Taser issue illustrates city power struggle
Anyone looking for ammo in Portland's "let's elect a mayor to run the city" argument got more than they could ever have hoped for this week as City Manager Joe Gray let the City Council's public safety committee know who's in charge.
And that would be, uh, Joe Gray.
At first it seemed the city manager might just be having an Al Haig moment — remember, Big Al was the secretary of state who told a national audience "I am in control here" when President Reagan was shot in 1981.
Secretary Haig regained his footing, but Big Joe isn't backing down.
The fuss-up started routinely enough as Press Herald reporter David Hench, in a page one story headlined "Behave or be zapped: City police plan Taser trial project," noted that "Police Chief James Craig got the go-ahead for the trial program from City Manager Joseph Gray ..."
Despite the absence of ambiguity in that part of the report, there's a warning rattle later on from Daniel Skolnik, who chairs the city's Public Safety Committee, who says his feeling is "... the city manager has received a proposal from the chief and it will now go to the Public Safety Committee who must endorse it before the trial is approved."
Say what?
Is this zapper weapon a go or not?
Cut to: Our front-page Daily Sun story yesterday where Counselor Skolnik says "There will be no trial until or unless the Public Safety Committee approves the proposal." Also yesterday, Hench has a truly remarkable report (albeit you have to read between the lines, but relax, I'll translate) on the Press Herald's "Local & State" cover.
In the lead, Gray is said to say that he "wants" a City Council committee to complete its review "before the Portland Police Department begins a trial period."
Rough between the lines translation: I "want" your approval, note I didn't say I "need" your approval.
Gray was said to say it was his understanding that the Public Safety Committee had already signed off. Remember, this is a significant issue widely reported on in local media ... but, aside from that, you gotta admire the respect that remark shows to the safety committee.
Rough translation: Eat my shorts.
Just in case anyone, anyone at all, doubts who the Alpha Official is here, the city manager truly overachieves by including a formal opinion by City Attorney Gary Wood that any action by the council would be advisory to the city manager, and now I'll quote from the PPH story, "as under the City Charter and current ordinances, he is responsible for the administration and operation of all city departments, including the police department."
Rough translation: Bee-yatch (sp?)!
I've heard that the city manager was heard spinning on radio programs Wednesday. I would hope so.
Goodness. Let's catch our breath.
This is no longer a casual dust-up. Tasers, despite a good argument from the articulate new chief of police, met with a skeptical group of elected officials when it debuted at the Public Safety committee. They are gearing up for a July 14 meeting and posters have appeared around town, from time to time, rallying folks to oppose Taser deployment.
(In the interest of disclosure, Daily Sun columnist Bob Higgins is an ardent Taser supporter, arguing that he's likely to be Tasered someday and it beats being shot.)
But, at this point, Tasers are not the issue. The public safety committee could be debating use of flamethrowers to control the Wharf Street crowd over the Fourth — a decent idea, frankly — but it's all just a debating society. Go figure: People go get themselves elected and think they have a say in how things get done? Have they not seen the city charter and current ordinances?
Meanwhile, the slow-motion cavalry known as as our charter commission is riding to the rescue.
While they have barely begun the marathon task of re-working the structure of Portland's government, most of them are leaning toward an elected mayor. This week's public safety debacle should remove any doubts.
Meanwhile Two: The city's first responder unions are madder than hell at Manager Gray over recent contract negotiations and looming layoffs. Even people upset over plans for a new city park (see related letter to the editor) are blaming Gray.
These are hard times and managers of many organizations — be they newspapers or news makers — have to make difficult decisions.
But when appointed government officials show this kind of attitude toward elected officials, start your showdown clocks.
(To be continued ...)
(Curtis Robinson is editor of The Portland Daily Sun. Contact him at curtis@portlanddailysun.me.)
