Lying about credentials
After reading “McGinn adviser resigns, admits he lied about Ph.D.” [page one, Feb. 5], I couldn’t believe how arrogant Mayor Mike McGinn is concerning honesty and integrity.
To accept and promote a position of influence in the mayor’s office for Chris Bushnell, a felon of bank fraud, it just goes to show how “Boss Tweed” methods of running public office will never cease to amaze me. McGinn knowingly hired this guy for a salary of $110,000 of [taxpayer’s] money. It makes me wonder how long the mayor will last.
Let me see now, how many other jobs does he want to eliminate? 200! Maybe he should eliminate his own for starters. How many people out there have to sign job applications stating that the facts are true and accurate or their positions can and will be eliminated? How many people applying for employment have to pass a background check?
It just goes to show its still a “good-ole-boys” world. It’s who you know and that’s all that matters — until you get caught, of course.
— Ted Weaver, Mill Creek
Should have seen it coming
So now after just a month with the McGinn administration in office, The Times’ editorialist columnist Joni Balter can justifiably write: “I told you so.”
The McGinn administration has stumbled down the City Hall staircase. They promised open government — except when it was an issue for themselves. Discovering McGinn’s closest adviser, Chris Bushnell, was not only a felon for serious bank fraud in the’90s, but also that he had the nerve to claim he was a Ph.D.-level economist, leaves me with the impression our new mayor is seriously flawed in his judgment.
McGinn, the champion of open government, never mentioned Bushnell and his past when he campaigned. This all portends poorly for the near and extended future. Maybe he and those closest to him on the fifth floor of City Hall might consider the example of Toyota President Akio Toyoda by publicly bowing in humiliation to City Council, to the city’s employees and of course to the citizens.
This “neophyte” McGinn administration should pull in its horns, learn correctly how to intelligently manage city government and then implement that steep learning curve as quickly as possible. I reluctantly voted for this mayor and didn’t do it to see him whither and fail so quickly.
— Patrick Burns, Seattle
Other staff reductions
McGinn’s senior staff cuts are the correct thing to do and should be done now: 200 jobs, at an estimated cost of $100,000 per year — or $20,000,000 total —equals about half of the estimated shortfall. The study by Microsoft a few years ago stating the cost per employee using a loaded rate of 20 to 25 percent of salary is understated.
This understatement is due to the additional costs of building space, supervisors for each six to eight employees, phones and computers, extra human-resource personnel and parking. These are just a few of the additional costs of additional employees.
The longer McGinn waits to reduce these positions, the less effect it will have this year, which means more and larger budget cuts elsewhere: in teacher, firefighter, police, medical staff and welfare [positions]. Or he could just raise taxes to pay for this waste and reduce our morale
McGinn should correct this waste now as well as improve the taxpayers morale.
— Wayne Gaughran, Tacoma