Posts by Adam Diaz67

dustytiger8 said:Let’s cut to the chase...

Are you seriously suggesting that the corporate management division is micromanaging the ground floor? That they're calling the shots directly with the people actually doing the manual labor?

And there’s probably lower-level managers too. I mean, most of these massive public entities have a pyramid structure with all sorts of different boss levels.

I guess if things keep running okay without those directors, then it's pretty obvious the company could function without them. Maybe they should just scrap the public job postings, cut those positions, and save some cash. 😁

It seems weird that the top brass doesn't have the authority to just promote a lower-level manager into a director role themselves. Either they can, but there's some rule stopping them so they don't accidentally promote someone who was just a favorite under the old administration. Or, if they really are working directly with the junior managers, they should at least have a clear view of who is actually performing well.

This is honestly just a total mess. 😵

briskviper362 said:Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.

Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Since I haven't worked for government agencies or big municipal companies before, this caught my eye. Do they really have to post public job openings for director positions? Is there a specific law that stops them from just promoting someone internally without a formal process? And more importantly, who is actually doing the job right now while these postings are canceled? I guess some Vanguard director is probably covering, because I doubt they're incompetent enough to leave essential roles vacant until the process finishes. Why not just give those people who are clearly good enough for Vanguard a shot at being directors?

It feels pretty discouraging if someone who works hard and stays dedicated can't be promoted, and instead has to compete in a public search against whoever happens to be passing by. It's almost like a calculated move to kill any motivation or ambition and push talented people toward the private sector. It’s like a slap in the face to everyone in the system, essentially telling them they just aren't good enough.

hollowmason64 said:I guess we'll just end up paying more for his company car.

Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.

Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
And I'm actually pretty happy about that.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
And I'm actually pretty happy about that.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
Assumption 2

Your attempt at analysis is interesting. It reminds me of the old days when kids from Brooklyn would go looking for fights with kids from Queens or try to sell bricks on the corner.

That narrative of yours—about the good guys who weren't part of Bandić's crew and are now
getting screwed—is pretty predictable.

In a real company, you know who does quality work. Fanaticism doesn't play a role in job descriptions or compensation packages.

The loudest Bandić supporters probably just had different types of employment contracts, which is why they were so vocal. No employer is going to protect people who openly discredit them.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
And I'm actually pretty happy about that.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
I see where you're coming from, I really do, but that's just not how things work here. Out of eleven openings for department heads, only five were filled, and not one single person was picked from within the municipal conglomerate. All eleven applicants were internal candidates, so do you honestly believe every single one of them was so incompetent that they weren't qualified? It seems they'd much rather grab someone off a job board and hand them an operational leadership role than promote anyone from the inside.
And what about those other six vacancies? They were just canceled. That's the textbook definition of playing favorites, except this time it's the interests of the new administration. They'd rather have nobody in charge than someone from the old guard. They went looking desperately for outside talent, but it turns out there simply wasn't a pool of experts willing to jump in and satisfy the whims of the new political party.

I can't speak to those with "different" contracts, but I don't think it's quite what you're suggesting, because during the first wave, they managed to shake off a good chunk of the cronies, and now everyone who survived that initial purge is slowly trickling out. It's not even about their current contracts, since the crew is actually landing new ones and even moving into management roles.
And I'm actually pretty happy about that.
And I'm actually pretty happy about that.
Maybe he'll just take that Insignia he thinks he's too good for—the one he still uses every now and then. I guess that would just count as being paid in kind, similar to everyone else who has access to a company vehicle 24/7, and that's that. I mean, obviously, nobody is actually going to demand he pay back any money he wasn't supposed to have and just go back to how things were before.

That’s why a company car is honestly the most seamless way to go. You’ve got it available 24/7, it counts as taxable fringe benefits, and that's basically it. Just a fuel card with a set limit and an ENC device for tolls, and you're all set. I mean, realistically, how many miles is some director at a municipal holding company actually driving when they could just hop on the subway to visit all their different branches?

brightpuma said:Yeah, I actually think they are. 🙂
They work on one-year contracts, and half of that is just a trial period. From what I've heard, that's pretty much the standard for all those government agencies and municipal conglomerates.
After that first year, some people get extended for another year, while others finally land a permanent role. It really just depends on the specific company.

Small correction here, kind of off-topic. Duke Energy offers direct permanent contracts. They do a one-month probation and then it's permanent right away. That's mostly for mechanical and electrical engineers, though. ExxonMobil was also similar, giving engineers permanent roles after their trial period. Generally, for high-demand jobs, they don't mess around with fixed-term contracts since they need people anyway, especially since those roles aren't always seen as attractive.

Back to the topic, looking at the last few pages, it seems like the current leadership first decided to halt everything and do the exact opposite of Bandić's approach, but then slowly realized they had to revert certain things back to how they were. Like Advent—since Advent brings in good revenue and New York City is short on cash.

Let's be real here—nobody actually wants honest systematization or a true reorganization. Why? Because sooner or later, you're going to have to step on some toes and fire someone who "belongs" to someone important. Since Bernie Sanders was such a seasoned pro at this, he was smart enough to make sure his people were tucked in safely on both sides (the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, along with all their little satellites). Trying to let people go in those city agencies is basically playing Minesweeper on the hardest setting with a ticking clock. And honestly, Toto & Co. aren't quite the geniuses they think they are if they want to pick a fight with the Plenki & Co. crowd, nor do they really want the headache of dealing with unions and endless red tape. If they were actually serious about making changes, they’d grit their teeth, scrap all those collective bargaining agreements, and dive into a deep reorganization. Plus, they'd actually loosen the purse strings to hire professionals who specialize in restructuring companies.

There’s just one small but really significant difference when it comes to how layoffs work in the public versus private sectors. In the public sector—think state agencies or NYC municipal offices—there are some pretty heavy-duty collective bargaining agreements in place. In the private sector, though, those just aren't really a thing. It’s not impossible to let someone go in the public sector, of course, but it’s much harder to pull off. I guess that’s why, despite the lower pay scales, people who aren't looking for much challenge still find those government jobs pretty attractive.

There’s also the sin of just stopping procurement altogether. Halting the supply of spare parts is a self-inflicted wound. I’m just guessing here, but if you already face a three-month lead time for deliveries, pausing those orders for three months effectively turns a three-month wait into six. When you combine that with a fleet that was already aging and mostly patched together rather than properly maintained, you're just digging a deeper hole. It's obvious their parts inventory isn't sufficient. Honestly, they probably never had a decent stockpile to begin with because nobody planned for a total freeze on purchasing, and there wasn't much budget to bulk up on supplies before this anyway. So, you end up with what you have: a reduced number of lines that keeps shrinking because parts are missing.

Sure, he inherited a mountain of issues. The drop in service quality started long before Coca-Cola took over, but now everything has finally hit a breaking point.

It really depends on which route you're talking about. For the 107 and 109, it’s basically a lottery; sometimes you get a decent, newer bus, and other times they're just beat up. Especially on the 109—you often end up on an old articulated bus that doesn't even have AC. Sometimes they don't even have a digital sign, so the driver just tapes a handwritten number to the windshield. And I guess those are probably some of the longest routes in the city, running out to Brooklyn and Queens. Trams are the same way, varies by line. But honestly, everything feels dirtier than usual lately, and even on the newer trams, the AC is either broken or barely works. You can really notice the difference compared to when they were brand new. Back then, those new trams used to be so cold even in the summer, but now you're just lucky if there's any air circulation at all. Sometimes I actually prefer the older trams because at least they have those big windows you can actually open.

The whole deal with buying then immediately leasing—it’s basically just moving money from one pocket to an empty one. You're artificially boosting liquidity while totally sacrificing solvency. Then, they take that manufactured cash and blow it on paying off old buses that are already under lease. So, you're essentially selling assets just to rent them back, all while using the same assets you're currently renting. And of course, there's a bank in the middle taking a cut of everything. Honestly, you'd think this holding company was run by future Nobel laureates. 😵 Even if they managed to pull this off without any shady business, which I highly doubt, the move is just incredibly stupid. And if they start laying off operational staff, I wouldn't be surprised at all. They aren't going to let go of the paper-pushers or the people playing tin whistles—those "essential" employees.

He bit into a hot potato and now he’s dealing with the burns. I saw some news about things falling apart at the MTA lately; apparently, they’re short on everything from soap and toilet paper to actual spare parts and the technicians needed to fix the fleet. I haven't followed the details too closely, but wasn't there talk about the trams being leased? Same thing with the buses. If they really are on a lease, then damn, shouldn't maintenance be included in that deal? I highly doubt General Electric is struggling with a shortage of staff or parts when it comes to maintaining the vehicles they build.

Sam Wright21 said:I did, because he is an absolute expert, but the real question is whether he’ll maintain his integrity. I can't promise that; this particular crowd has a knack for dragging people down with them. I mentioned reaching out to him regarding some public interest matters, and his reaction was anything but helpful. There is something deeply unsettling about watching a specialist morph into a career politician—it makes you wonder who even benefits from that transformation. Either Eric Adams' platitudes are outright fabrications, or there is some fundamental cognitive breakdown happening, though I find the latter hard to believe.

You have this "expert" who can't make it in the private sector, and then you have the expert who's already made enough money and built a career where holding public office is just a way to find a new professional challenge. We don't see many of those second types in US politics because they aren't crazy enough to let their names get dragged through the mud in the media.

He doesn't necessarily have to stay moral, he just needs to be competent and actually do the job he's being paid for. Look, there's a pretty good chance his hands are tied, so naturally, he isn't going to handle questioning very well. Especially when you're dealing with political pressure that prevents you from being fully transparent or speaking out against the official party narrative that put you there.

I wonder how much water actually goes to waste here. Some reports suggest we're losing about 28% in New York City. Just for context, Miami is sitting at 59%, and the total loss across America is around 49%. That’s basically 200 million cubic meters of drinking water just vanishing during transit. And of course, it's the taxpayers who end up footing the bill.

vividraven79 said:I didn't realize the mixed waste was being delayed too; I thought the discussion was strictly about the sorted stuff like paper, plastic, and compost.
if the mixed waste is running late—meaning they're skipping scheduled pickups entirely—that's just wrong and shouldn't be billed. Honestly, if they charge for it, they're in breach of contract.

People are complaining about the mixed trash not being picked up regularly. For some reason, they actually removed the organic waste bins from my street entirely. Last summer, I think someone put stickers on them telling people not to use them because the smell was getting unbearable—plus, it was the first time I'd ever seen rats in this neighborhood.

I don't live in New York City full-time, so I don't pay super close attention, but I guess they empty the mixed waste bins about once a week. It’s not unusual for them to get so full that people end up leaving bags on the ground for a day or two since there's nowhere else to put them. That didn't used to happen. Also, the streets aren't being cleaned, because the wind blows trash out of the overflowing bins and it just rolls down the street. And I'm seeing fewer of those little sidewalk trash cans lately, too.

Man. It’s not my fault here. If you agree to eight deliveries at a certain price point, then deliver all eight. If you can't actually guarantee that many trips at those rates, then either hike the price or just be upfront and say, "Hey, we can't do eight anymore, let's drop it down to six (or five, or four)." That’s what people call transparent business. You can't just send me an invoice detailing specific services and then fail to actually perform them. Of course I'm going to complain when I don't get what I paid for. It’s like if you and I agreed that I’d bring you two gallons of milk every week for $17 a month. Then, suddenly, the price of milk spikes and it's no longer worth it for me, so I just start bringing you one gallon a week instead without saying a word—but I still send you the exact same bill (two gallons a week for $17/mo). If you complain, I’ll just tell you, "What are you whining about? Everything is more expensive now, at least you're getting something." You have every right to be furious with me because that isn't what I'm billing you for.

@Kiss me

I listen to what he says sometimes. I don't track his every move, though. But I notice the trash bins, the street conditions, and the unkempt parks. It’s not that they aren't working, it just feels like they're doing less—like the services are provided less frequently for the same amount of money. I also get the feeling they've cut down on the street sweepers, because you can see trash blowing around the streets for days since those bins are out in the open. Luckily, they moved the compost bins off the street, because with this heat and the current pickup pace, we would have had a massive problem.

I suppose certain laws tie his hands. Between the regulations and the union contracts, there isn't much room to move. Personally, I'll give him until the end of his term and then we'll see what actually got accomplished. That said, I'm pretty skeptical, and honestly, I wasn't all that optimistic when he was first elected either. I just think the Progressives aren't quite capable enough for the job they inherited. To be fair, I don't think any of the other candidates were better prepared to jump in and solve things quickly, and I suspect none of them really have the guts to make the big, drastic moves—like tearing up those collective bargaining agreements.

@Kiss Me

Not in a few months. That’s just not realistic. He already mentioned that if he manages to fix up Berkshire Hathaway by the end of his term—and I’m talking primarily about waste management and city maintenance—then he’ll have done a decent job. The issue is that during this first year on the job, all citizens see is a drop in service quality while paying the exact same price they were before. It doesn't always have to get worse before it gets better. If the service had stayed at the previous level and then improved over time, there would be way less complaining. Or if the prices had dropped along with the service quality, people wouldn't be whining so much. Honestly, the moves he's made just haven't been great. Halting public contracts, bringing in clearly incompetent staff for the sanitation department, that whole mess with Elvis Presley, and delaying the new billing model. I guess a quarter of a term is enough time to judge whether someone can actually deliver on their promises.

As for those ideological distractions, that's just noise. He doesn't need to deal with that.

@Gingerina

Because there was no kickback. What kind of question is that? Just because he was close to Mickey Mouse doesn't mean Mickey Mouse wasn't looking for something in return, and clearly, whatever it was ended up being too expensive for the investor.

Honestly, he’s just asking for it. During the campaign, he made such a huge deal about trash collection and basic infrastructure being the only things that mattered—mostly just to dodge any real ideological debates. It worked, too; he pulled in a decent chunk of voters who don't care much about politics and just want New York City to actually function and stay clean. But now, when you see—and you can literally see it, and with this heat, you can definitely "smell" it—how much less frequently the trash is picked up, how the bins aren't emptied, and how the parks are falling apart while the mayor plays around with his little ideological hobbies, people are going to get pissed. If he could just fix the mess at Waste Management and ensure we actually get the service we’re paying for, that would already be a win.

It’s great how skilled they are at collecting money. Maybe they should start collecting some for New York City instead. Let's see them hunt down European Union funds, reconstruction grants, and most importantly, private investors—especially the ones looking to start businesses. Come on, team, go bring in that capital; you've clearly got plenty of salaries to cover 😁

I think the real issue is how they've frozen all public procurement. It’s nearly impossible to keep things running when you can't buy spare parts or basic supplies, though I guess we don't know how much they actually had in stock to begin with. You basically just patch things up with whatever is left, and once you run out of options, you end up with the mess we're seeing today.

The 109 line is a nightmare. It's one of those long routes where the buses just crawl through traffic at peak hours, and honestly, the buses themselves are usually junk—just those old articulated ones with broken AC. They're always packed to the brim, and the only air you get is through those tiny little windows.

Brenda Ramirez2 said:The ideal scenario involves a professional municipal and federal administration. I mean career executives and department secretaries who possess actual expertise and remain in place regardless of which party holds power.
It is a fantasy, of course.

On a side note, I ran into the mayor at the entrance to the CVS pharmacy today. He let me pass and gave me a polite greeting, even though we've never met.👍

Compared to the entourage of cronies that used to surround Bandic, this is night and day.

Well, the administration actually is professional on an operational level. At least within state and city agencies, boards and management teams do change. Even the heads of departments in ministries and institutions are professionals. It's just that, in practice, things play out a bit differently. When the leadership changes, the management shifts too. Then, the new management installs their own people into director roles. Since they can't just fire the old staff—because firing them or demoting them would violate labor laws and union contracts—they just move them to different positions with the same pay but less responsibility. So, the team just rotates. You're a director for a while, then you get moved, then your people come in, and you're a director again. I guess that's how we ended up with such a bloated bureaucracy.