Thunder196, Tulsa (11/19/2009 11:50:40 PM)

If I worked for the city and was laid off or taking furlough days I would be mad as the devil.
.
Where the heck is the hiring freeze, freeze on pay scale adjustments, pay increases. People are on furlough and they are looking for people to hire with 6 figure salary. Tell us again how we can't hire back 3 officers and more because the money is not there.

FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/19/2009 11:56:35 PM)

A freeze should be a freeze. These are tough times for the city. Surely there are people in place who could take up the slack as an incentive to keep their job.

Thunder196, Tulsa (11/20/2009 12:03:45 AM)

Are there any city elected officials that would know the truth if it smacked them right square in the mouth?

One Proud Tulsan, Tulsa (11/20/2009 1:29:59 AM)

This is a travesty and the city officials should be ashamed. This is equal to the CEOs that flew their private jets to D.C. after getting bailed out. They were crucified in the media. Where's the community outrage? Hire the 3 police officers!

The Umpire , Strikes Back (11/20/2009 1:37:29 AM)

I have heard in order to be a politician you can't have a conscience and I believe it.

Observer3, (11/20/2009 3:47:44 AM)

The buck, so to speak, stops with Kathy Taylor, and she's the one who approves unfreezing a position. It looks like she prefers hiring high-priced computer people over police officers. Just more smoke and mirrors over at City Hall (One Technology Center).

hmmm, (11/20/2009 5:06:53 AM)

"Stout said he believes his department's salaries are comparable with salaries in other city departments."

Question: How long have those other city department personnel been in those positions? Don't know if this is an accurate comparable. Lets compare apples to apples.

Also, how many private sector IT jobs in Tulsa, in light of today's economic calamitous times, make $100-129,000, and not even be the head of the department?

tbgalileo, Tulsa (11/20/2009 6:16:06 AM)

Wow, now that's public safety. We'll have a better phone connection to 911, but no officers to help the caller.

GARFIELD, TULSA (11/20/2009 6:25:39 AM)

FIDDLE-FADDLE!! These jobs, despite all the words and titles, can be done a lot cheaper.Just a lot of make-work jobs for some political toadies?? We can all be directors and managers, but we still have to do the nitty-gritty and mundane chores!!

peelumba, (11/20/2009 6:26:29 AM)

that department is reeking with fat, they are all control freak nazi's and could easily be downsized by at least 50% no need for all that "management"

Nina44, Sand Springs (11/20/2009 6:50:03 AM)

Thanks PJ. Keep diggin' prairie dog...

peelumba, (11/20/2009 6:57:34 AM)

:"That position answers to Stout and has responsibilities including strategic and operational planning, customer care and service, call centers, and presenting reports to the mayor, City Council and executive managers as requested".....Oh really? more fat at the top of a created department with more fluff in the middle and on the top than any city department...needs to be trimmed by at least 50%.

Travelin Man, tulsa (11/20/2009 7:02:26 AM)

So the mayor is trying to hire more of her friends before she leaves office,this is crasy,these positions would keep the lights on,which is more important?

Dr. Strangelove, Las Vegas (11/20/2009 7:42:09 AM)

It's a circus and the clowns are in charge.

hmmmmmmm, (11/20/2009 7:46:43 AM)

I bet 99.5% of the people who post on these forums couldn't do these jobs and are simply jealous of those who qualify for a salary like that.

irwindale, Tulsa (11/20/2009 8:33:31 AM)

We can reduce crime in Tulsa by having all police and fire live within the city limits. Boost tax collections, homes sales and security in one shot. Unions = liberal. Your not liberal are you.

bluesguy, (11/20/2009 8:35:32 AM)

As a city IT employee I am deeply offended that this crap is going on. My area is short several "worker bees", but instead of filling these NEEDED positions, they are adding to thier already top heavy management staff.

peelumba, (11/20/2009 9:31:40 AM)

hhhhmmmmm....these created positions didn't exist 4 years ago. The layers of management is way overboard...this is not needed. A created empire for Ben Stout is costing a small fortune.

Gator, (11/20/2009 9:40:03 AM)

As City IT Employee, the IT department as a whole is a train wreck. All those "trains" were placed on the same track when K. Taylor became mayor and she APPOINTED Ben Stout. He hired Langster,Dandridge, and Goliver.
IT wasn't broke, just had a duplication of effort
problem in the computer hardware arena, and some of the departments created their "empires" which drove up IT costs.
IT is soooo messed up now that any outsourcing "shark-outfit" can go in for the kill.

Shooter, Tulsa (11/20/2009 9:47:59 AM)

This just goes to show that laying off Police Officers and other city employees is not about money it is about power. The city has money to hire all these high priced management positions instead hiring back some of the people they laid off. The city has the money to hire back the three police officers they laid off. They are using them as pawns to force the FOP to give into concessions. It is terrible that the mayor would mess with peoples lives and income like this to get her way. If the city was really as strapped as they want to claim they are they wouldnt have these "open positions".

sallycity, (11/20/2009 10:04:11 AM)

agree with the fellow IT people.... troubles escalated when Stout came. Yes, way too many upper mgmt in IT. In this day and age - there are qualified ready to work ppl that would be happy to take a $30K-$60 job. I would love to make that and i work for the city. But I know IT ppl get paid more. I agree - hire 3 real workers in lieu of 1 manager that will probably be a Stout/Taylor groupie. Three workers would benefit the rest of us. While we are on the subject - hope Barlett tells Jeff Wilkie to hit the road - he is an appointed person. Talk about a waste of money. I hear there are several of these mayor appointed people trying to get hired on as permanet before she leaves. And of course, these are all $100k jobs too. Think the council ought to tighten the belt in this last 3 wks to not let this happen. If Taylor thinks Stout is so wonderful - take him with her to OKC!! Please!!
Every mayor leaves little surprise behind that have to be dealt with after they leave - wonder what present Taylor will leave for us.
Another thing - off this article - but agree with the person who said the other day the $54K that was to remodel the (appointed) Palmer's office - that money could save the Mounted Patrol. So how about it Chief??

Few Clothes, America (11/20/2009 10:22:18 AM)

Doesn't this make those of you who ate the pancakes recently to pony up the funds to rehire the 3 officers feel a bit screwed? I agree with The Ump that it doesn't take a moral, ethical person to work in the Police department.

Mar, Tulsa (11/20/2009 10:47:37 AM)

Maybe I should apply for the office support staff. I have 15 years of experience as a legal secretary and 8 years of experience as a secretary/administrative assistant. I'm unemployed, so really need a job.

Are those new positions or are they positions that will be vacated when Taylor leaves office and Bartlett hires his new people?

thanks but no thanks, (11/20/2009 11:01:27 AM)

The new hires despise the idea of working for "the citizens of Tulsa". The new hires are only working at the City of Tulsa due to layoffs at Dollar-Thrifty (Janet Funkhouser) and Ben Stout (Arrow Trucking) and TVGuide (Jim Langster) and Level 3 (Jim Dandridge)... Amazing how much information can be found on LinkedIn! The cronyism and the favoritism and the hostile work environment are the standard operating procedures at the Information Technology department at the City of Tulsa.

xtvguide, (11/20/2009 11:34:49 AM)

Silly people! Janet Funkhouser is a friend of the Mayor and so the position is critical. I am a friend of the director and so my position is critical also. I make just under $100,000 and so not on the list. Any number of new positions making just under $100,000.

See a trend(s)?