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Commentary

A loose cannon in City Hall

French author Victor Hugo wrote a novel in 1874 that introduced a new phrase to the world’s vocabulary.  So often a few words present a concept that is unique.  The novel called “Ninety Three” described the days of wooden ships and sail.  Warships had cannons, which were secured especially in a storm.  The danger was an unstrained piece weighing hundreds of pounds could crush anything and anyone in its path, a force reckless bouncing back and forth to demolish randomly.

From there, we have the term loose cannon.  It suggest behavior without reason and potentially destructive.

It’s used often and aptly.  It can describe an individual, a group or even an idea—something that smashes anything in its path with no logic.

The term could be applied to the actions of Chattanooga’s City Hall significantly in recent operations.

We all assume that we have honest officeholders who have nothing but the public interest at heart.  We assume none are there to seek personal advancement and certainly not for personal gain, either through finances or ego.

That makes some of the actions hard to understand.

For years, city administrations have drifted into a swamp of problems over stormwater management.  State and federal regulation have been clear, even if a bit ambitious.  The city was to collect taxes to make sure runoff water treatment is properly handled.  Money was collected and too often politics got involved.  A pet project took precedence and the money for storm water was diverted wherever it looked more appetizing.

Repeated audits by the officials pointed out flaws in the city’s management.  A lack of proper record keeping was noted routinely.  Our officials for decades said to themselves and an unaware public that the problem would be addressed later.

“Later” is here.

While other cities in the state charge a nominal tax for storm water, and some have no tax but take it through property tax, Chattanooga slammed the citizens with a tax many times higher than other cities.  It was a rate as highest as in any other city in America.

No one in autority ever stood up and acknowledged the blame for bad government causing the problem.  No one even said, sorry.  The remedy came on like the swing of a baseball bat.  No apologies, no explanations, not even an inclusion of sharing information with the public.  You know, those people who put them in office.

When there was an uproar over the unexpected tariff on homeowners, businesses and institutions, a token gesture was made to appoint a “blue ribbon” storm water panel to make recommendations.  Some very qualified business men and professionals, including engineer expertise, went to work.  They accepted that the problem had to be addressed and made recommendations.

But from the beginning there was little cooperation from city hall.  The city engineer was ordered not to share information with them.  Only a few of their suggestions survived the final draft City Council unloaded on the people and businesses.  The panel was up against mindset in government.

As if that wasn’t enough of a problem, the city had relied on a police chief who was lauded as indispensible.  Even though the city was far from crime proof, the argument was advanced that he had to be allowed and paid as an independent contractor on retirement or the police department had to close up.  It was, in effect, a one man police force.

The argument was made that, without the retiring chief’s expertise, law enforcement in Chattanooga should be turned over to the sheriff’s department.

Fortunately, some cooler heads in City Hall put a halt to the idea of shutting down the police force.

Chattanooga has able and qualified leaders.  They didn’t just allow or create the problems in their lap.  It took past generations of management to let the governmental ailments to fester and infect.  We must depend on them, though, to solve it and not bankrupt the city or the people in doing it.

All we can hope for now is the loose cannon of thought and action will find some calm tempers to tie down unstrained management before the damage gets any worse.