THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510200206
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 195 lines
The direction we are taking as a city government must be examined immediately. The City Council took action against the city manager by dismissing him, then several hours later, agreed with the assessment and recommendation that apparently caused his dismissal.
I sympathize with the people affected by the water woes association with the drought of 1995. Additionally, I agree with the majority of council, who voted that the citizens were more concerned with a permanent water solution than a rebate.
My concern about the direction we are going comes from the style that certain council members use to force their agenda. For the council to be drawn into an executive session with citizens waiting in chambers shows that the firing of the manager was due to a personal dispute between one or two council members and the manager. The message that this ramrod approach sends is distressing. The performance of the manager may have fully called for the action taken. The way council handled it leaves a lot to be desired in the area of human relations. Mr. Rein had served this city for 25 years and deserved more than a closed forum discussion of his performance. I hope we will hear a clear and precise accounting of his side about this episode.
We elect a council to ensure the best interests of the citizens - all citizens - are met. Comments which encourage divisiveness by suggesting certain areas of this city receive special treatment reflect that the city's best interests are not a priority. Council needs to address and correct those things that are wrong.
It appears by some of the actions taken that there is weekly campaigning by some of our council members. This may be why term limits even at the local level would be good. Perhaps if council members were not worried about the next election or were not too busy solidifying their stance against their next opponent, the city would be in a better condition.
I do want to commend those who voted to set aside the rebates. They took the proper stance for the citizens of Chesapeake.
I just hope we do not regret the hasty action of dismissing a manager who served this city well despite many obstacles created by the political forces he was required to serve.
Darryl A. Perkinson
Terry Drive Expected better
I am ashamed of the Chesapeake City Council for its actions on Tuesday evening.
I agree with the council that a poorly performing city manager should be replaced, but I resent the manner in which this was done. I expected better of Councilman Robert T. Nance Jr. and the others of you who chose this method of terminating employment. What does this do for employee morale?
Councilman Peter P. Duda Jr. stated that he had also lost his job recently because of down-sizing and that both he and City Manager James W. Rein would survive. Of course, they will both survive, but I doubt that Mr. Duda received his notice in front of television cameras.
I had begun to appreciate recent decisions of council: the inclusion of growth-control issues in the legislative package, some concern for the needs of the city residents and more apparent cooperation at council meetings. But they have destroyed all the good they might have done by this cruel and abusive behavior to Mr. Rein.
I want to thank Mayor William E. Ward and Councilman John W. Butt for their comments and for their effort to resolve this problem in executive session. I do resent the fact that citizens were forced to wait until this session was over before their needs could be addressed. What is your greatest concern - citizens and their issues or newspaper and TV headlines?
I expect better behavior from my elected representatives in the future.
JoAnn Mazzetta
Janson Drive Inhumane Act
James W. Rein, city manager, was not only stripped naked but his bones were picked dry by the vultures on our City Council last Tuesday evening. Not a trace of dignity or self-esteem was left on the carpet. Not a morsel of his ever even existing was left in the empty chair.
This inhumane act was played out on the public stage of the standing-room-only chambers and cable TV viewers. All the local network TV cameras were rolling, so as to permanently record this horrific event of human sacrifice. It was indeed a planned ploy of warped power by Robert T. Nance Jr., vice mayor.
Those who joined Mr. Nance in this stealth ``code of silence'' massacre of Mr. Rein's integrity shall reap what they sow.
Betsy Patterson
Benefit Road Must be a good reason
I don't know that my opinion adds or detracts from James W. Rein's separation as Chesapeake city manager. I do believe with a vote of 7-2 by the Chesapeake City Council to replace him, there had to be a good reason for that body to take extreme action such as was taken.
It is my understanding that Mr. Rein was offered the opportunity to resign and he refused to accept that option. To fire a top city official is extreme action, and most of us won't know the real issues involved. Mr. Rein will not lose his retirement because of the action; therefore, the situation could have been so much worse.
I am sure this was a difficult decision for the seven councilmen to make, but I have confidence enough in every one of them to believe they made their decision for the overall good of our city.
Yes, Chesapeake has had its share of managerial problems. Virginia Beach and Portsmouth have also had their share of problems. Perhaps this is an indication of the growing pains of progress.
I do think that Chesapeake residents should be thankful to have an experienced individual with the attributes such as those possessed by Deputy City Manager Clarence V. Cuffee, which enables him to fill the city manager's position immediately. He has performed incredibly in this position on other occasions, and I am sure he will do the same thing again.
Pauline B. Dennis
Virginia Avenue A fine manager
It is impossible to understand how our City Council can fire our city manager for recommending against a water rebate and then vote not to give the citizens the water rebate, especially when this rebate is being called for as an election ploy by a short-time City Council member seeking re-election. A rebate was not demanded by the citizens of Chesapeake.
This council member did not even know that Chesapeake was planning to replace the Jordan Bridge when he attended a meeting in Western Branch. How can he be so up on water problems as to offer this rebate?
I met James W. Rein as an analyst in the manager's office, reviewing the ambulances in Chesapeake before he became an assistant city manager. I butted heads with him then, and I have butted heads many times since then. I did not always win, but Jim would always base his decision on what he felt was best for the future of Chesapeake, and not on how the wind was blowing today. You will have a hard time finding a finer or better city manager.
Maybe council will rethink its decision and rehire Jim. With the past practice of midnight city manager firings, what good manager would take the job?
It's time this council started to make good, sound decisions and not try to prove a political point with every issue.
Wilson Garland
Harding Drive Who's Who?
I am a frustrated voter. Local races do not attract the media attention nor garner the candidate donations needed for an effective media campaign. Consequently, as a Chesapeake resident, I am left with little information to distinguish a William Pierce from a Dalton Edge or a Lillie Hart from a Vista Cotten.
I know that I favor Republican ideology over Democratic ideology, so I should have some indication as to where they stand on issues that concern me. Although I am sure I will figure this out by the time I reach the ballot box, I might be able to offer my support in other ways were I to get an earlier picture of the participants.
For example, I thought that Lillie Hart ran as partisan Democrat eight years ago. But this year, I saw a car sporting a Lillie Hart bumper sticker next to a Bush/Quayle sticker! I am certain that Vista Cotten is the Republican nominee for clerk of court and would be the most likely beneficiary of President Bush's endorsement.
Who is fooling whom? In this post-Perot age of middle-of-the-roadism, stealth candidates all appear to be wolves in sheep's clothing to me. In other races, I understand that there are even several Lyndon LaRouche candidates in the running.
Will the real Republicans please stand up? My vote awaits.
Philip J. Infantino
Gloria Drive Vote for the future
As a close watcher of the Chesapeake race for clerk of court, I have noticed an oft-repeated theme in Lillie Hart's bid for re-election, that being her 27 years of experience. Yes, 27 long years. At the age of 72, Ms. Hart has been in the office of the Chesapeake clerk of court since 1968!
Vista Cotten, the Republican challenger, has drawn on her business experience to adopt a different theme, that being the need for modernization. Vista Cotten has pledged automation, computer training and cross-training.
Ms. Hart, speaking only of experience, has said nothing of her failure to initiate computerization for public use. She says instead that she needs a bigger building. I say it was OK to run the clerk's office 1960s-style in 1968, but Chesapeake now needs the technology of the 21st century.
Past experience is no asset if it is bad experience. A vote for Vista Cotten is a vote for the future.
Elmer L. Jackson
Kempsville Road Mistreated Citizen
I read your article about the race for Chesapeake's clerk of court with front page headlines reading ``Experience of a New Approach?'' Experience is only valuable when it is ``good'' experience.
As a resident of Chesapeake, I have encountered a number of difficulties dealing with the clerk's office, including denial of access to records that are open under the law and rude treatment by office workers when they learn that I am not an attorney. I may not be an attorney, but I am a tax-paying, law-abiding citizen, and it is myself and people like me who these people are paid to serve. Never have my actions deserved such treatment.
Further, the inefficiencies in that office are obvious. If we are paying a clerk $85,000 a year, we should expect an office that is run efficiently and courteously.
I vote for Vista Cotten to bring the office into the '90s and to demand that the public be shown respect!
Cindy Lewis
Yakima Road by CNB