The Opa-locka City Clowns Commissioners are still trying to figure out how they got themselves into such a financial hole and how they’re gonna dig their way out.

At the Commission meeting last night, two of the Commissioners came up with the idea that maybe, just maybe, they have a spending problem.

So Terence Pinder and Joseph Kelley sponsored resolutions to voluntarily cut their own salaries and expense allowances by ten percent.  Kelley told the Miami Herald, “I believe you lead by example.  If employees are going to take the cut, everyone needs to share the pain.”

Their colleagues totally agreed that this was a great idea and voted unanimously for Pinder’s and Kelley’s resolutions, which was so generous of the other three Commissioners, whose salaries remained intact.

Oh, and they voted on some other stuff, too, but whatever.

The best part of the article was City Manager Kelvin Baker’s quote to the Herald.  Oblivious of his use of a double negative, he said, “I can’t seem to get nothing done. Let me do what I’m trained to do and I think you’ll see some good results at the end.”

What he’s “trained to do?”

Oh, dear.

The last time Kelvin was left to his own devices was when he ran the City of North Miami Beach.  Under his watch, one of his employees embezzled $2.2 million and the city’s Fitch rating was downgraded when he “balanced” the budget with the water department’s reserves.

A trained seal might have done a better job.  But, I digress.

Assuredly, if only the Opa-locka City Commissioners would let Kelvin do his thing, he might “get nothing done,” but they’ll “see some good results in the end.”

What could possibly go wrong?

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”