Straight Talk

Born and raised here:

I love this town.

I’ve witnessed the changes in my 55 years, but this is my home; every part of it.

My father worked for the phone company and he strung the lines on the poles along Glenstone in 1948 when it was a dirt road.

I was born in Burge Hospital in 1953 before it became Cox Medical Center.

I attended Bingham Elementary, Hickory Hills Junior High, Glendale High School and Missouri State University. I met my wife Debbie at Glendale and we’ve been married for 38 years.

When I was 16, I was a bank teller for Union National Bank. I worked for thirty-five dollars a week and heath care benefits. On those wages I supported my wife and young son and even bought a small house for us on East Kearney.

I’ve lived in the center of town and on the north side. I go to church on the west side, my business is on the east side and now I live near Lake Springfield on the south side.

I’m for all of Springfield.

Downtown, the heart of our city...

When I was a kid, my parents dropped us off downtown on Saturdays to see a movie at the Fox or the Gillioz. Downtown is where you saw the dentist or bought clothes for church or rode the escalator at Heers. We bought groceries and shoes and ate at the lunch counters on the square. You could see everybody downtown because it was the center of our community.

We lost a lot of that in the 70s.

Now, for a hundred miles in any direction, people come to Springfield because they want to see a city on the upswing. Our city spent millions in seed money and now private developers are spending hundreds of millions of their own money.

Drive down and see the results: Springfield Cardinals baseball, new movie theaters, live drama, great restaurants, original art, new parks, new lodging, ice skating and more than 750 residents living downtown.

We protected neighborhoods from the growth of the universities and now these schools are moving and revitalizing our downtown with new facilities, parking garages, offices, housing, the Jordan Valley Innovation Center and soon, the Idea Commons.

The square is our front porch and hospitality is a fine Springfield virtue.

I support our firefighters and police, but margins of staffing are getting perilously thin. Short of citizens’ neighborhood patrols or other types of innovative programs we are facing the decision of where and to what types of crimes our resources are devoted. Neighborhood sub-stations and policing are being eliminated. Our police academy is currently closed until further notice. This is a huge priority and must be addressed. If we were to start tomorrow, it takes nearly one full year before a cop gets to the street.

If the sales tax passes and if I’m elected I will use what influence I have to push for a rapid but prudent increase in the staffing levels of our police on the street, and firefighters in stations. We must reopen the academy, maintain our neighborhood stations and patrols, and reduce the shortfall of officers. I also favor an immediate review of salaries and benefits. We are not competitive with the many other state and national law enforcement agencies, armed forces, and public security positions that are vying with us for these strong, smart young men and women.

Should the sales tax fail I will look everywhere else first for budget cuts before we reduce our ability to provide the basic security services to our citizens. To me, the further reduction in police and/or fire is very nearly off the table.

No matter what the outcome on February 3rd, I want to facilitate civil but straight, frank discussion of the issues important to labor and management. We must overcome the huge breech that exists between city management and our police and firefighters. I’ve always been amazed at the level of mistrust and acrimony between our management and the police/fire employees. I’ve witnessed this with two different city managers, but I know with a city manager (and a mayor) committed to better communication we will begin to change this culture. I am anxious to play a role, insuring everyone has a seat at the table to restore trust and fundamental respect between both parties.

Keep in mind the City Charter doesn’t allow the Council to cut deals with anyone or any group that works for the City.

But, I say again, I support our firefighters and police. I remain in admiration of the levels of accreditation our Fire and Police Departments have achieved and retained, especially in the face of budget cuts and manpower reductions.

All city employees are important because what they do, large or small, is a service to the taxpayers. The Council's job is to set policy and to be fair to everyone.

Many of them have hazardous duty working with criminals, working with fires, working with toxins, working in traffic, working with vicious animals, working with infectious diseases and so on.

Let’s talk pensions. The current “defined benefit” model has proven to be one that no longer works in the public or private sectors. The challenges the city is facing are consistent with what other public entities and industries are encountering. It has been suggested, and many pensions have been converted to a “defined contribution” plan that might actually help with recruitment and retention issues. Would investing more in salaries and allowing the employee to determine the amount going to a 401(k) type fund with a flat percentage match from the city help attract more candidates?

I will sit down, listen and talk with the people employed by the City so that the Council can give better direction to our City Manager.

Deja Vu all over again.

I know a lot about City Council because I was elected to Springfield General Council Seat D in 1987 and again in 1991. I was the Mayor Pro Tem for one year and I got valuable experience running the public meetings.

Some things don’t change.

Back then, we had a lack of trust, financial problems, budget shortfalls, infrastructure challenges and very public disagreeements about how to spend precious tax dollars.

We introduced new ideas including the Tuesday luncheon meetings and a new committee structure to give more public input to policy decisions. We made a tough decision about a new industrial park that today has produced more than 2,700 high-paying factory jobs for our economy. We took cigarette smoke out of hospitals and grocery stores and found a great deal on the Busch administrative building. We put the first sunsetting capital improvement sales tax on the ballot for the voters to consider.

We did the first neighborhood improvement district at Barnes and Kearney so people could support and build their own neighborhood park.

We created a one-stop shopping center for business permits, building permits and economic development. We didn’t always agree, but we made it a point to be civil. That’s the way it will be if you elect me mayor.

We will make progress on the important issues you care about. I know how to do that.

What works here in Springfield:

Springfield is a successful mix of conservative and progressive.

We have wonderful assets here: a mixed economy, strong churches, universities, OTC, a strong R-12 school district, manufacturing, major medical facilities, banking, entertainment and recreation.

We own our own utility and that keeps rates low and service high.

We have one of the best parks systems in the country and a great airport.

40,000 bright college kids live here and we get our fair chance to convince them to stay and build families. Working with many of the other entities in our city to develop employment opportunities for young professional men and women is important to the vitality of Springfield.

Springfield government absolutely depends on volunteers. The city runs because 29 citizen boards make tough decisions in public view for no pay. Volunteers manage most of our churches and non-profits.

We have a lot more in common than the things that divide us. And that is why goodwill is the foundation of our prosperity.

My approach to management:

I’ve built a very successful business in a tough market from very modest beginnings. My secret is to find good people, give them authority to make decisions and get out of the way.

I’ve participated in the development of strategic plans in my company as well as in my capacity as Chairman of two major trucking trade associations. I know how much work goes into them and how important they are to the success of any organization. I also know that the success of strategic plans is mainly dependent on two issues:

1. Management support (meaning both city management and citizens/taxpayers) and
2. Serious periodic review for measurement and relevancy.

Springfield City Council does not micromanage city employees. We have three people to supervise: the City Manager, the Auditor and the City Clerk.

Council’s job is: listen to the citizens, do our homework, discuss matters openly and then set policy. I will hold our City Manager accountable to that policy through our regular meetings and our annual job appraisal.

I know who my bosses are: the citizens. I’ll make sure our decisions are made with this in mind.

Respect is something you deserve. Trust is something you earn.

Here’s what we can do:

I will bring people together and find common ground on our priorities: health care, the environment, transportation, recreation and energy costs. I’ve seen Springfield make amazing progress through careful planning and cooperation between community players.

But now our focus needs to be on jobs and security. That means we need to be safe in our homes, on our streets and with our future. I’m no stranger to hard times.

But I know we can build new opportunities for everyone if we encourage small businesses to develop here.

Our mixed economy is a real blessing, but it needs careful attention from a City Council that respects free enterprise and hard work.

We can’t expect Washington and Jefferson City to do more for us than we are willing to do for ourselves.

A new city manager, a new Mayor, and perhaps 4 new council members; Springfield is turning the page of City Government! Many feel our city has languished for several years now without city management’s leadership, planning or stated goals. Our council needs leadership from the Mayor to establish agendas fair to all and function in a manner our citizens can be proud of. As Mayor, my goals are to work with each council member to facilitate communication and cooperation, run the business of the City in a civil manner, efficiently and effectively and most importantly with the least tax burden possible.

New budgets will reflect economic realities requiring flexibility and cooperation between city management, city council, ALL city employees and the citizens/taxpayers of Springfield. Our constituents expect us to work out our issues and run the business of the City quietly, efficiently and with the least tax burden possible.