The Tipping Point – A Systemic Perspective

Tucson, Arizona. Anyone paying attention to local politics, even just the mainstream media, knows that Tucson is struggling on many fronts which always include financial affairs. Council Member Leal with a fair shot of having the required votes (Romero, Uhlich, and Scott) has called for City Manager Mike Hein’s resignation. Hein's supporters, which include the Mayor, argue Hein is trying to get things done without subjecting himself to paralyzing micromanagement by a council that takes forever to make a decision.

Without getting into specific complaints, one should know the context that Hein was more or less anointed after circumventing the usual process of a wide search carefully narrowed down over successive events leading to a selection. Instead, rich folks well acquainted with Cloth (e.g. McMahon, Click) or Cloth incarnate (e.g. Hecker, Snell, Myers, Walker, ..) just declared Hein should be the guy, and so he was, just like that, even though he didn’t apply for the job (sort of).

At risk of oversimplifying, are we not witnessing a council increasingly impatient with the expectation that they collect their tiny stipends, stay mostly in the dark, and vote on something now and then, letting the "strong manager manage" without too much interference? Why are they impatient? Why are council members experiencing pressure to interfere? Think. Rising over the fray, we could ask that as Tucson grows, are we facing a system of governance increasingly ineffective no matter what cast of characters occupy what slots?

Jumping to extremes has pitfalls, but it can elucidate concepts. Consider huge cities with enormous populations and their governments. How are New York City or Philadelphia or Chicago governed? In a sentence, they use a strong Mayor and strong council populated by full time people respectfully compensated. Departments report to this Mayor.


I grow increasingly skeptical of the weak Mayor and strong City Manager model as a community’s population grows. While a fully paid city manager with marginally paid mayor/councils might make sense for Snowflake or Show Low, does it really continue to work for Phoenix or Tucson? Phoenix (and perhaps all towns in Arizona) continues to use the strong city manager approach with weak Mayors and councils paid next to nothing.

Of course I don’t know how this summer will shake out, and folks that just dismiss Leal’s letter and the sentiments behind it do not understand the frustrations brewing in this town. Rio Nuevo is a farce. Economic Development is past pathetic, and Workforce Development is even worse. Will Tucson ever see the day when it has full time, well compensated elected officials (who must face the polls regularly) given the authority and the responsibility to govern and manage? Would such a system produce superior results?

I don’t know, but the fire is growing and getting hotter, and so long as corruption, nepotism, favoritism, and all things "cloth" funnel millions to do nothing suits in do nothing agencies, the noise will continue.

People don’t like it when others drink their milk shake.