BETWEEN A ROCK AND HARD HEAD

For this posting a rock is that hard nose, no sense of humor stone face, cold and lifeless soul of a bureaucrat. Well, I guess that isn't the only place you can find such wonderfully exciting people. I merely mention it because of the times as Mayor that I have had to dal with such people in my employee.

Most of the time they are also inclined towards being very anal and protective of their little cesspool of power. So you can't reason with them in terms of cooperation unless you are prepared to also kiss their behind, which really doesn't work for me as their boss.

That is where the soft head comes in. For some reason they are just far too inclined to think they are in charge regardless of the fact they work for me.

This is a particular problem when you are talking about trying to get anything done that involves change. Boy is that a pain in the butt when dealing with people who except for having a pulse aren't really alive.

And depending upon when you have to deal with it if you are talking about a major change this can be about as difficult in the system as being constipated for say a week. It is really a big time pain.

Now when I come to some point where the excuse lies are flying as thick as bugs then I know I've reach that wasteland for progress. It is when I know all the dangers signs of being in the midst of some brain dead, self-consumed, me first fuss-budget who isn't going to be cooperative.

My first solution is seldom very helpful. Nor is it generally legal either. So I let that dream pass and move on to more rewarding options.

Namely to doing what I can to find a way around Mr. or Ms. Jerk. There are generally a number of options in that regard fortunately.

One is to bury the person with red tape. I just send them a whole host of memos asking for reports and other details that drives them nuts.

Reports are always such a cool way to satisfy my desire for revenge. Bureaucrats all fear reports as a rule, which is why they do such a piss poor job on them.

But they can't refuse to do them since they are after all necessary in the world of red tape. Then to add to the joy I start sending memos expecting them to give me a report on the report. Oh do the heads pound against the wall with that one.

Then once it is all said and done, when the person is generally in a coma from red tape insanity I can manage to slip some change pass them. It is a quiet victory that I can't tell them about, but you can be sure I tell others and that is enough joy sometimes. It has to be until the next joyful opportunity comes for more such joy.