I recently inquired of the City of Greensboro as to how much money has been spent thus far this year by various city departments seeking to pat themselves on the back. While most departments wasted no money on such idleness, Public Affairs lead the way with IT right behind. Here's the questions I asked followed by the results:
1. How many contests have the various city departments entered so far in 2012?
2. How much was the total spent in contest registration fees for all departments?
3. Please include a department by department breakdown.
Budget and Evaluation – No contests entered.
City Attorney’s Office – No contests entered.
Coliseum – No contests entered.
Clerk – No contests entered.
Engineering and Inspections – No contests entered.
Field Operations – $1,200 (Solid Waste Association Road‐E‐O Competition)
Finance – No contests entered.
Greensboro Fire Department – No contests entered.
Greensboro Police Department – No contests entered.
Guilford Metro 9‐1‐1 – No contests entered.
Human Relations Department – No contests entered.
Human Resources – No contests entered.
Information Technology Department ‐ $235 (Savvy Awards)
Libraries – Top Innovators Award entry (no fee required)
Parks and Recreation – No contests entered.
Planning and Community Development – No contests entered.
Public Affairs – $519 (Telly Awards entries and award fees =$434/Savvy Awards = $85)
Transportation – No contests entered.
Water Resources Department – No contests entered.
Total Spent for Contests in 2012: $1,954.00
I would like to note that the Solid Waste Association Road‐E‐O Competition is a training exercise where operators of heavy trucks and equipment compete and improve upon their various skills in the safe operation of what could be very dangerous pieces of equipment and that the cost involved would be necessary even if Field Operations had not entered a number of Greensboro operators into the competition. When it comes to machines that kill people, you must spend what it takes to make your operators safe and various road‐e‐o competitions have a 100 year history of turning out the most competent operators and drivers in the industry. (I've participated is some road‐e‐o competitions myself.)
I'd like to thank the library staff for choosing to only enter contests that require no entry fee and the many other departments who feel they are broad shouldered enough to do their jobs without having to buy awards for themselves. Believe me when I say, Greensboro's citizens are well aware of which city departments are actually doing their jobs and doing them well.
After all, the real awards are those bestowed without charge or entry fee. Accolades bought are accolades squandered.
