Friday, August 27, 2010

Barrett Should Take a Long Look in Accountability Deficit Mirror!

More OpenSky Hypocrisy: Take responsibility, take action, BEFORE someone is KILLED!

We received an email alert from Tom Barrett that raised the issue of “accountability” and “leadership” with language like “man in charge” and “enough is enough.” Naturally, we thought Barrett was finally taking responsibility for the police radio boondoggle that after $20 million and 5 years of delays is still leaving police officers and fire fighters in harms way without radio backup. Maybe, we thought, he is taking responsibility for failing to stop dumping sewage into Lake Michigan as he promised when he was campaigning for Mayor six years ago.

No, the “Man in Charge” at City Hall still isn’t. “Accountability” and “Leadership” still apply only to others and “enough is enough” is still just campaign finger-pointing.

Rather than flush Barrett’s hypocrisy into Lake Michigan like so much blended sewage, we edited it into a message for our Milk Carton Mayor. If a petition is what passes for Barrett action, we’ll send him one of those, too (note the button depicted below is not an actual request to sign a petition).

UPDATE: Due to popular demand, we made the "SIGN THE PETITION" button below active so you can "sign the petiton" by logging your contact info.  We'll deliver the message to Mayor Barrett.  For those of you who have contacted politicians in the past, you know they require contact info before they take a "petition" seriously.  We left out the address block so at least we can guarantee you won't get junk mail!

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Dear Friend,

Yesterday evening [For months], I [We] have called on Scott Walker [Tom Barrett] to finally hold himself accountable for the continuing crisis at [with] his Milwaukee County Health Complex [OpenSky Police and Fire Radio System].

One hour later [For six years], what initially looked like the first real step in making some long overdue reforms at the mental health facility has turned out to be nothing more than a worthless shuffle on Scott Walker’s county organizational chart. Instead of being fired, Walker’s crony is getting a golden parachute to a cushy new county job [Barrett’s police and fire departments have been trying make the OpenSky radio system work without endangering the lives of officers, fire fighters and the public without success].

Unfortunately, what initially looked like the first real step in making some long overdue reforms at the mental health facility has turned out to be nothing more than a worthless shuffle on Scott Walker’s county organizational chart. [challenge for Barrett as Mayor six years ago (aside from his promise to stop sewage dumping into Lake Michigan) has still not been addressed by the Mayor]. Instead of being fired, Walker’s crony is getting a golden parachute to a cushy new county job [doing his job as Mayor, Barrett has hidden from the scandal and left underlings to take the heat and police officers and fire fighters to needlessly risk their lives].

That's not accountability.

Walker [Barrett] himself has said the system as well as individuals must answer for [nothing about] this scandal. But for the past eight [six] years as county executive [mayor], Scott Walker [Tom Barrett] has been in charge of the system – appointing people to run the facility [departments] and setting the budget priorities.

If the buck doesn’t stop with Scott Walker [Tom Barrett], where does it stop? Watch our videos on this important issue and demand that Scott Walker [Tom Barrett] finally take responsibility for the years of reckless mismanagement at the county mental health complex [of the OpenSky police and fire radio system].

Here are some of the big questions still begging for answers:

• Why did the County Health Complex [Mayor] fail to [stop payment on OpenSky when radios were determined to be unsafe]?

• Why did facility staffing decrease [OpenSky cost rise] by over 20%, while at the same time the County paid more than $250,000 for lawyers and PR flacks to hide behind [Barrett allowed implementation to fall 5-years behind (and counting)]?

• Why have more than 40 funded staffing positions remained vacant [500 pages of officer complaints and a fire department internal investigation not received any attention from the Mayor], while the facility suffers from chronic shortstaffing [radio system fails at 3-Alarm fires, police foot chases and “officer down” calls]?

• Why is Scott Walker [Tom Barrett] allowing officials and investigators [citizens and reporters to be stonewalled] as they search for the truth?

The crisis at Scott Walker’s County Mental Health Complex [with Tom Barrett’s scandal-ridden radio system] has gone on for far too long, and it’s time for some accountability from the man in charge.

Please visit www.wiwastewatchers.com today then tell Mayor Barrett we need answers.

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Link to printable document

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