fighting the Salvation Army’s plan for a homeless shelter to everyone in the world (it seems) weighing in on City Utilities’ efforts to relocate the outgrown and outdated bus transfer station.

There is a trend in the planning and development world that is also impacting the conversation: that of New Urbanism. As near as I can tell as a lay person, the New Urbanism is the old small town. If you look at many of our small towns in the 30’s and 40’s, you saw commercial areas adjacent to residential areas. You can see remnants of this if you drive or walk or bike east from South Avenue along either Walnut Street or Elm Street. You see the commercial buildings running out to Jefferson or Kimbrough and then you quickly enter a residential area. Same thing occurs if you move south from Walnut along South Market, South Main, or South Grant.

The new phrase to try to sell the old ways is “mixed use.” We on Council keep hearing from planners about the benefits of mixed use: denser populations, the ability to walk or bike instead of taking cars, and living above commercial areas. The other side of that coin is that cities don’t have to build more miles of streets, police and fire protection can cover better if the population is concentrated, and the other elements of a city’s infrastructure do not have to be expanded and maintained—the delivery of utilities, the sewer lines, and traffic controls.

Unfortunately, Springfield has always been and is a prairie town. We live right on the edge of the prairie that stretches from around Lamar west to the Rockies. We are used to—in the past—hopping on our horses and riding. In more modern times, we’re used to hopping in the car or pickup truck and driving.

One of the things that has accelerated the conversation about mixed use and concentrating the population more has been the several year recession that we’re in. Not only is the unemployment rate hovering between 9% and 10% nationally, but because of foreign wars and civil unrest in the Middle East, gasoline prices are at levels that we haven’t seen before.

Back during the Arab oil embargo of the 70’s, Americans gave up their big cars for smaller vehicles that got better gas mileage. Today, technology has developed to the point that we have hybrid cars—running on both gasoline and electricity. However, it remains to be seen if folks will really abandon their SUVs in favor of smaller, lighter vehicles. Will we give up our stallions and ride a Shetland pony? I don’t know.

However, I do know the conversation about mixed use will continue as long as it’s the current fad in planning circles. And the arguments will continue at that nexus between residential areas and commercial developments, especially if we keep trying to concentrate populations by building vertically instead of horizontally. Nobody in a single-family dwelling wants to live next to five, seven, or 25 story building—regardless of its use.

So, the discussion continues.

Hypothetically . . . just sayin'

R Stephens — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:29:24 GMT

Once upon a time, there was this hypothetical elected city leader. And this hypothetical city leader rode herd on a rather unruly, eight-person hypothetical city council. And the hypothetical city that they served was hypothetically governed by a Charter—passed down by generations before.

By tackling some hypothetically difficult issues and solving them, the hypothetical city leader and council developed some hypothetical political capital. And the hypothetical city leader developed quite a bit of political capital with the unruly members of the council.

And it came to pass that an issue appeared before said council that dealt with hypothetically obeying the law. However, due to a quirk in the hypothetically-governing Charter, the options available to the city council were hypothetically awful.

A hypothetically public hearing was called; public discussions occurred with the hypothetical city leader presiding. The hypothetical editorial board of the local paper weighed in; hypothetical patriots argued in circles with each other in hypothetical capital letters in the comments section.

Meetings were held by different hypothetical interest groups. Hypothetical Retro-Sixties demonstrations were called for some hypothetically unclear reason. Potential solutions were passed back and forth between hypothetically opposed groups dealing with the issue. No hypothetical solution could be agreed upon.

During the final week of discussion, the hypothetical elected city leader proposed a solution and hypothetically lobbied for it. The unruly, eight-person hypothetical city council conferred with hypothetical political bases, with hypothetical supporters, and hypothetically with each other—taking care not to violate any hypothetical orb-in-the-sky state law.

Although hypothetically unhappy with the options, the unruly, eight-person hypothetical city council came to realize that the hypothetical option-being-lobbied-for by the hypothetical city leader might work, at least as a hypothetically stop-gap measure. And so, hypothetically grumbling, the council arrived to do its work, one hypothetical member being absent for family reasons.

During the proceedings, hypothetical unruly member after unruly member weighed in on the hypothetical situation. The hypothetical petitioners came in for their share of hypothetical criticism as well as spots of isolated hypothetical praise. Hypothetical founding fathers were quoted; hypothetical statistics were bloated. But at the end, it was time to vote . . . hypothetically speaking.

For some reason, the hypothetical city leader—who had been lobbying the hypothetical unruly council—suddenly, and without hypothetical warning, changed his vote. The tally when the dust cleared: 4-4, which means the same as a hypothetical “no” vote.

Many hypothetical political watchers were baffled; the hypothetical clerk sent a text message to the dais to confirm that the hypothetical leader had not inadvertently hit the wrong button. The hypothetical leader offered no reason for the change in vote prior to the adjourning of the meeting.

So, the issue will go before the hypothetical voters next year. And the hypothetical city will bear a $140,000 expense for the election. The ballot issue continues to have flaws—real, not hypothetical and the hypothetical city will have to pay to defend the measure—if it hypothetically passes—to the Supreme Court.

And that political capital that the hypothetical city leader had built up with the members of the unruly hypothetical council? Well, it’s all hypothetical now.

Petition Musings--Part 2

R Stephens — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:37:10 GMT

Whether our heritage was comprised of Native Americans, Caucasians in the early days of America’s recorded history, Africans in the late 18^th century and beyond, Asians during the beginning of the Industrial Age, Irish during the great Potato Famine, Italians, Germans, Cubans, or Vietnamese in the mid-70s—we are all either immigrants or descendants of immigrants.

In 1630, Puritan John Winthrop preached a sermon to the Massachusetts Bay Colony entitled “A Model of Christian Charity.” In that sermon he indicated that their new community would be a “city upon a hill,” and would be watched by the world.

Three hundred fifty years later, this phrase would be often echoed by the late President Ronald Reagan in his descriptions of America as “the shining city on the hill” for the rest of the world.

The country will watch our actions here in Springfield. Will Springfield shine or will the tarnish spread?

Petition Musings--Part 1

R Stephens — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:47:46 GMT

In 1986, the Immigration Service—admitting 25 years ago that the federal government was not doing its job—used its governmental powers to deputize every hiring individual in the United States with the requirement that employers have employees complete the I-9 forms and then verify forms of identification.

As a Human Resource professional, I can testify to the amount of time required to comply with this law and labor costs are one of a company’s largest expense items. In many cases, the indirect costs (which include benefits, payroll taxes, and legal compliance efforts) will reach 40% of direct payroll, if not higher.

A government requiring private enterprises to engage in surveillance and verification activities that are not part of the business’ core mission is, in essence, imposing a tax on those enterprises. This petition forcing employers to utilize the E-verify system will require additional labor time for all businesses and, in many cases, require additional capital expenses for some of our smallest and most fragile businesses.

Yet, contrary to statements in their press release, the Minutemen appear very willing to impose this hidden tax on businesses—in the midst of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.

Why Ya Gotta Just Shake Your Head . . .

R Stephens — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:04:11 GMT

Some of you may remember my rant about a month ago where I was pretty incredulous that FEMA would not grant Joplin a 30-day extension to finish cleaning up debris. i posed the question as to whether this refusal was based on Joplin's dilly-dallying or just FEMA's wish to pay 75% of the expenses rather than 90%.

Well, now we hear that part of the money that FEMA had designated for Joplin clean-up and reconstruction is now being re-routed to the east coast to deal with Hurricane Irene damage. Two chicken-crap moves, in my opinion.

I recently ordered a t-shirt with the message "Change It Back!" FEMA makes me glad I did.

The Surprises Just Keep On Coming!

R Stephens — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:57:15 GMT

Those of you who follow on FaceBook may remember a comment I posted last week about being startled when the teller at my credit union drive-through reminded me that it was my wife’s birthday.

While I know they were trying to do the “customer service” thing, most of the comments I’ve received from folks are along the lines of “Wow, that’s a bit big-brotherish!”

Well, the surprises just keep on rolling in. Cindy and I were going to breakfast Saturday morning and happened to drive by the credit union building. It had completely new signage on the building and out in front. We wondered if this branch had been sold since the credit union had recently built a huge monument to itself over at Sunset and Kansas Expressway.

Turns out that—according to the postcard that came in the mail Saturday afternoon, the Postal Federal Credit Union is now—are you ready?—sitting down?—BluCurrent!!

Yep, BluCurrent. Apparently all one word with a capital letter in the middle.

What’s even more interesting is that the new logo—a series of rounded-corner rectangles fading off into some invisible horizon—are orange and green!! So, why would an entity named BluCurrent have an orange and green logo?

I know there’s a trend to simplify (and sometimes obscure) names. And the first name of this business was pretty unwieldy: The Postal and Federal Employees’ Credit Union. Try writing that one on the front of a check! It then became The Postal Federal Credit Union back when all the financial institutions were being deregulated and membership requirements got expanded basically anyone who lived in southwest Missouri.

BluCurrent. BluCurrent? Why not green? At least the color green has some connotation with money. And that’s what credit unions do, isn’t it? Help people save money and make loans to members?

Oh, yeah. BluCurrent. Doesn’t it give you an image of some sort of electrical utility? Maybe, if you don’t make your loan payment, they’ll zap you. I wouldn’t think twice about seeing a BluCurrent electrical truck in the neighborhood, but I would sort of wonder about an entity that is trying to hide what it does.

And let’s talk spelling and pronunciation for a moment. Blu. Since it’s not spelled with the conventional “e” on the end, do we pronounce it blu as in “bluh” with a short u? Guess the Twitter norm of reducing everything to its lowest common denominator (and spelling) has garnered the attention of the design agencies. At least their younger employees (those who grew up gaming and not reading) don’t have to worry anymore about spelling. We’ll just create a new word.

Just call me nonplussed. Or in the trends of the day, non+’ed !!

Choices, Choices, well. . . Not So Many

R Stephens — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:54:00 GMT

Probably the most emotional and divisive issue that I have seen in my time on City Council is on the agenda for Monday evening. The petition circulated by the Ozarks Minutemen was certified by the City Clerk as having enough valid signatures and is up for the first reading.

This petition mandates that all businesses within the city limits of Springfield utilize the federally-provided “e-Verify” system to determine work eligibility and to screen out undocumented workers. The Minutemen say it’s a free service that simply ensures that federal law is being followed by businesses in Springfield.

Folks all over town have been gearing up and planning their strategies for the evening. We anticipate that there will be many, many speakers signing up for their opportunity to speak on the issue. Some will speak passionately and eloquently; others emotionally; still others will be nervous, but will get through their allotted time. There will be accusations that this petition is racist in nature, that it targets Hispanics and Latinos. The Minutemen will argue that everyone is checked through the system and therefore it’s non-discriminatory. Business groups will state that this will put an extra burden on commercial enterprises, especially small businesses, and will require much more administrative time, cost for equipment, and broadband access for businesses currently not “wired.” And other speakers will lament the further damage to race relations in Springfield that they see this petition causing.

Unfortunately, they will all be wasting their collective breath.

If you look at the way the Springfield Charter is written, with a petition initiated by citizens, City Council only has two options: a) it can immediately accept the language in the petition as law or b) it can vote to place the issue on the next regularly-scheduled election. Also, per the Charter, City Council cannot amend the petition language in any way. And finally, if City Council does not perform either a) or b) above, the petition language automatically becomes law in 30 days.

Even though I suspect most of the speakers will be addressing the content of the petition, City Council—while there may be comments from individual members—is only allowed two choices—pass it as law or put it on the next ballot. Considering the content, modifying the content, eliminating parts of the content, adding content—these are not options available to Council during this process of first reading, second reading, and vote.

The Mayor, in order to accommodate the large number of speakers anticipated, is asking City Council to suspend our normal rules of 5 minutes per person and use a three minute time limit for comments and 2 minute time limit for Council questions. I would not have an issue with this. I have noticed over the years that, with five minutes, many times a person will start repeating himself or herself needlessly.

One reason for the Mayor’s request is to help the petition proceedings move along. The other is that this issue is not the only thing on the agenda. He is trying to keep folks from having to sit through a five- or six-hour meeting, waiting for their chance to speak.

Catching the Irony

R Stephens — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:06:38 GMT

Did anyone catch the irony of the two stories in today's Springfield News-Leader?

In the first story, FEMA--that federal monolith that takes care of people after major disasters--turned down Missouri's request for an additional 30 days in which to clean up storm debris.

The second story was about the new public housing prototype in New Orleans--also managed and subsidized by the federal government.

Never mind that Joplin suffered the highest force tornado in Missouri history. Never mind that a good chunk of this city was shredded into pieces about 4" x 4" and had to be cleaned up. Rather let's ask--how many extensions has the federal government provided to itself, other agencies, and other states and municipalities? A thirty-day extension after an EF-5 tornado is hardly some wild-eyed rip-off.

Rather--if FEMA grants the extension, it's on the hook for 90% of the debris clean-up. If no extension is granted, then that "hook" drops down to 75%. Pretty crappy way to save some money. Want to compare the bills run up by Katrina vs. Joplin?

What was Joplin's mistake? Instead of holding up signs that said, "Send help," someone spray-painted a sign that said "Put down your damn camera and pick up a shovel." Instead of mugging for the media, the folks in Joplin left the shelter each morning and went to work--either at their jobs or at their homes. That's why the national news anchor was surprised at 2:00 pm when he couldn't find anyone to interview.

A 30-day extension rejected.

Seriously?

How We Look Abroad . . .

R Stephens — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:35:43 GMT

The following comment came from my sister who lives in Spain.

"I liked the Warren Buffet quote (although generally I prefer Jimmy). All this mess is so embarrassing from over here. The U.S. is set up as the best example of democracy in the world, what many other countries, especially emerging democracies were trying to imitate---and look at it. It is just feeding the anti-American feelings and leaving us wide open to very harsh criticism. This debacle reaches much farther than the U.S. borders."

Not much to add to that.

Debt Ceiling Debacle

R Stephens — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 02:30:15 GMT

The sad thing about this entire debt ceiling debate is that both parties are convinced that the public's attention span is so short that we won't remember this come the elections in 2012. And, given the level of civic engagement that I see as a City Council member, I suspect they're right.

At times like this I quote Will Rogers, the home-grown philosopher from Oklahoma: "Americans deserve the government they get." If we're not paying attention, if we vote only by party line, if we support only candidates supported by specific interest groups, we can expect to have more of the same. If we accede to the lowest common denominator, that's what we'll get.

If we demand higher quality work and compromise and less partisanship and drama, it'll take a round or two of elections, but we can get it. But the public has to be paying attention for longer than the next season of "Jersey Shores."

Gotta tell you--I like that quote by Warren Buffett when asked about the need to balance the federal budget. He said, "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for reelection."

The 3% cushion gives you the room to fund unexpected military action if we find ourselves in a war. Other than that--we need to live within our means. States all do it; municipalities and counties have to do it; why should we expect the federal government to be any less responsive?