Saturday, December 29, 2007

Lesson # 1

Ok, Boys and Girls,
What is it called if you should turn in travel-expense statements that include expenses incurred when you were not on city business and expenses incurred by your spouse?
THEFT!

What is it called when you travel first class and stay in luxury hotels on the taxpayers nickel?
OBSCENE!

What are you called when you throw your assistant to the wolves and blame her for sloppy reporting?
DIRTBAG!

I might be able to understand if there were one or two questionable items on the statements. Afterall when you spend nearly twenty percent of your workdays on the road, it is easy to get all those receipts jumbled up.

I might understand if we didn't all know that the assistant he blamed is a top-notch, loyal, professional. The people in his office, including her, take an awful amount of abuse from him. I guess she is probably relieved he's not throwing things at her. This is over the top.

Anyone else would have been fired on the spot.

This isn't leadership. In fact, I don't even see any manhood.

Check out http://www.pitch.com/2007-12-06/news/cauthen-s-travels/full for the full story.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does everyone know who you are talking about?

City Hall Diogenes said...

Thanks. I added a link to the full story.

Anonymous said...

We know he's specifically referring to WC, but it could be applied to several managers I am aware of (maybe not the 20% travel, but the abuse, cheating, stealing, and general dirtballness).

From what I can tell, the vast majority of city employees work out of fear, which will produce enough product to keep them out of trouble, but stifles creativity and kills truly high performance.

I know countless, highly skilled and highly motivated people who are do what they need to do to avoid being abused but dare not go the extra mile because it then gets demanded of them.

It comes from the top. Wayne sets the pace to follow and the other tyranysts in his organization follow suit. When they see Wayne "get away with it" it opens the door for more abuse and the real workers are even more scared.

The city manager is responsible for what goes on in HIS organization. We have become a laughing stock to other communities in the metro and across the nation. He wonders why he can't find a job!?

Anonymous said...

This blog is officially a joke.

Anonymous said...

Yes and the only one laughing is Cauthen.

Even his strongest supporters and supposed friends end up burned by him.

LT may still be working a couple more weeks but she is probably in for a big fall. Imagine a potential employer doing a Google search and coming up with Mike Mahoney's piece? She has been boasting around City Hall about how well she and Wayne handled this and how others will fall. Sooner or later she will come to the realization that Cauthen handled this for himself. He doesn't care about her, he's done with her. He handled it and timed it for his benefit. The proof is in the end result. She is out and likely unemployable. Cauthen has a three and half year contract. Let's hope she enjoys the next couple of weeks.

Remember Deb Hinsvark, Stacia Johnson, and Dee Williams?

Anonymous said...

come on, if LT's qualified to be an ACM, wouldn't she be perfect as a bank VP or find a nice six figure job at Hallmark?

Anonymous said...

If Cauthen is going to spend that much money why isn't he using a travel agency in Kansas City.

Dumb Donkey

Anonymous said...

at leaast the funk took the train to the mayors convention in dc. thats more then you can say about the rest of the council. speaking of money missing im wondering what happened to the money that rita had raised for her run at the council