Letter: City management is disappointing

How did this happen so quickly in Vancouver? Six months ago, I had total confidence in the city government. Now, I have this sick feeling that no one is looking out for the average resident at all, and we are being ruled by people who have visions and judgments that are greatly impaired.

1. The city is spending money on a public-relations expert to help it communicate better with the masses, while our county that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state.

2. The fire department is eating up hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable overtime, while in the private sector, managers work overtime without pay to complete the task.

3. When a police officer commits a grievous offense, the city manager saves his job by reversing the police chief’s correct decision to fire him in the first place. What message does that send to every city employee: No dereliction of duty, no performance issues will be enough to warrant termination?

I thought the city government of Bell, Calif., was a unique entity that did not exist elsewhere. Now, it seems like the leaders in Vancouver want to give Bell a run for the money for the worst-run city on the West Coast.

Don Becker

Vancouver