City politics

I have had many, many clients who have been in the government of the beautiful and hard working city in which I have my practice. Like any city, there is a great deal of nepotism, chronyism, pettiness and politics that overshadows those who are dedicated and caring city employees. For the most part I don't mind, at least people are working and getting paid, although now about 15% of the workers are being laid-off.

But right now I have three clients who are in the middle of dealing with the city and are not only being screwed, it is happening in such a manner that is obviously grossly unjust, unfair and out of order that any place with some kind of self-respect and dignity would be so terribly embarrassed that all parties involved would be thrown out on their ass -- but no one seems to be batting an eye.

In one case I am seeing a woman who had worked in a department for fourteen years. She is a talkative and breezy woman whom almost everyone likes. He attitude helps her do her job and relate to the people she has to deal with. But two years ago she got a new supervisor who seemed to feel uptight with the way this woman was outgoing and chatty.
A couple of months ago the big boss came in and told my client she was being put on paid leave, but that she would have to leave the building immediately. He said he couldn't say why. Three weeks later she was called in for a hearing in which she was charged with all kinds of things that she had no memory of ever doing, some of which, if she really did them she should have been fired on the spot, but no one had ever said anything, nothing was documented, and no one else could be found who had witnessed it.

She denied it all, asked for the union to do an investigation. Two weeks later she got a letter saying she was being fired. The union was never given any evidence. Word got back to her that the new supervisor who had wanted to get rid of her was known to be very involved, in an extra-curricular manner, with one of the men high up in the administration.

The other two cases are very similar. Petty grievances, jealousy, and incompetence seems to be the rule and not the exception. I could tell you more stories, that I can't tell.

I was about to say that I am not surprised, but I guess I am, even I, who have seen or heard almost everything, am a bit surprised by how once the bar gets set very low, everything falls apart. When the incompetent people rise to power their instincts are to protect themselves from those who can point out their flaws. They band tightly together and everyone in the community suffers.

I guess we used to call this The Bush Administration, now it's just on a local level, but it's just as insidious.