TRIB REPORTERS: Planning "April surprise" for popular candidates?

COLUMBIA, 4/2/10  (Beat Byte) --  Rumor has it reporters at the Columbia Daily Tribune are staffing up the fire trucks again, this time to throw water (or ink) all over the Karl Skala and Tracy Greever-Rice Columbia City Council campaigns.

 

Neither Mr. Skala nor Mrs. Greever-Rice received endorsements from Trib publisher Hank "The Butterfly" Waters, although Mr. Waters did say nice things about them. 

 

Earlier, you'll recall Trib education reporter Janese Heavin watering (or inking) down a Columbia Heart Beat story about 4th Ward candidate Daryl Dudley's intimate connection with the Atkins development group -- they share a mailing address:  http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/mar/25/candidate-explains-link-developers-address

 

Now, it seems Ms. Heavin is pursuing a "rumor" she told Third Ward councilman Karl Skala has been "making its way up the 4th estate grape vine for some time."  The rumor:  That Mr. Skala and Mayoral candidate Jerry Wade will conspire to fire city manager Bill Watkins if elected. 

 

Ms. Heavin apparently told Mrs. Greever-Rice a slightly different version:  That if elected, Mr. Skala and Mrs. Greever-Rice would conspire to fire the city manager.

 

Mr. Wade's support for many recent City Manager initiatives, and his recent flip flop in favor of the city manager on squelching discussion over a council "advise and consent" role indicate Mr. Wade has every intention of supporting Mr. Watkins

 

"Given Mr. Watkins' strong personnel evaluations over the years, the idea that anyone on the Council would seek his ouster is absolutely ludicrous," Mrs. Greever-Rice told the Heart Beat.  "I don't know where Janese came up with this latest salvo, because she hasn't told me and I haven't heard it from anyone else."

 

Mr. Skala, too, said he's heard the rumor from no one else but Heavin.  "Bill Watkins has done a superb job with fiscal responsibility," Mr. Skala said.  "And as for our relationship, Bill considered me a close enough confidante to consult with me about what we should do with a former department director, who ultimately resigned to take another job." 

 

First Ward Councilman Paul Sturtz calls firing city manager Watkins "the nuclear option."  Mr. Skala calls it the ultimate "straw man," trotted out to quash discussions on issues such as changing the City Charter -- Columbia's guiding constitution -- to allow council members more input into the hiring of senior department heads -- an advice and consent role similar to Congress.

 

"Critics take a sublime idea like Council having more democratic input as the legislators they are and turn it into something ridiculous," Mr. Skala said.  "Firing the city manager is the last option available to a completely frustrated Council.  But that doesn't describe the Columbia City Council at all."

 

This year, Mr. Skala says he'd like to see Mr. Watkins more engaged in making a city manager promise for more transparency, openness, and accountability a reality.  But that's far from a fire-able offense.

 

"Once you start talking about firing the city manager, you're basically ending discussion of the issues at hand," Mr. Skala said.  "When people trot it out as the Council cudgel, it seems like they are the ones who want the discussion shut down, not us." 

 

As for transparency, Mr. Skala would like to see more of it forthcoming from Ms. Heavin.  "Reporters are, after all, the guardians of transparency here.  So why can't Janese tell us who started this malicious rumor before requesting that we comment?" 

 

[For the record, this is the first I've heard of the rumor, either.  And I'm usually first to hear!]