presents the
Ashlandia Gazette
All editorial — All social commentary — All for the common good
T.G. Buckley-Dockter – Founder; Publisher; Editor-in-Chief; Distribution Manager; Intrepid Reporter; IT Guy; Coffee Girl
MOTTO: We are dedicated to the proposition that all Ashlanders are created equal and
deserve to be treated equally and respectfully.
Issue No. 8 March 14, 2018
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Lost the Recall Battle of the Ashland Parks and Rec Center (APRC) commissioners. But not the War on saving our society from male-dominated, male-worshipping BuBuism. We at SOS (Save Our Society) are even more entrenched in our campaign to run the male-centric mindset out of town. Unfortunately Ashland has not caught up to the Zeitgeist enveloping our country–the value of women in society and women’s demand for gender parity.
Ashland’s future as a viable community depends on getting AND implementing this concept. Ignore it at your peril.
The crux of the recall voting was whether three men were guilty of fiscal mismanagement and skullduggery with public meetings. Were there lies, obfuscations, incompetence, prevarications, back-pedalings, whitewashing, and/or hoodwinkings surrounding these topics? The arguments for and against will probably never be settled.
But another issue–the biggest monkey wrench in the broken-down machinery of Ashland’s city government–is its treatment of five women.
To set the scene: The five APRC commissioners were not able to harness the grey matter of their collective brains to comprehend the operations under their jurisdiction. Consequently they relied on an expensive out-of-state consulting firm, which produced a template-like report with some nice photos. If they had read the report correctly (and that includes Mayor BuBu’s skewed interpretation of it to bolster the actions of the APRC) then maybe the expenditure might have been worthwhile.
However, instead of recognizing the biggest money-draining operation, the golf course, they focused on the Senior Center (which by the way, Mayor BuBu would prefer it to be called “The Center.” (Possible denial of the aging process?) Unlike the golf course, the Senior Center operated on budget.
In an inexplicable decision-making meltdown, the APRC BuBu’s decided to overhaul the Senior Center. It needs to be bigger, better, more expensive! Able to accommodate more seniors who may or may not appear in the future! They decided that the Manager (who had done an admirable job for 10 years and was treasured and trusted by the Seniors) and her highly-competent staff did not fit the new configuration. They decided that these terrific employees (by anyone’s “best standards and practices” who have been in corporate America for over a week) could not handle an influx of seniors or provide top-notch services to them. This is such a humongous WFT that we have to stop and take a breath. Whew!
What configuration? What was and where was the actual physical design of this so-called new and improved center and the accompanying job descriptions that the current staff did not qualify for? Was this plan presented to the employees and explained to them why they were deficient to fill these positions?
The Saturday Night Massacre firing of the five employees was in August 2017. But the “vision” (by an ad hoc crock of poppycock) was not articulated until February 2018 and the final approval still not on the books as of this posting. There was no “vision” of a new Senior Center by the APRC. It was formulated by a sketchily-qualified committee –mostly male-worshipping women who, when they were in High School, used to be Tracy Flick (look it up). What are their academic qualifications? Applicable university degrees? Applicable government or corporate experience? Applicable gerontological experience? More than the Senior Center Manager had after 10 years??!! And just because you like to line-dance or know about skincare, it does not make you an expert on how to design a Senior Center (or a survey). Yeesh.
The sole purpose of the ad hoc crock group (besides googling their fingers to the bone and coming up with an absurd 35-point plan) was to cover the APRC BuBu’s asses due to their idiotic and wholly unjustifiable decision to fire five women.
Now here’s the part where this kind of thinking and this kind of action is REALLY BAD for Ashland. Pay attention exalted BuBu’s:
It sets a tone. It’s negative. It’s degrading. It’s disrespectful. No self-respecting woman would be comfortable in this kind of discriminatory environment.
In addition, it’s demoralizing for an organization (even one as sneaky as Ashland’s City Hall). It’s detrimental to a community. And here’s a big one even if you don’t give a crap about 50% of the population: it’s bad for business. Look up who spends the most money in the marketplace. Look up who starts the most small businesses in the U.S. today. Look up who hires the most employees in small businesses. Look up “The 2016 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report” commissioned by American Express, 2016.
Lastly, here’s the creepy part of why you don’t fire women in such an inhumane and unjustifiable way. All of the BuBu’s (of both genders) have had at least one significant female in their lives: their mothers. Is this the kind of treatment you would like your own mother to have endured? How about your wife? Daughter? Sister? Grandmother?
Why is the humiliation level of three BuBu men more important than the dignity of five women employees? Until Ashland’s city government can answer that question–and do something about the hideous ramifications of this kind of pernicious thinking–Ashland will eventually turn into a shanty of a town and an unpleasant place in which to live, work, and visit.
Gone will be the glory days of Ashland as the cultural center of Southern Oregon. As the home of first-rate theater, music, art, and education. Women will flee the city (and take with them their families and businesses.) And all because male-biased thinking could not stand to do the right thing and correct a bad decision.
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In the continuing anti-BuBu War, SOS is proud to announce our group of consultants to help us navigate the next go-round. BuBu’s may have Cathy Shaw, but we have hired:
- Attila the Hun
- Hannibal
- Alexander the Great
- William the Conqueror
- Genghis Khan
- Oliver Cromwell
- George Washington
- Napoleon
- Geronimo
- Ulysses Grant
- Dwight Eisenhower
- George Patton
Even Rambo said he was on board if Han Solo was, too–which we’re pretty sure he’s available pending any further prequel/sequel/schmequel Star Wars movies.
Consequently, don’t mess with us.
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Update: Received a post card from Thomas Jefferson from Eternity:
Watched with trepidation the election returns in Ashland. Take heart and remember: Stupidity in government is as old as the purple mountains majesty. Why do you think I amassed such a large collection of wine? Keep your chin up. Public opinion and subsequent voting trends can sway like amber waves of grain in a Twitter Storm. Anything worth achieving is never easy. After many brilliant conversations with Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth, I know your SOS group is up to the challenge. Carry on, gals! (Forgive me if I have not yet acquired the latest politically correct verbiage. I may be an old dog, but I am still learning!)
Your pal,
Tom
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Thanks for reading!