Randy Billings did not say that Anderson was returning to work Monday. Anderson’s lawyer did. Jim Gailey refused to confirm or deny.

*Rolling down Broadway*

Some views on City Manager Jim Gailey.

Hey! Don’t you just love to watch Jimmy Gailey in action? Yeah, I feel that I know him pretty well and in turn he knows me. I’m not his best pal, as that would be Timmy Gato. I’m not his mentor and role model, since that spot is occupied by Dana Anderson. We are just acquainted,

Jimmy rose to his manager job quickly and learned his lessons well along the way. Time that he spent in the Planning Department has paid big dividends while he laid out careful plans for consolidating his power through promotions and appointments to key positions of friends and “made men” whose best qualification is loyalty to Jimmy.

From an entertainment viewpoint, I can’t wait for Jimmy’s symbiont Dana Anderson’s triumphant return in early July. A bit of caution here, Jim, since your actions may be more hazardous to you than to Dana. A read of Randy Billings “Dana” article in the Forecaster of June 26, 2009 certainly points to the return of the “classic” Dana. A canon shot across the bow of the City Council (threatened lawsuits) fired by Dana’s lawyer Greg Frame is fully in character with Dana’s personality and management style. Another attempt to bully and intimidate. Will it work?

Jimmy your control is nearly complete. You have purged troublesome employees and barely apologized for the style and brutality. You have have controlled the flow of information and all the actions of reviews and reports of your acts, and why not. You, Jim, are the centerpiece of all this turmoil and anguish. Without truly independent outside of city administrator control and management directed by the City Council, we will only have more non-existent self-regulation by Jim Gailey, mastermind and coordinator of this mayhem. In short, Jim, you have survived and bested a Council with no curiosity, no will and no teeth.

I applaud your slick and skillful “slaughter of the lambs” on the Library Advisory Board. Spread around the meeting room, You, Sally, and Maxine used your invitation to the workshop June 17th (after the library budget was safely in the bag) to carefully crush their spirit and hopes like slowly squeezing an empty styrofoam coffee cup. Lucky that you pumped a little life back into those withered bodies before adjourning or they would have all quit on the spot. Your friends on the council, Linda, Maxine and Jim Hughes will loyally block any attemps to censure or discipline you as long as you guard their roughly twelve thousand dollars each family medical benefit hidden somewhere in your budget. Keep up the good work!

Move this drama to the new armory sound stage!

Looks like Dana Anderson didn’t return to work today after all.  Is the City trying to play games with the public, or did Randy Billings inaccurately report his return?

I’m pleased that the investigations cleared Dana Anderson and I hope his attorney is correct in saying that Mr. Anderson is looking forward to coming back to work.  If that is so, we are lucky to have him back.  Dana has done outstanding work for South Portland for many, many years.  Thank you, Mr. Anderson!

Congratulations to Councilors Blake and Soule for being the most responsive to the public’s distrust of Dana Anderson.

Threatening two city councilors—one of whom is the mayor—is quite ballsy. And wildly inappropriate. How can Anderson and his lawyer think this is an acceptable way to behave? Does Anderson think these threats will improve this relationship with councilors or his trustworthiness?

The message is “question me and I’ll retaliate”—I bet he’s a terrific guy to work for. Isn’t he an employee-at-will?

We have Linda Boudreau to thank for the “pound of flesh” comment. Ms. Boudreau needs to learn to control her tongue at council meetings.

Deb Smith alleges threats of retaliation by Dana Anderson? HMmmmmmm.We aren’t supposed to believe that, but talk about Dana’s legal issues and get sued.

I sure hope that the Mayor and Soule do not simply sit back and take these threats from Anderson’s attorney. I mean, Anderson is a public employee, is he not, in a City where Blake and Soule are on the governing body? And Anderson may sue because they questioned the manner in which he ran his department?

People tell me Anderson has been a bully. Now it seems his attorney has assumed that role. Mr. Mayor, don’t take it! Stand up and face him down, Mr. Soule! He is not someone who should be heading up THE major department in this City.