Commentary by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Five Cueball thoughts for Oct. 26, 2014…

1. City Manager search…

I’ve been in this business for 25 years and even to this day I’m still learning.

Roy Eckert

So was the case this past month with the hiring of Wellington City Manager Roy Eckert — a man I have not personally met, but was impressive during a phone interview.

I knew the council was looking at Eckert for more than two weeks, but I was at a dilemma whether or not I should share information with the public. After all, my primary job is to inform the public.

I eventually decided it was a privacy issue and until his name became public I would not do anything. That time came on the Friday, Oct. 17 before the official meeting when the council released its agenda and the terms of the city manager agreement. 

The article on Monday wasn’t very positive toward Eckert. I feared the article might derail his hire on Tuesday. I report the news, but I never want to be the news. It also does not do me any good to alienate one of my top sources if he indeed gets hired.

Then there was the dilemma with how much information I should share with the public.

To the council’s credit, it stuck with Eckert and hired him Tuesday. Looking back, it would have been unethical for the board to do otherwise. After all the board majority had already given him a verbal agreement, and a man’s word is always important when dealing with people.

Eckert, who has been around the block a few times with reporters, seemed undaunted when I called. He was helpful, nice and knowledgable. He’s off to a good start as far as my job is concerned.

Kudos to the Wellington City Council and our new city manager for their professionalism last week. They defused a situation quickly in a week that soon will be forgotten.

2. Administrative salary… 

People focus on the dumbest things. Some people are upset we are going to pay Eckert $100,000 a year with perks. What difference does it make if we pay a CEO to run our city for $80,000, $90,000 or $100,000? I don’t know anything about the aircraft industry, but I’m guessing the CEO at TECT is making a lot more than that.

You couldn’t pay me $200,000 for the Wellington City Manager job. Not only are you in charge of a $34 million budget, you have to be able to handle various department heads, answer to a city council of six personalities, deal with media types like me, attend thousands of meetings, be visionary, be diplomatic, take the blame, and be a spokesperson for the town. The city manager job, outside the head high school football coach, is the most scrutinized job in town.

And for the love of Peter, Paul and Mary, can we get over the fact that a city manager may want to go out and play a round of golf? He is entitled to a private life like the rest of us. And offering his golf membership on a municipal course is like giving the executive use of the company car. It costs the company nothing.

One alert Sumner Newscow commenter provided salary comparisons of city managers from other towns. We are right in line – not above, not below. How would that make Wellington look if we were offering $80,000 a year salary and the other towns were offering more than $100,000? It would make us look like a bunch of cheap idiots.

Arguing about an administrator’s salary is like buying a $100,000 house and getting upset that there’s a crack in the kitchen sink.

This isn’t Roy Eckert and this isn’t Wellington’s golf course, but dang I’d take this job.

3. A loathsome campaign…

The political ads are disappointing. They are simply political grenades used to appeal to our most primal irrationalities.

The worst commercial by far was released by the Sam Brownback campaign. It linked Democrat candidate Paul Davis indirectly with the Carr Brothers – two lowlifes who murdered six people in Wichita on December, 2000 and deserve the death penalty.  See video here.

Mr. Brownback, do you ever stop to think, that the victims of these crimes deserve to rest in peace, and the families of those victims deserve privacy without you exploiting their tragedy for your selfish political gain? But Brownback’s campaign is right in line with how he conducts business. While one appreciates Brownback’s adhering to his conservative principles, it’s his methodology that is troubling.

Brownback and his alliance are bullies. They have gone to all means to stamp out his perceived enemies whether it be Democrats, moderate Republicans, school superintendents, or judges who don’t step in line with their agenda.

There is a degree of arrogance about the Brownback alliance that is both galling and disturbing. It is in stark contrast to former President Ronald Reagan who masterfully learned the art of politics by compromise and diplomacy to pass through his agenda.

Brownback needs to be turned away this November. Kansas can do better.

4. The Mulvane curse…

You heard the Curse of the Bambino or the Curse of the Billy Goat?  I may like to impose the Mulvane Curse for Wellington High School.

“Tell me about this town Mulvane, again?”

It was a terrible weekend for the Crusader Nation. The football team lost to Mulvane 14-7 and the volleyball team lost in the first round of sub-state to the Wildcats.

It occurred to me that we have been losing a lot to Mulvane in the post season and after going through the files, oh, my goodness we have.

During the 2013-14 school year, Wellington’s girls softball team was eliminated by Mulvane; the Wellington boys basketball team was eliminated by Mulvane, the girls basketball team lost to Mulvane in the sub-state championship, and the volleyball team a year ago was beat by Mulvane.

The football team has lost seven consecutive games to Mulvane including the last five district contests. We have yet to beat Mulvane since 2005.

In fact the only time I remember Wellington beating Mulvane was the girls basketball team of 2012, which went to state, and that was only because our talent was so superior we were bound to win that game. But if I remember right, it wasn’t easy.

Ultimately, Mulvane won the biggest fight of all. It got the casino over Wellington. Some will argue that was really a victory for Wellington. But since at the time it was a competition, we were on the short end of that one as well.

5. Five Quinn’s thoughts

Quinn McCue

1.My favorite days are rainy days. There’s something about cold, dark, and wet days that just warms my heart.

2.My sister beat me too meeting a famous you tuber (she met Alfie from Point less blog) so I really want to tie up the score. I will win.

3. I got into this card game magic the Gathering and now I have about 395 cards. I got 285 cards for $20 at Wal-Mart and they were the new set. Long story short, I stayed up that night.

4.One time I goggly eyed my entire house. Everything from clocks to TVs. My parents have yet to notice the eyes on the door.

5, Quinn poll…

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