Tick Tock... Tick Tock...

By my most liberal estimate, today is the 45th day a large chunk of the City government has spent without a boss. That is to say, it has been 45 days since the Mayor asked for resignations from a bunch of Department Directors and Authority heads. Now, while the lack of TPS reports has been a nice respite and the ability to work pantless has been tremendous, I think that everyone's kind of tired of working leaderless and directionless, like a group of blind nuns rowing for Yale.

Savor that metaphor, 'cause I worked on it all last night and I'm not willing to give it up.*

Frankly, I think that a lot of us have stopped making plans further than 30 days out in the expectation that the new guy (or gal) is going to change everything anyway. No use doing long term planning if your plans are just going to collapse faster than a French made bridge across the San Andres fault.** That's not a good way to run any organization, let alone a City.

Anyway, here's how it I see the deadlines so far, and remember the Mayor said he would fill the positions within 90 days:

Mayor's Deadline for Resignations......6/29/2007
Today's Date...........................8/13/2007
+90 days...............................9/27/2007
+90 business days......................11/1/2007
+90 business days (excl. holidays).....11/5/2007
Current Day............................45
Current Business Day...................32
Current Business Day (excl. holidays)..31

Now, let's throw a big ol' wrench into this mess: City Council recesses on the... tomorrow and reconvenes on the 7th of September.

Nice little vacation, by the way.

The Mayor can only appoint directors in an acting capacity for 90 days without Council approval... unless you're the City Solicitor, for some bizarre, made up reason... and Council ain't gonna do no nothing until September 7th (and even then...). So, it is doubtful that you're going to see any real movement any of these appointments until the week of the 17th of September. Nothing like the last minute, eh?***

Until then, however, I'll be wallowing in our leaderless mire like Arthur Schlesinger in a bucket of stuff that one might wallow in.***

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* Metaphor... simile... could you even tell the difference?
** 20 minute Metaphor.
*** This is how you write a Masters thesis, not manage a City.
**** I think I'm just phoning these metaphors in now. I'll stop.