09/05/02  Fire Ted Benavides, Now!

What would happen if you told your boss he had no guts because he was rejecting a plan you wanted to implement?  What would happen if you told your boss he had no guts in front of other directors or managers?  What would happen if you told your boss he had no guts in front of television cameras and reporters?

If you managed to keep your job after the first scenario, you would not expect a Christmas bonus, and you would be walking on egg shells for awhile.  If you pulled that stunt in front of other staff, you would be very unlikely to keep your job, but you might be allowed to "resign".  If you pulled that stunt in front of the media, you would be fired -- unless you are related to the owner of the company.  Last week, when Councilman Mitch Rasansky said any CEO delivering a budget with a $95 million shortfall would be fired by any board of directors, most of the civilian city employees in the audience applauded.  

The City MisManager must have been seething all week and waiting for his little "impromptu" temper tantrum.  I bet he alerted some of the council crooks to be ready.  The CMM looked so smug and pleased with himself.  I for one was not happy to see our Mayor appearing to console Benavides, when she should have taken him into Executive Session and fired him on the spot.  Unfortunately, she is just one vote, and the rest of the council are so jealous of her and Rasansky they would keep Benavides if he was caught with public money in his pocket.  Just letting millions of our public money get diverted to billionaires is not enough of a reason to fire him.

The City MisManager should be fired.

Ted Benavides makes nearly $250,000 annually.  That's 1/4 of a million dollars a year.  That is not a reward for long term service.  That salary is based on performance and delivering a well run city.  On both counts, Benavides has failed miserably and should be fired.

Look who hired Ted Benavides -- Ron Kirk.  If he couldn't have a smart fellow con man like John Ware, Con Jerk wanted someone he could push around.  That was the appeal of Benavides.  All the stuff we heard about what a good job he did in Denton?  It was so we would take him off their hands.  Benavides left Denton in much the mess Dallas is in today.

Con Jerk is out on the Senate campaign.  He made a recent stop in *and encouraged the people there to call their friends in Dallas to see what a good job he did in Dallas.

Kirk seeks votes in West Texas By D. Lance Lunsford , Midland Reporter-Telegram - 09/03/2002 MIDLAND, TEXAS (MRT)

. . ."One of the true signs of how good you are doing is how bad your opponent talks about you," Kirk said, referring to Cornyn's recent television advertisements as "negative."   Cornyn's campaign shot back Monday afternoon.   "(The advertisements) deal with issues, which (Kirk) does not want to talk about. His stance is far from Texans on most issues," said Dave Beckwith, Cornyn's campaign communication director.. . .  Kirk, a former lobbyist for the city of Dallas before serving for six years as mayor, rubbed elbows with a message of hope in Odessa among labor union members.   "Labor doesn't hate big business. They just want at least someone out there looking out for the little guy," Kirk said. . . .   "He tries to shift with the wind. He can't say what a miracle job he did in Dallas now because it has such a huge budget shortfall from excessive spending," Beckwith said. . . .   As Kirk narrowed focus on his record as the mayor of Dallas, he encouraged West Texans to call friends and family who live in Dallas and ask about his performance as mayor.   "I'm not afraid of you to make that call. I want you to make that call," Kirk said at both appearances. . . . . ?MyWestTexas.com 2002

Why don't you drop them a line at their e-mail response address:  samb@texasonline.net? 

One of the people in the crowd did make a call to a friend in Dallas -- that friend was Jesse Diaz.  Here is Jesse's response:

Well, well!

And speaking of wells, we are bone dry in our municipal well.  Thanks to Ron Kirk.  We had a surplus and an emergency fund when Kirk's reign of terror began.  We now have a $95 million shortfall.  That is Ron Kirk's fault and it is Ted Benavides' fault.  

Ron Kirk kept forcing through tax abatements for his friends and benefactors throughout his term.  A million here, a million there, and pretty soon you have a $95 million budget shortfall. These are desperate times in this city, and we might as well face the facts.  Ron Kirk and Ted Benavides and his predecessor John Ware have given away the farm, but we have to feel and care for the livestock.

One measure on the table is to do away with employee SIP bonus.  If it smells like a duck and walks like a duck . . . .  In this case, it's a Christmas bonus.  If you get a bonus at Christmas, it's a Christmas bonus.  If that bonus comes to you at Christmas because you hung around another year, it's a Christmas bonus.  Companies all over the country are eliminating Christmas bonuses this year because they are struggling to keep their doors open.  It doesn't mean they don't value their employees; it means they want to keep their doors open so they keep the jobs for their employees.

All those truckers from Consolidated are looking for jobs and insurance.  Their bosses could not keep the doors open.  City hall employees must get over the idea that anything is permanent.

The civilian employees are furious with Mayor Miller for proposing and backing the plan to eliminate the SIP bonuses.  Their wrath is misdirected.  They should be mad at Ted Benavides.

There is also talk of charging employees for coverage of their spouse.  That's what happens in the private sector.  If your employer pays your insurance premium for your spouse's coverage, you are really lucky.  Many firms are offering group policies, but the employees pay the premium in toto.  Why should a married employee cost the city twice what the city pays for coverage on a single employee?  Just having a guaranteed policy at a reasonable premium is more than most of us can hope for.

My health insurance policy is now in the $500+ a month range, and I have no health problems.  It is a triple whammy to get no raise, to lose your Christmas bonus and get your insurance premiums increased, but that's what people in the private sector are facing, as well.

We could save several millions by eliminating the premium for spouses.  It is still an incredible benefit to have a good group policy available to you.  Many, many employees in the private sector cannot get coverage through their employer at any rate.

The city council is supposed to see their job as that of a member of a Board of Directors.  They are supposed to be looking out for Dallas residents and taxpayers first.  Just like a corporate Board of Directors is supposed to protect the interests of the shareholders and the company before all else.  If you don't want to be an employee, start your own business like I did in the late 80's.  You quickly learn you have to pay Social Security and Medicare on both sides.  You have to join associations so you can get reasonable health insurance, and then they start raising your premiums on a monthly basis.  You have no vacation or sick leave -- if you don't work, you don't generate revenue.  You most certainly cannot tell a client he has no guts.

Benavides says council needs 'guts' to balance Dallas budget 09/05/2002 By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News

Members wrestle with tax hike while trying to make up $95 million     Dallas City Manager Ted Benavides issued an unusually sharp rebuke of his bosses ? the City Council ? on Wednesday, saying they did not have "the guts" to make cuts that would balance the budget without a tax increase. . . .      The higher tax rate would generate an additional $22 million for the city treasury. Mr. Benavides and the council are struggling to make up about $95 million in next year's budget, a shortfall caused principally by declining sales tax receipts and growing salary costs. . . .      Mr. Rasansky, who has been the city manager's most outspoken critic, accused Mr. Benavides of settling for an unnecessary tax increase.     Mr. Benavides, who often suffers public criticism without responding, fired back a rejoinder that caught some council members off guard.    "The modest reductions we made in this budget, you can't even stand those," he said. "You don't have any guts.    "You don't want to hear what I have to say, which is you've got to make some tough choices. If you didn't get elected to make choices, why did you bother getting on the council?"     Then the council rebelled last month when Mr. Benavides issued his proposed budget, which included a tax rate increase of 5 percent, 213 layoffs and a reduction of recreation center and library hours. . . .

If you saw Benavides' temper tantrum on television, you heard the likes of James Fantroy cheering him on.  Beat that Indictment Fantroy has a real problem with authority and legal niceties.  That should not be surprising seeing how he is a prodigy of Old Al Lipscomb.  That bribe taking non-exonerated former councilman, Old Al Lipscomb.  Fantroy hates our Mayor, Fantroy resents Mitch Rasansky.  They both stand for integrity and looking out for interests, not to line their own pockets.  That is just a concept of public service beyond BTI Fantroy's limited comprehensive abilities.

Mitch Rasansky is the best council member at City Hall.  His townhall meetings are packed with his own constituents and hundreds from all over town.  He is like our second mayor.  He tells us the truth.  Even when I disagree with Councilman Rasansky, I know his heart is in the right place.  According to Michaels' story:  When Mr. Benavides stopped himself, some council members applauded his scolding of Mr. Rasansky. James Fantroy said, "What you are saying needs to be said."  Where does a bum like Fantroy get off lecturing Mitch Rasansky?  Don't you just wonder if there is a bottom to the well of Fantroy's worthliness?  We haven't reached it yet, but we sure are at the bottom of the city's financial well.

Mitch Rasansky said what needed to be said at last week's council meeting.  Ted Benavides needs to be fired.