news
Jack Reed Jr.
Communication between the mayor and City Council had broken down. Factionalism among council members had become the norm, conflicting with rational discussion and debate of the issues on their merits. Civility and mutual respect were absent in public deliberations.
During the city elections, voters sent a clear message: We want something better and more constructive for our city. We want a mayor and a council who will work together, not be constantly at odds with each other. We want council members who will put the good of the city above personal political agendas.
One year into the new four-year administration, the mayor and council elected in 2009 have shown that they get it.
The past year has not been without disagreements among council members or between the mayor and council. But when disagreements have arisen, they've been handled in an atmosphere of mutual respect and forbearance. When contentious issues have been decided - and there have been several - the city's elected representatives have moved forward without letting those differences boil over into lingering antagonism.
This is all the voters can ask for, and all that they should. A mayor and council who agreed on everything wouldn't be a healthy situation. Consensus is a good thing, but it takes hashing out differences to get there. And it's not the public discussion of differences that the public finds troubling, it's when the tenor of those discussions turns fractious.
The tone of this administration is clearly more positive, constructive and effective than the one it replaced, at least in the latter half of the past four-year administration.
Mayor Jack Reed Jr. has had a lot to do with that change. He's worked hard at establishing a close working relationship with council members, communicating frequently with them on key issues. His daily upbeat approach to governing the city and the citizen engagement encouraged by the task forces he has appointed have given new energy and vision to City Hall.
The council deserves credit, too, for its commitment to good relations with the mayor and one another. Council President Fred Pitts has been a calm, measured and effective leader in his important role.
Of course, the administration is only a year old. Previous administrations have started off well and then seen a later deterioration of relations. Continued diligence will be required to maintain the new constructive tone at City Hall.
But this mayor and council, living up to the expectations of those who elected them, seem to have the will to sustain what they have begun.
I think The Dude poses some very valid questions about Reed and his administration. Seems no one can provide an answer to them, and valid questions have been posted in these threads time and time again. No one at The Journal seems to be able to produce any answers to them.
The public can't take articles like this seriously. Congrats to Reed and the city council for doing what they should be able to do in the first place. That certainly does not negate the grave errors that have been made over the past year. I, too, have correlated the events of this administration with the Obama administration. Garbage leadership. Obama will let this country fall completely apart as he makes sure the press covers him eating hamburgers out in public.
The priorities are all wrong in our local and national government.
But you Reed supporters keep holding those pompoms. He will need you cheerleaders come election time.
HOWEVER, I have to agree that at the end of the day it's about RESULTS. That is actual things accomplished other than just being nice to each other.
I read this article and the one at the link posted by Todd and I must say that I agree that it's pretty sad that when asked to name his greatest achievement, all the mayor can come up with is the formation of task forces.
I wish my bosses in the Fortune 100 companies that I worked for would have settled for desire to do something and or preparation to do something when evaluating my job performance! But then, if they did that they probably wouldn't be Fortune 100 companies now would they?
When my evaluations were done and when I evaluated my subordinates, such things as teamwork/building and communications skills, etc. were considered and evaluated but results were weighted much heavier, as they should be!
In my mind, the job performance of elected officials should be evaluated based primarily on RESULTS not just desire and or preparation to do a good job.
Applying that standard, so far mayor Reed wouldn't get my vote in the next election. Nice guy or not, if by his own admission, his greatest accomplishment is the forming of task forces, he's a failure as a mayor so far.
And it just reinforces the nickname that someone here gave him as Mayor "Task Force" Reed and the impression that he and the city council can't seem to make a decision without forming some task force, commissioning some study or entering into some consulting agreement to get outside advice, etc.
I'm sorry, but that's jut not leadership.
But then that's just my opinion.
Todd Vinyard
Online Editor
The only things listed as actual accomplishments were the formations of task forces and the appointment of people to fill positions that the mayor and city council have the responsibility to fill!
The rest of the article was dedicated to the things that the Reed Regime has done that have either been handled poorly and/or upset people!
You can form all the task forces, hire all the consultants and commission all the studies you want, if those actions don't lead to tangible results, they're worthless!!
And I find it hilarious that when asked, Reed himself cites the formulation of task forces as his most significant accomplishment!!
From the article: "When asked about his proudest achievement to date, though, Reed names his four task forces. Each is led by citizen volunteers who have made concrete efforts to promote health, jobs, education and strong neighborhoods.
'Just the unbelievable work they’ve accomplished by setting up structures to engage the Tupelo Spirit and watching them go,' Reed said, has been the best reward yet.' "
It's hilarious that when someone is asked to cite their proudest accomplishment all they can cite is forming groups to set up structures and engaging to maybe someday actually accomplish something!! In other words, getting ready to get ready to do something!!
Apparently, intentions and preparations to actually maybe one day do something qualify as actual accomplishments to Mayor Reed!!
Someone else said it best here on another article. When it comes to Mayor Reed the term "Big Hat - No cattle" fits perfectly.
Sounds like another elected official that's been in office about the same amount of time on the national stage, President Obama.
Just like Obama, Reed talks a great game, but when it comes time to actually DO something, they don't seem to be able to deliver.
Put the Reed Regime Kool-Aid down and step away from the Kool-Aid!!
Link to full story - http://nems360.com/view/full_story/8069319/article-Tupelo-Government--Year-One---How-are-they-doing-?
Todd Vinyard
Online Editor
All this self-righteous indignation means he is getting some things right anyway.
Sig-Heil Dude!
But, in my opinion, those aren't concrete accomplishments, those are "methods" or "efforts", not results
Results are tangible and can be measured.
To use a sports analogy, you could have the perfect swing and hit it out of the park in batting practice but if you can't hit in a game does it really matter that you have great form in batting practice?
What are the measurable results of all of this listening and open communication?
Anyone?
Todd Vinyard
Online Editor
Doesn't Reed campaign manager and Journal Inc. Chairman, Billy Crews, realize that the election is over and that Reed won anyway?!!
All this "civility" and Kumbaya singing is great but just what has the Reed Regime actually accomplished so far?
I've asked this question on this site probably a dozen times and have yet for anyone to provide a list of actual accomplishments of the Reed Regime.
Is forming task forces, hiring consultants, and commissioning studies considered accomplishments in Tupelo?
Is forcing the hiring of a deputy police chief who commits felonies while on duty and doesn't hold a law enforcement certificate and thus unable to make arrests considered an accomplishment in Tupelo?
Is throwing good taxpayer money after bad in the form of an airport that nobody uses considered an accomplishment in Tupelo?
Is unsuccessful negotiating with the federal government and the airlines to service an airport that nobody uses considered an accomplishment in Tupelo?
Is taking police officers off the streets to protect city hall based on a single incident considered an accomplishment in Tupelo?
Is taking 3-4 days to solve a matter as simple as the recent disagreement over the gum tree race course and then having that resolution be the one that was suggested by one of the primary parties involved on the first day of the controversy an accomplishment in Tupelo?
Is insulting the citizens voicing opinions over the annexation attempts by implying that unless they're lawyers (apparently even ones that passed the bar over 30 years ago but haven't really had a real law practice) they can't express an intelligent opinion on the annexation matter an accomplishment in Tupelo?
So, I ask again, what has the Reed Regime actually accomplished?