What do the stock market and Richmond’s leadership index have in common? Both are in the dumps, with nowhere to go but up.
Alas, we’re regularly reminded of this in news reports of the punishing political games played by the mayor, along with the feathering of his nest on Broad Street. David Ress, the ace Times-Dispatch investigative reporter, recently documented the latest sad chapter in Richmond’s own version of The Confidence Man:
“Mayor L. Douglas Wilder’s latest budget proposes double-digit percentage increases for administration and top management—and in particular the salaries of administrative officials.” Wilder protested that he was only trying to match salaries offered in surrounding counties.
BUT THE COUNTIES DON’T LOCK OUT THEIR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, one’s inner reader cries.
And county leaders, for all their provincialism, usually manage not to rack up huge legal bills FIGHTING WITH THEIR OWN SCHOOL BOARD.
And how about those R-Braves? Don’t get me started, since it’s hard not to sound like Archie Bunker (for younger readers, try Bill O’Reilly) when reading the latest and worst local news in the TD or Style.
These Wilder Napalm Years have scorched his once-stellar legacy as Virginia’s first African-American governor. His erratic behavior might be laughable if it didn’t hurt real people—citizens, schoolchildren, teachers and superintendents alike.
One simple example must suffice: As many of us tighten our belts to pay higher gas prices or see lower returns on investments, the mayor has the chutzpah to request a car allowance of $8,400 and $9,000 for his chief administrative officer, Sheila Hill-Christian.
Does ANYONE ride the GRTC?
Style’s Amy Biegelsen reports that Wilder has been getting an extra $8,400 in pay “to offset wear and tear on his personal vehicle—even though he’s regularly chauffeured by a member of his security detail in a city-owned, maroon Mercury Grand Marquis.” A city spokesman told her that Wilder was “unaware he was pulling an auto allowance on top of his $125,000 salary.” Duly exposed, he said he’d remove it from his budget.
Yes, Richmond leaders have nowhere to go but up. But if you’re not ready to play in the bruising, roller-derby arena of city politics, there are other leadership opportunities to consider. As Robert Thalhimer wrote here recently, older leaders always need to keep their younger successors in mind. “Preparing new leaders and new donors to replace those of the present generation is JOB ONE,” he writes.
One of our other bloggers, Philip Davidson, makes a good point that seems to apply across the entire region and, indeed, to the entire General Assembly. “By continuing to hold onto leadership positions, they discourage younger leaders from taking real leadership responsibility,” he wrote in response to Thalhimer.
What would happen if some of our more “mature” leaders decided for the good of the whole that it was time to let others take their place?
At the very least, the school administration wouldn’t get locked out of their offices and city hall wouldn’t so resemble Tammany.
And maybe, just maybe, the whole region would see a new wave of servant leaders, ready to work together to realize Richmond’s still untapped potential. Wouldn’t that be refreshing news?