City Hiring Freeze: We Have Ways Of Getting Around Such Things

I received the press release about the hiring of the new Figure Skating Director of the Ice Park. Not a new manager, not a new director, but a new Figure Skating Director. I blogged about it on the blog posting below this one.

I emailed this to LifeOfJason (who I knew received the same press release and would probably blog on it -he did-):

doesn't the parks have a hiring freeze also?
Jeez, the city just doesn't get it, you don't hire an ice skating guy when they are thinking about asking us for a new tax! Jim

Jason emailed me back:

That's a very good question. Jason

I emailed Jason:

Here's what they will say: The hiring process was in the works before the hiring freeze so this position was not affected by it.
What they won't say is that this is a parks position and parks can do any damn thing they want. Notice that parks in cutting the budget, cut back on the swimming pool hours, and stuff that people actually use. They didn't talk about not mowing every week or not building a trike park, they are blackmailing people by taking away things people actually use, instead of cutting back on non-essentials.
I say the best thing for the city to do is to stop everything except for essentials until this pension thing is fixed. And suspend the sales tax for parks and divert it to the pension until it is fixed. That won't happen. Remember how the CIP was rammed through by Manley et all in January?
Yeah, we're getting sidewalks over here, nobody wants them either! Jim

I was close when I wrote that the position was in the works before the hiring freeze took effect. I was closer when I wrote this is a parks position and parks can do any damn thing they want.
Jason emailed the city:

How can the parks hire a new Skate Park manager if there is a hiring freeze? Jason

The city replied:

The hiring freeze only affects General Fund positions. That position isn't paid from G.F. revenue. It's quite likely depending on how things shake out that Parks could be laying off or not hiring people in those G.F. programs that might be cut, but still be hiring other people for programs funded out of designated revenues.

Jeez, this would be funny if it wasn't so sad. The city is saying the ice skating position isn't a general fund position, so it is not subject to the hiring freeze. Isn't all the money we are pouring into the ice skating rink coming out of the general fund? Councilman Burlison's right--sell the dang thing!

ps. I'm just an ordinary guy who gets his information the same way you do....from the electronic and print media, from news releases....from email...and by browsing the web. I read and write postings on what I interpret the message to be. If the information givers think I am not getting their message, then maybe they need to rethink the message.