Congratulations Fort Lauderdale! You did it!
To the hundreds of you who sent emails to our Mayor over the last few days (and especially earlier this week), demanding an end to the tyranny of our dictatorial City Manager, I say GOOD JOB! It did the trick. Our Mayor got the message.
Those emails, coupled with very articulate and persuasive comments by Commissioners Charlotte Rodstrom and Bruce Roberts, finally nudged Mayor Jack Seiler into agreeing with them that George Gretsas should not have his contract renewed for another 3 years.
Gretsas did indeed pull out all the stops to try to keep his fat paycheck. He got all his buddies from the Galt to come and pack the Commission Chambers (as I predicted he would), and they all spoke in generalities about “How good George has been” as City Manager. He also tried to manipulate the conversations toward the end so that the Commissioners would vote on “amendments” to a shorter contract, (which he suddenly was willing to discuss), rather than a “yes or no” on a three year contract which was what the agenda called for. His sleazy tactics to try to keep his job and his manipulative nature came out for all to see who were at the Commission meeting (and who saw it on cable Channel 78).
What was most distressing, however, was to see how far up Gretsas’ lower backside Commissioners Bobby DuBose and Romney Rogers have gone. Where Commissioners Charlotte Rodstrom and Bruce Roberts were very specific and passionate about the problems Gretsas has caused our City, DuBose and Rogers apparently were just echoing what George Gretsas told them to say. They said nothing specific that would make anyone believe that they even knew what they were talking about.
To the embarrassment of many, Commissioner Rogers didn’t even know what the wording of Gretsas’ current contract stated. Unfortunately, he showed us tonight he’s asleep at the wheel, like so many of the past Commissioners we’ve had. In less than eight months those two commissioners (DuBose and Rogers) have become an embarrassment to the Districts they serve. They apparently have less interest in improving the City and have more interest in continuing to be spoon-fed by a self-serving dictator. Shame on both of them. Advice to DuBose and Rogers: Stop trying to keep this “cancer” as our City Manager; let’s come together now and look for someone better qualified who can reunite our City and REDUCE THIS SWOLLEN BUDGET!!!
Now to Mayor Seiler. I’m glad to see that you finally got a bit of backbone, Jack. I just wish you could make your own decisions on the facts rather than wring your hands over worrying about a 3-2 vote for the next 3 years. If you could start to develop as much consideration to the residents of Fort Lauderdale as Charlotte and Bruce have, you might become a decent Mayor in the future. Bottom line though Jack: I and thousands of Fort Lauderdale residents appreciate the fact that you made the right decision tonight.
After the vote to not renew his contract, Gretsas looked stunned. It was clear that his last-minute comments to try to change the nature of the vote (in order to benefit himself) caused some seldom seen anger on the part of our Mayor. I wish I could have heard everything that Jack was saying to Gretsas; it didn’t sound pleasant. Gretsas walked off the the dias shortly after that and never returned.
What’s next? Our Commission has several months now to determine what the new direction for the City ought to be. Will we have Gretsas beyond the end of his contract which expires next August? They could try to keep him a year or two after Aug 2010, but my prediction is no. There are too many better qualified Fort Lauderdale residents that would be able to handle this job, cut the budget and get rid of all the Gretsas “dead wood” that has been accumulating in our City Government over the years. Let’s look past this sordid chapter of our City’s history and hope for a new beginning.
And I know just the person that would be a great replacement to Gretsas! Stay tuned, I’ll be making the suggestion soon. And it will be a total surprise to that person when I make the suggestion..
Earl Rynerson
Reader Comments
“…What we are not: We are not a blog site that will promote hate, rumors, gossip or personal attacks on any person or group…”
Mr. Rynerson, didn’t you violate your own website rules? What you said about Commissioners DuBose and Rogers sure sounded like personal attacks to me.
Earl you are a sick man. Go sell tile please….If I do not see my email to Jack on your stupid blog I will find other ways:
Mr. Seiler,
If I understand what I just witnessed you admit to:
1. ASKING Mr. Gretsas to gather his “people” there like we are some sort of circus animals? I am this year recovering from MANY challenges including but not limited to CANCER and you had me SIT there for FIVE hours and watch what you KNEW would unfold? You disrespected ME and the City tonight.
2. Claiming you did not KNOW how Charlotte Rodstrom and Bruce Roberts would VOTE????? GOOD GRIEF. This insults ME and the CITY. You DID know. We ALL knew. Charlotte has been as public about her criticism of George as she could possibly be. My DOG knows how evil Charlotte is and how she operates and feels about anyone that threatens her intelligence in my opinion… She will vote against and criticize ANYONE who is smarter than her, and unfortunately for us in her district that is a VERY large group of people…..if I am not smarter than she is God I ask to be struck by lightning tomorrow…
3. You did not KNOW that the POLICE UNION has Bruce Roberts under their fingertips, or that Mr. Gretsas FIRED Bruce? You actually think we do not KNOW that YOU KNEW it would be 3/2???? Of course you knew it would be at LEAST two negative votes. Of course WE know. Do WE LOOK as stupid as that? Math tells us that leaves POSSIBLE two positive ones and then YOU to circle the wagons and make the most of your contrived attention. SOOOO…..you appear to have crafted a situation where you had a HUGE audience to make a scene.
4. Basing your decision on a 3/2 principle? This DOES set a precedent, and it DOES go against our rights to have you speak YOUR mind, not that of a “MAYOR run
City”, which we are not one. You are Chair it is my understanding and only one vote. It appears to me you used your role to set precedent and override our City’s basic principles by coming up with an arguably good argument for something that appears to give you the center stage and media attention ONLY.
I voted for you, and am now ashamed. I sold out. I wanted to vote for Dean but figured you had a better shot and that God FORBID anyone like Earl could harm our City more than they have. I blame myself, but am FURIOUS with you. It is my perception you USED the public AND ME to create an audience for yourself to appear to be some big diplomat.
You wasted and abused five hours of my time by that circus and you apparently admit to indirectly inviting it to happen. Mr. Gretsas is the BEST thing in our City government in my opinion, and GUESS WHAT? I get to vote too, and I get to talk, and I am madder than hell. You owe ME an apology for wasting my time, USING me by asking George to “invite” people and suggesting there COULD EVER BE A 4/1 vote when you KNEW Charlotte would vote him down and you KNEW Bruce would vote him down.
Note the absence of honorable this or that…..I am a human being and I am insulted. You were elected to use your mind and be a human being with a mind, as I understand it….not to decide policy for the City that 3/2 votes are not okay with us. THAT is a policy decision.
SHAME on Charlotte….we know she is about to split to take her husband’s position to criticize everything on the County Board the second she can. SHAME on Bruce for such a “transparent” display of revenge. MORE to the point……THANK GOD we have two Commissioners who are honorable, and fair and stood their grounds the best they could.
Mr. Gretsas….I am truly sorry. There is NOTHING that has been asked of you that you did not deliver. God bless you and I hope you will be either miraculously returned to where we need you or that whatever City is fortunate enough to have you manage their City instead of ours will treat you AND their CITIZENS with more respect than was shown tonight.
I apologize Mr. Gretsas as I cannot commit to being involved in such an embarrassment again. I am STUNNED that our Mayor KNEW and ASKED you to bring supporters and then used the audience to make an unpopular vote to gain attention to himself, in my opinion.
There is no honor here. I am grossly disturbed by your behavior. If you have any dignity please find away to give some to George as he has EARNED it. Say something DO something that could unravel the Rodstromesque behavior I just witnessed. BEG George to stay under some circumstances that will give him the integrity he deserves. You could not possibly know how MANY people you have upset this evening, but time will tell. Perhaps you will find I am wrong. But I know people and I know George Gretsas and you have one heck of a job ahead of you now….to find someone to manage a City that is SO devise and political that NO ONE WILL EVER give you your silly 4/1. What on earth are you trying to do by controlling our City in such a manner?
No worries about me….I am so disgusted you will not have me in your chambers again unless I get some apology or response that is as likely as there being snow tomorrow…
TO DIESEL (DIESELDAWG@AOL.COM): I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, ALTHOUGH I DON’T AGREE WITH THEM. I AM POSTING YOUR COMMENTS HERE FOR ALL TO SEE. NOW LET’S START FOCUSING ON WHO WOULD BE A GOOD REPLACEMENT TO GEORGE (AND THERE ARE MANY). I HAVE SOMEONE IN MIND & WILL BE MAKING A SUGGESTION ON ONE PARTICULAR PERSON SOON! FORT LAUDERDALE WILL SOON BE GETTING A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!!
Since i don’t HAVE a “Dog in this Fight,” i read the posts with a little more objectivity. The first post made me CONFUSED so i went back and reread this Blog Entry concerning Commissioners Rogers and DuBose.
I’m Thinking Dennis Ulmer’s command of the English language is Lacking to say the LEAST. EVERY WORD of the post pertained to the commissioner’s JOB PERFOMANCE as Commissioners, NOT their Person. (go back and read it S L O W L Y, Dennis). It was the writers OPINION of their JOB PERFORMANCE. There was Zero Hate, No Rumor or Gossip (he Simply reported HIS view of what he saw FIRST HAND) and NO attack was made on their Personal Character, just their lacking ability to execute the jobs for which they were elected, Try to separate the words on the blog FROM your emotional reaction to them. It’s not hard to do.
Now, how about some Realistic, Constructive Conversation concerning in what direction the city should go NEXT. These are NOT easy times.
As I sat in the commission meeting last night at the behest of my mother who works for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in Records, I kept saying to myself what am I doing here?? I don’t know George Gretsas and really don’t know his “personal style” of management. All I know is what my mother has told me and it was not very complimentary. I did not agree with the meeting at the War Memorial for all city employees since I saw it as a waste of tax payor money when there was no specific reason to gather everyone together without a specific agenda. I am not a fan of Earl’s either. I believe he is toooo negative about things and that there are shining lights in our city government. But after sitting in the meeting last night, I am glad I attended. I have never seen such a display. It was like every speaker was given the same material to speak about. They showed up with prepared speeches which suprised me. I felt I was at a LOVE fest and did understand why!!! That wasn’t a debate last night!!! That was the show of a desperate man attempting to keep a very lucrative contract at the same tax payors expense. I was appalled that people that have had limited contact with this person were standing up to sing his praises. The one thing that was missing were the very people that he is in charge of. I did not see one city resident, that also works for him, stand up and sing his praises. WAKE UP people!!!! This man’s job is to serve you and do all of things that I heard last night. There was no place for Fort Lauderdale to go but up!! Did you just move into this city and not understand the workings of our city!!! I did not hear anything last night that would make me agree to a contract that would pay this gentleman 3 times what any other city manager of a city of our size makes. Nor more than the city manager of a city that is 10 times bigger than ours. I did not see manha from heaven last night and this person has polarized a lot of opposition. I don’t get that involved anymore due to my current occupation but even I know how dissatisfied city workers have been. I have been on the receiving end of project overruns and costly mistakes. I was extremely disappointed that no one picked up on what the Mayor was saying last night. He, in essence, stated that he was unwilling to keep a city manager that could not garner that votes of at least 3 of the city commissioners besides himself. He stated that they could be sitting in a commission meeting and all of a sudden a vote is taken to decide whether or not to keep the city manager and it is now 3-2 to get rid of the city manager and the city would have to pay his severance package. That is how quickly a city manager can lose his job and put the city at risk to pay severance. AND guess what people, those 18 contracts Charlotte brought up last night all have severance packages attached as well and who brought them in? Do you want to pick up that tab???? This is all from a person that didn’t want to be there last night and really could have cared less about a George Gretsas contract!!! Maybe everyone should attend the commision meetings more often so that they can offer up an educated opinion instead of singing the praises of someone that was only doing their job.
I was not impressed by my representative last night as well. I thought he could have been a little more articulate and brought a few more facts with him than just patting this guy on the back. It would have been nice if everyone had known what they were voting on as well. A contract that states automatic renewal clause with 10 months notice is not that hard to understand even for a lay person. I also did not appreciate the attempt to put another contract in place without careful review!!!
Earl
Thanks, for investing energy and passion in the city of Fort Lauderdale. I hope you take a few minutes to reflect on the impact you’ve had, and hope you find time to feel good about your efforts. I know I do.
It is often said one person can make a difference, simply by being involved. However, more often people choose to believe they are too insignificant to matter. Rather than become confident human beings they become embittered, embarrased and, psychologically, as a way of diverting attention from their own failures, revert to criticism and accusation. Life is a long, miserable haul for those who choose blame rather than responsible action. Their words reflect anger and emptiness and are, in fact, indictments of their own disposition toward themselves.
Keep up the good work Earl!
Cheers!
David
I have called the city managers office three times. I have never received a follow up phone call and as far as I know nothing was done about the reason I called.
The last call was made last week. I live in the Southwest part o the city. When we have a moderate wind our power goes out. Since the city just renewed FPL’s contract, I thought I should be letting them know that FPL is not doing a very job.
I called the city managers office and Margo answered the phone. I said, I am calling about the power outages we get when a moderate wind blows. I was told to call FPL. I said, I know that, I am calling to let the city know of how often our power goes out. I said, you like FPL so you should know of the problems. Margo said call FPL and hung-up in my face. I called back this time more upset about getting hung-up on than the constant power outages. Mora answered the phone. I said, I had just called about the power outages and now was calling because Margo hanging-up in my face. Here reply was WHAT EVER.
This is a reflection on the office of city manager. I have lived in Fort Lauderdale for 28 years. There is a big disconnect between the city managers office and the people they serve.
My other calls were about Nu River Landings at 511 SE 5th Ave on RiverWalk. The Management of the building and there valet service have taken over the public street. At night the street becomes impassable. The valets use orange cones to reserve what should be public parking for there clients. They place signs in the middle of the street for there customers and fill up what is a public turnaround with double stacked parked cars. Besides the fact they have taken over the public’s access to the street, someone is going to get hurt. As I drove down the street one lane of the two lane street was blocked with parked cars. I had two choices wait for the valet to park all the cars. Back down the street in the wrong direction or drive in what should be the oncoming lane.
The third call was a few months ago. A tenant in a one bedroom apartment on my street through a large party for about 20 to 30 people. One of the guests parked in the swale in front of my house. I asked if they would move the car off the grass and park across the street in the two new foreclosed on townhouses. In the middle of the night after they were all liquored up they decided to do wheelies in the grass. I called the police they said they could do nothing. I called the city manager office they had the police call me. Never once have I had a followup phone call form the city manager office.
it is with great relief to know that the TUMOR has been lifted and we are on the road to recovery thanks to all those who helped in bringing this matter to the forfront
and enlightened the general public of FT LAUDERDALE as to what we were dealing with and certainly could not afford another THREE YEARS
THANK YOU
Finally!!! Justice for the city. The yearly salary for him was outrageous to begin with. That money will be better spent on the community
Note To Mister Ulmer….since you do not recognize what IS and ISN’T a “Personal Attack,” May i Respectfully Request you check out “DieselDawg’s” post.
CLASSIC Personal Attack, Dennis, CLASSIC.
Very Emotion, Very Personal, Lots and Lots of Anger, Assumed Value Judgments, pertaining to people’s Character as it pertains to their person, rather than sticking their performances in the jobs for which they were elected or hired….etc
And Mister Rynerson STILL Posted your bile-filled Diatribe FILLED with Classic Character Assassinations. One HAS to Wonder, if the situation were Reversed, would the obviously divisive Mister Gretsas have offered the opportunity for such an opposing view on HIS Blog? My Mind seems to wonder to “NO, he would not; not from what i have heard and read about the way he has managed this city.”
SomeTIMES, it’s better to calm DOWN before one Puts “Pen to Paper.” If one does not, one runs the risk of having his/her Intellect called into Questioned.
If it makes you feel any better, this objective observer thinks you cast your vote for the better candidate, Mister Dawg.
In these tough economic times, The City Manager’s Contract made ZERO sense no matter what his/her job performance had been. Add in the divisive nature of Mister Gretsas’s tenure at his job, and i HIGHLY PRAISE the Mayor’s decision AND, Especially his logic behind it. There is some HARD WORK to be done and having everyone working in the same direction could be a Big Help, indeed.
Kudos, Mister Mayor. It is nice to know that Fort Lauderdale FINALLY Has a Mayor WITH some common sense and who CAN THINK. What a WELCOMED Change THAT is.
Mr. Fredette, I was just wandering why since you, “…Don’t have a dog in this fight…” did you comment twice about this subject?
The Simple Answer, Mister Ulmer, is I READ, for Reading’s Sake and i Stay abreast of currant events in and around me. I live very close to Fort Lauderdale and, like it or not, what the players in Fort Lauderdale DO, affects the municipalities AROUND it to a HUGE Extent. I’ve watched Mister Gretsas’s tenure as City Manager from it’s inception, both In the papers AND from City Employees (both who live IN and OUTSIDE of the city). When people with First Hand Knowledge Talk, i Listen…..and Listen, And Listen.
FINALLY, when Mister Gretsas pulled that HUGE waste of taxpayer monies to hold his private “RAH-RAH” session at the War Memorial, i could no longer objectively sit on the fence about this man’s MALICE TO the City of Fort Lauderdale. He OBVIOUSLY does NOT HAVE the best interests of the City in mind.
In Time, PERHAPS, common sense and perspective will make you see what a Colossal waste, that stunt was and what kind of Judgment the man seems to employ. I had heard, from friends and relatives who WORK FOR the City of Fort Lauderdale that he was a “Loose Cannon” but i Tend to want to See Hard Evidence of Facts BEFORE i make a judgment. Mister Gretsas Graciously provided the needed evidence.
Thank you for your thoughtful inquiry and i HOPE it leads you the conclusion that the actions taken in the City of Fort Lauderdale HAVE Consequences OUTSIDE it’s City Limits. It’s 2009, and we are in the age of instant communications. The Whole World IS watching this play out.
For the THIRD TIME, I’ll suggest it, We’ve got WORK to do here, PEOPLE. As my Dad used to say “Quitchabitchin and Get TO It!”
Very choreographed, self-serving drama last night and I missed most of it. After someone gave George Gretsas credit Spring Break no longer being a problem in Ft. Lauderdale, I left.
I grew up with the teaching that everyone has a least one good quality and that’s the one to focus on in the social/spiritual sense; but when it come’s to politics, it takes more than one good quality to make a good City Manager… or public official for that matter. I’m pleased with last night’s vote and glad there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
There’s a lot of vision work to be done, bloated budgets to bring down, and talented people to be tapped within our City to accomplish the former. Based on the people I’ve gotten to know as a result of being active in my community and engaged in issues before our City government, I look forward to some challenging but remarkable years ahead.
earl,
why wasn’t my comment this a.m. posted? was their a problem with it? please advise and thanks
robert kienzle
Robert-
I may have deleted it by accident. Please repost if you like (we have a more current article you can re-post to-
Earl
The meeting was very revealing. First the parade of Georges well wishers and appreciative citizens, folks doing business with the City, and others dependent on involvement with the City government was impressive. But expected.
However anyone wanting to REALLY improve the City should be more eager to hear the complainers than the “YES” men. Yes, George Gretsas has ruled with an obsession on control, but he has also been successful in getting more out of the “civil service mentality” city employees. Sometimes I wish he would expect and demand even more. And sometimes he has over-reacted, like his attacks on Jack Lokiensky the President of the Police Union during negotiations. Surely, police are instinctively adverse to anyone attempting dominance, but the Police Union has a legitimate role and should be expected to be aggressively protective of their turf and members. Another area where George failed is freedom of speech. The rules that city employees are not to talk to anyone about anything should be killed. These attempts at “micro control” are an infringement on civil liberties and detrimental to getting the word out about problems that need to be aired. Is’nt this a free country? DO we have free speech in our city?
We need the system of checks and balances in our city government. We need George to accept that the City Commission is really in charge, and for him to be timely and responsive to helping them to have any and ALL data and inputs from citizens AND employees.
User fees are taxes. Franchise fees are taxes. Inspections and other “services” that generate revenue are just more taxes. The quest to make city departments “self sufficient” by having them create revenue from new “services”, increased fees and other charges to businesses are in fact stealth taxes. They just make life in Fort Lauderdale more expensive, and our real estate less marketable. Taxes and all other revenue sources should be visible, controllable and in the budget and not hidden in departments as fees.
The sequel to last nights meeting should be a extensive airing of complaints by Commissioner Roberts, Rodstrom and anyone else. Then perhaps a more focused and defined contract could be drafted to more stringently curtail the excessive “control” behavior of George Gretsas. Sometimes people do change their behavior, sometimes they can’t. Let the Commission create and decide on a new contract. Or not.
The huge creation of money by the Congress has produced an emerging “Bubble” of false liquidity and economic prosperity. This will fail under the continuing expansion of the unemployed and under-employed and evicted millions. The slide of the dollar and inflation will reduce us to a second rate country that can’t afford to import petroleum. Our retirees, visitors, boat buyers and real estate developers will feel much more pain. Our business model is in peril. The coming financial storm, DEPRESSION, may last for 5 years or perhaps as long as the 12 or 13 years of the Great Depression. We must prepare for our economy to fail in some areas. We must increase our reserves, prepare for many more homeless, unemployables and families in dire distress. We must REALLY get draconian in reducing city departmental empires and perks. The head count MUST come down. No more FALSE zero based budgeting claims.
George, we need to have a talk.
Perhaps the Mayor will now entertain a system of Business Briefings for Himself and the several Commissioners. The “facts of life”ust be presented and the necessary seminar instruction presented. Not all Commissioners are truly up to speed on City Finances. Let’s try to get them all educated and able to perform in an informed and prudent manner. There is much work to get done.