Mayor Johnson is spending your money again.....

I’ve said before that Mayor Johnson is arrogant.  He and his deputy Mayor, who are against Charter change act as if we already have a strong Mayor form of government.  They stick their noses into every one of the five departments that are supposed to be led by independent Commissioners.

Now they have raised their arrogance to new levels and have added underhanded and deceitful to their behavior.  Anyone who has followed the budget knows that the Mayor has proposed building a parking garage on Woodlawn Avenue – a free parking garage.  We the tax payers will have to bond over $2 million for the first phase and another $2.5 million for the second phase.  That is over $4 million without creating one cent in revenue.  We the tax payers will pay all of it.

On November 16^th the Mayor sent out an TFP (Request for Proposal).  He has given November 23^rd as the final day for questions.  The bids will be opened on December 2^nd.  He has done this LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER AN ELECTION IN WHICH HE LOST HIS MAJORITY.  WHY?  What is the rush to send out the RFP and award the contract if everything is above board?  Could it be that something is fishy?

Under normal circumstances this would not be enough time for an RFP.  Of course, business is bad so let’s assume that contractors will drop what they’re doing and rush to bid on such a lucrative contract.  HOWEVER, the Thanksgiving weekend comes in that period.  So one wonders how anyone will accomplish it in the shortened time.

The answers to questions that RFP responders might have won’t be back until the week bids are due.  Those answers may dramatically change a RFP response.  It simply doesn’t make sense.  It doesn’t make sense for the Mayor to rush through such an expensive project.  It doesn’t make sense to rush the contractors that way.  It makes even less sense to cut out the newly elected officials that you chose.  UNLESS of course, something fishy is going on.

Let’s remember how the Mayor rushed through the Recreation Center.  The recreation center and the expansion of the City Center happened about the same time.  Because the City Center Board did due deliberation in a changing market, the City Center Board was able to save approximately 30% of the cost.  Because the Mayor rushed through the Rec Center, he (we) paid top dollar for it.  Obviously the Mayor is a very slow learner.

I know you elected him.  But don’t you think that you ought to go to City Hall on Tuesday the 22^nd and demand that he not waste your tax money by yet again rushing a project.