RFP Staff
♦ In the introduction to this three part series “City Manager’s Use of GFOA Playbook for Spinning Crises and Creating an Aura of Success”, we said Mr. Paris’s responses to a number of major crises the city is undergoing, either downplayed them or kept out them of public awareness, or manufactured of so-called success out of what would be a reasonably deemed failure. This spinning and success creation fits the patterns suggested in the Government Financial Officers Association (GFOA) Playbook. We will show how this “reinterpretation of reality” goes on regularly in our city manager’s office. This form of publicity spinning and “information control” has wide-ranging negative affects on the city’s financial future and the city’s residents. The phrase: “Turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse” is fitting in this shape-shifting of reality. Here overly positive spinning and muffling “what is” erase transparency, honest government, and thwarts city residents from responding appropriately.
USE CRISIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
The City’s manipulation of public opinion was a much easier back when only one source of local “news” existed, and that entity willingly reported whatever the City’s press releases said. Since a second source of news emerged, some citizens are less willing to accept the City Manager as a “credible interpreter” of the many crisis events occurring in Salisbury. Particularly now that the City Manager has ignored everyday reality and announced his “disagreement” with Moody’s bond downgrade. Moody’s is a highly credible national bond rating service, and they use nationally accepted accounting principles to rate municipal creditworthiness. Despite Mr. Paris’s “disagreement”, they are using objective criteria, with which the city’s compliance is a requirement if city hall is to eventually right its financial ship. Compliance is an utter necessity as our city’s bond rating drifts closer and closer to junk bond status. A more seasoned and wise city manager would do everything in their power to get their ship out of deeply troubled waters as many are starting to notice the breakdown in city services and the downgrading of our bonds.
This section “Use Crisis to Your Advantage” from GFOA’s website basically tells managers to assertively reassure constituents and elected officials within a “structured and guided format”. This approach is critical as a public relations tool to gain the upper hand. “Framing the perception of others is critical,” acknowledges that manipulation of public opinion is essential, in order to convince stakeholders’ collective perception that the crisis was avoidable or at least foreseeable. Just look at Doug’s press releases, and you will notice his sense of superiority about the crisis is designed to manipulate opinion, in order to emerge as “a more credible interpreter of what is occurring,” This is done in the face of a major Wall Street bond-rating agency saying the city’s creditworthiness is a mere two points above junk-bond status.
Read this section from the GFOA’s website, and attend to the excerpts below. Salisbury is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association, which gives the city an annual Distinguished Budget Award as shown on page 3 of this year’s budget online.
http://www.gfoa.org/use-crisis-your-advantage
“Use a Crisis to your Advantage
The leader of the recovery process can use special events that are viewed as “crises” by stakeholders as a tool to drive change. Such crises might include:
Bond rating downgrade
Closure of major employer/taxpayer
Change in elected or appointed leadership.
Using a Crisis is Not without Risk
The recovery leader that considers using crises as a lever for change should be aware that:
A crisis can mask the depth and breadth of the true causes of distress. A crisis is frequently just the most visible symptom of distress, rather than the root cause.
The nature of the crisis can color the responses people will want to take to recovery. For example, the closure of a major employer could lead stakeholders to focus on economic development issues, when in fact the current fiscal distress is caused by an unrelated factor.
People might adopt a “siege” or “bunker” mentality, making change and innovation less likely.
Overplaying a crisis may reduce confidence in management if stakeholders perceive that the crisis was avoidable or at least foreseeable.
Reduce Risk by Framing Perceptions
Framing the perception of others is crucial.
Carefully analyze the “crisis” event. If the recovery leader is knowledgeable about the crisis, then he or she will be a more credible interpreter of what is occurring. The leader can then frame the crisis as a call-to-action, and others will be less likely to interpret it as a panic-inducing disaster.
Share information about the event. Making information available can reduce feelings of uncertainty among stakeholders and constituents.
Provide information in a structured, guided format. This makes it easier for others to understand, allows it to reach a broader audience, and increases leader credibility.”
