Nanaimo-Info-blog: Former Mayor Blasts Council Decision

Former Mayor Blasts Council Decision

“Any elected person needing a “communications officer” is either incompetent, lazy, hiding something, or worse.”
Former Mayor Gary Korpan recently submitted the following opinion on city council’s 4 – 5 decision to hire a spin doctor at city hall This controversial move was championed by Councillor Brennan and had the support of Councillors Anderson, McKay, Johnstone and Mayor Ruttan.

With 23 years experience on Nanaimo Council, 15 as Mayor, it is safe to assume I am one of the  two or three people most knowledgeable of the  true need for a City of Nanaimo Communications  Officer. Let’s be blunt. There is absolutely zero  need for such a disgusting waste of taxpayer’s  money.

As I stated, when this was first suggested  by Diane Brennan in December (conveniently  after the elections): “Taxpayers are fed up with wasting money on useless bureaucratic positions. PR flacks are the worst. People want answers  from the people in charge (elected or appointed),  NOT some PR idiot. Any publicly funded body  that has a PR or “communications officer” is  wasting our money. Fire them all.” 

Let me add. Any elected person needing a  “communications officer” is either incompetent,  lazy, hiding something, or worse.  Any Council member voting for this nonsense  has no sensitivity to the poor economy and  the taxpayers’ anguish over waste in government.

Apparently the Council majority has no confidence in  the ability of the current mayor or staff to communicate  with the public. Perhaps Mayor Ruttan should resign  if Council has such little confidence in him.

Stop this NOW!