The imperial mayor

After 18 months of doublespeak about reforming City Hall, David Condon is showing his true colors. Condon claimed victory when the city’s deficit-ridden 2013 budget was balanced through average employee wage freezes and eliminating 100 jobs.

Now, Condon is accepting a $60,000-plus personal raise, and rewarding his henchmen with $20,000 raises. In a move worthy of Wall Street, Condon is assuring the rich get richer, while average city employees lose ground to inflation or contemplate New Year unemployment. Condon’s spin doctors are justifying this debacle by telling taxpayers his minions deserve raises because they assumed duties from eliminated positions. If this explanation justifies fat raises, why are Condon’s privileged few getting raises while others assuming the duties of eliminated positions get no increase in pay?

Shame on Condon for duping taxpayers into voting for him by pretending to be an honest reform-minded conservative, on the local media for giving up aggressive reporting on City Hall shenanigans, and on the City Council for continually rubber-stamping Condon’s agenda.

Condon has only transformed city government from strong mayor to imperial presidency, where all-powerful Lord Condon rides hard-working average employees, rewards his puppets and positions himself for a political career at taxpayer expense.

Jon Hansen

Spokane