Friday, January 04, 2008 Editorial: Trimming the bureaucratic fat
THE termination of various casual employees at City Hall at the onset of the New Year yet may be a bitter pill to swallow especially among those who rely on their salaries to survive and have no other means of livelihood to fall back on, but to those outside the imposing walls of the City Hall compound the measure was necessary.
If we read correctly, there were reports that City Hall's casual employees far exceed that of the Provincial Capitol which already tightened its belt concerning employment and had in fact set up 13th and 14th month pays to their employees since 2004 as well as retaining the employees who were the subject of a legal dispute.
But it's not just the low rung employees that got cut. Vice-Mayor Vicente Emano discussed during his radio program that close political ally and lawyer Noel Guibone was one of several cut from the list of consultants by Mayor Constantino Jaraula, maybe to prove the point that it's not just the small fry that gets the boot.
While the vice-mayor says the termination is the mayor's prerogative it remains to be seen how this move would affect City Hall services.
So far, initial impressions have been generally favorable though opposition critics would disprove this and cite it as nothing more than cosmetic changes meant to divert public attention from the slew of plunder charges filed against the local administration.
