Editor, The Commercial:
The recent suspension of Donald Sampson for 10 days needs scrutinizing for clarification because I smell a rat in the form of Mayor Redus. There are unanswered questions that must be addressed to place the fault where it should be, since the buck stops at the mayor’s desk.
Here are some of the questions that need an answer: Why was the deadline missed in February 2010? Did the mayor review the application prior to the deadline? If he reviewed it, what was the date and his findings? Did the mayor issue a cutoff date for submission of the application? Did this grant require a match from the city? If so how much, and was the city council prepared to fund it? Why was Mr. Sampson not disciplined for the first missed deadline? The same questions should apply to the second missed deadline, but the common denominator is the lack of administrative skills by the mayor. He should have checks and balances in place to prevent these mental meltdowns.
You should note that Mr. Sampson has made no comments concerning this issue and I have been led to believe that he is fearful of losing his job, considering how the mayor has cussed and belittled him in meetings with others present. In summation, the mayor has ultimate responsibility for missing those deadlines and cannot be suspended for his ineffectiveness, but hold on, the citizens have the final say and on November 6, 2012, they will rise up and say, YOU’RE FIRED.
Jack Foster
Pine Bluff