PDF Summary:Greedy Bastards, by Sheryl Sculley

Upon accepting the role of City Manager in San Antonio, Sheryl Sculley encountered deep-rooted problems undermining the city's progress. Greedy Bastards chronicles her efforts to transform the chaotic, mismanaged municipal government into a well-oiled machine. Sculley battled union resistance, financial crises, and systemic inefficiencies—and ultimately delivered key infrastructure improvements and forward-thinking initiatives like education and homelessness programs for San Antonio residents.

Sculley details her strategies for assembling a skilled leadership team, revamping public services, and renegotiating unsustainable union contracts. Her journey illuminates the challenges of municipal governance and what it takes to uplift a city's governing body.

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Upgrading the central urban convention center and additional key city facilities.

Sculley focused on enhancing the city's appeal as a top destination for tourists and convention attendees, while also upgrading essential services. The city's tourism and business appeal was greatly enhanced by the expansion of prominent landmarks like the Riverwalk and the convention center. Her comprehension of how crucial infrastructure investments are to a city's vitality is clear in her strategy to boost urban attractiveness and stimulate economic expansion.

Developing programs that benefit the public welfare.

Sculley focused on improving the lives of San Antonio's residents by addressing significant societal issues and giving precedence to the modernization of the municipality's foundational facilities.

Launching the highly praised program for the education of young children, known as San Antonio's Pre-K initiative.

Sculley played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of the PreK4SA initiative, aiming to provide exceptional early educational opportunities to every four-year-old in San Antonio. Sculley worked alongside the municipal leader to secure the required financing and launched the initiative within ten months after the voters gave their approval. This endeavor highlights her support for uniform opportunities in education and society.

Leading the development of the comprehensive Haven for Hope complex, which is focused on providing aid to the homeless.

Sculley and her colleagues played a pivotal role in the creation of Haven for Hope in San Antonio to tackle the growing problem of homelessness. This holistic campus model provides a range of support including housing, medical care, job readiness training, and counseling, all designed to address the root causes of homelessness and help individuals on their journey toward self-sufficiency. The all-encompassing approach of Sculley in tackling complex social issues demonstrates her compassionate and practical style of governance.

Encouraging the citizens of San Antonio to lead healthy lives and prioritize their well-being.

Sculley, an avid runner, was a fervent advocate for improving community health.

Organizing the Rock 'n' Marathon to promote the growth of the local sports community.

Sheryl Sculley played a pivotal role in fostering a dynamic environment for runners, which was a major factor in San Antonio being chosen to host the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. San Antonio transformed from a city recognized for its significant obesity issues into a vibrant hub for those passionate about running, in part because of a prominent national event and other related efforts. Sculley believes that the success of a project is greatly influenced by a person's passion, and she notes that in Texas, there is a tendency to conduct business among locals.

Enhancing the municipality's strategy for controlling the population of animals without homes.

Sculley embraced the task of improving the city's approach to animal control in order to tackle the prevalent and occasionally aggressive issue of stray animals. City-run animal shelters shifted their emphasis to promoting pet adoptions and worked towards achieving a no-kill status. The strategy, along with measures to control the surplus of animals, resulted in a significant decrease in the population of animals without homes.

Other Perspectives

• While Sculley secured funds for infrastructure, critics might argue that the allocation of those funds may not have been equitable across different neighborhoods or that the projects favored certain areas over others.
• The bond programs, although voter-approved, could have increased the city's debt or diverted funds from other essential services.
• Upgrades to the convention center and other facilities aimed at boosting tourism might have been pursued at the expense of addressing more pressing local community needs.
• The PreK4SA initiative, while beneficial, may not have reached all children equitably or may have had implementation challenges that were not addressed in the text.
• Haven for Hope, despite its comprehensive approach, might face criticism regarding its long-term effectiveness, capacity issues, or the quality of services provided.
• The promotion of the Rock 'n' Marathon and the focus on sports could be seen as not sufficiently addressing the broader spectrum of health and wellness needs of the community.
• Improvements in animal control strategies might have unintended consequences or may not have been as successful as presented in reducing the population of stray animals.

The discussion centers on the costly agreements and perks associated with organizations that represent public safety workers.

The section of the book scrutinizes the central conflict with the unions of police officers and firefighters, underscoring the financial challenges posed by existing contracts and the unwavering resistance of these groups to any changes.

Sculley revealed that the unions provided offers that were overly extravagant and fiscally unviable.

As Sculley's insight into the city's fiscal responsibilities deepened, she came to realize that the generous benefits provided to the police and fire unions were exerting a significant financial burden.

The book highlights the considerable financial burden resulting from complimentary medical care and additional substantial perks.

Sculley realized that the city bore the full financial burden for the health insurance premiums of public safety employees' families. The city's budget was strained due to a mix of lavish benefits, including full coverage for educational costs and overtime compensation at a rate three times higher than the norm, as well as substantial pension advantages and various other incentives, which consequently reduced the resources allocated for essential services such as road maintenance and the development of recreational spaces. Sculley emphasizes that since their inception in 1988, these substantial benefits have largely stayed the same, establishing a benchmark for comparable entities across the country for more than twenty years.

Taking proactive measures to prevent an imminent economic disaster.

Sculley identified the risk that rising costs for public safety could destabilize San Antonio's financial balance and threaten its highly regarded AAA bond rating. Sculley's team foresaw that, should the current trend continue, by 2031, the entirety of the city's main fiscal resources would be consumed by public safety expenses, leaving nothing for other essential city services. Sculley and her team took initiative in confronting the looming issue, knowing it would mean taking on entrenched union interests.

The unions' resolute commitment to maintaining the status quo.

The labor unions staunchly resisted changes to the established terms of their compensation, having rarely encountered resistance to their demands.

The employment organizations utilized strategies of intimidation and exerted their political influence.

Sculley faced significant opposition from groups representing workers' interests, which utilized a range of strategies to preserve their advantages and thwart her initiatives. The strategies used also included exerting influence on politicians who defied traditional norms, lobbying at the state level for exceptions to circumvent specific provisions of the city charter, and mobilizing their members to engage vigorously in political campaigns, supporting or opposing candidates based on their agreement with the organization's objectives. The unions' approach, as detailed by Sculley, involved employing intimidation strategies to show their displeasure, which included sending a dead rodent in a celebratory basket to public officials who dared to oppose them.

The unions attempted to portray Sculley as an opponent of police and emergency services staff.

The unions launched a campaign to publicly malign Sculley, portraying her as an adversary to the interests of both firefighters and police officers. These deceptive representations aimed to undermine her efforts and rally opposition against any changes to the existing contract. The unions utilized tactics outlined in a guide authored by their chief bargaining representative, Ron DeLord, known as "Police Union Power, Politics, and Confrontation in the 21st Century." The book suggested pinpointing a person to be accountable and consistently focusing on them to shape public opinion.

Sculley implemented strategic methods to establish fresh accords.

Sculley implemented a multifaceted approach that combined negotiation and legal maneuvers to alter the labor contracts, ensuring the procedure was open and involved the community.

A team was convened to meticulously examine the issues and construct a persuasive case for change.

Sculley recognized the importance of building a strong basis for change, one that was grounded in solid evidence and data, to effectively challenge the compelling rhetoric used by the unions. She brought together a team comprising her own expertise along with individuals presently and previously involved in public safety, as well as non-uniformed members, to conduct a thorough analysis of issues pertaining to the health and pension benefits of public safety workers. The group, aided by neutral specialists, verified that the current perks were unsustainable and laid a strong foundation for future actions. Sculley emphasizes the establishment of a task force aimed at collaboratively finding a fair solution advantageous to the city's employees as well as its financial backers.

Incorporating strategies that involve legal maneuvers and negotiation to ensure that unions are a part of the conversation.

After initial discussions with the unions did not yield results, Sculley's team decided to pursue a legal course of action. Sculley initiated a legal challenge against the provision that guaranteed existing benefits for a decade after the contract had lapsed. The lawsuit, although unsuccessful, served as a catalyst that propelled the labor groups into discussions, providing a means to overcome the stalemate.

Other Perspectives

• Unions are designed to protect the interests of their members, and negotiating strong benefits is a key part of their role.
• The term "extravagant" is subjective; what is deemed fiscally unviable by some may be considered necessary and just compensation by others, especially given the risks associated with public safety jobs.
• Rising costs in public safety may reflect broader economic trends, such as healthcare inflation, which are not solely the responsibility of unions.
• The financial challenges of a city are multifaceted and cannot be attributed to a single cause, such as union contracts.
• Resistance to change in terms of compensation may be due to a lack of trust in the city's management or a history of under-compensation.
• Strategies of intimidation, if they occurred, are not representative of all union tactics and may be employed by a minority within the unions.
• The portrayal of Sculley as an opponent could be a response to a perceived lack of support for public safety workers, rather than a baseless smear campaign.
• Legal maneuvers may not always be the best approach to labor relations and could further strain the relationship between the city and its public safety workers.
• The team convened to examine the issues may not have included sufficient representation from the unions, which could lead to a biased perspective.
• Ensuring that unions are part of the conversation is important, but the methods used to bring them to the table can impact the long-term relationship and trust between the parties.

Conflicts and legal altercations with the labor unions.

Sculley's determination to reach an agreement only escalated the conflict, resulting in attacks on her reputation and a prolonged legal battle over the provision that permitted the contract to continue past its intended end date.

Sculley often faced criticism from labor unions in media reports.

The unions relentlessly targeted the municipal administrator with a forceful advertising onslaught, unfairly portraying her as an adversary of those dedicated to maintaining public safety.

Critics resorted to negative campaigning and the spread of false information aimed at eroding the trustworthiness of Sculley.

Labor organizations intensified their spending on TV and digital ads aimed at portraying Sculley in a negative light. The advertisements continuously spread misleading claims that she was against the emergency services, with the intent to damage her credibility and sway public opinion against her suggestions for contract changes. Sculley shares her astonishment at being the focus of these attack advertisements, which she characterizes as efforts comparable to those seen in election years, intended to tarnish a political contender's reputation.

The unions' efforts to take advantage of Sculley's gender by using derogatory language.

The strategies used by the labor organizations seemed intentionally crafted to undermine Sculley by highlighting her gender. The publication reveals that representatives of labor organizations often used derogatory terms like "domineering," "nasty," and "intimidator" to describe Sculley, which are classic gender-based stereotypes used to discredit women in positions of power. Sculley acknowledges that the increased animosity she faced may have been amplified due to her being a woman challenging the mostly male leadership of the labor organizations.

The conversation centered on the decision to include a provision in the collective bargaining agreements that would continue without a set expiration.

The municipality's choice to engage in litigation over the persistent clause markedly intensified the dispute.

The city's legal dispute pertained to whether the decade-long evergreen provision adhered to constitutional principles.

Sculley and her team contended that the decade-long durability provision within the fire and police service agreements was unconstitutional, impeding the municipal government's ability to strategize financially and manage annual budgets with efficacy. The utilization of the evergreen clause by the unions drew criticism for the way it solidified their benefits for a decade, precluding any opportunity to renegotiate the conditions, thereby affecting municipal fiscal processes.

The Lengthy Court Battle and Ultimate Decision to Pursue Mediation

The municipality's lawsuit encountered significant legal obstacles and postponements, as the lower courts decided in opposition to the municipality's stance. Sculley's group opted for mediation to motivate the unions to return to the bargaining table, despite having to abandon their legal challenge to the evergreen clause. The sentiment that the city was disproportionately targeting its public safety workers for unfavorable measures intensified following the decision, even though it was seen as a strategic move.

Other Perspectives

• The unions' criticism of Sculley could be based on genuine concerns about public safety and worker rights rather than personal attacks.
• Negative campaigning and spreading of information might reflect the unions' strategy to raise awareness about issues they find crucial in the labor dispute.
• Increased spending on ads by the unions could be a necessary measure to balance the narrative and ensure their members' voices are heard.
• The use of strong language, while not condonable, might stem from a place of frustration and the perceived need to assert their position strongly in the face of opposition.
• The focus on the provision in collective bargaining agreements could be seen as due diligence on the part of the unions to protect their members' interests.
• The litigation over the provision might be viewed as a legitimate exercise of the city's right to seek clarity on legal matters.
• The constitutionality of the evergreen provision is a matter for the courts to decide, and the unions' support for it could be based on legal advice and precedent.
• The evergreen clause could be argued to provide stability and security for workers, which is a fundamental aspect of labor rights.
• The legal obstacles and delays in the lawsuit could be interpreted as part of the normal judicial process where both sides are given a fair chance to present their case.
• The decision to pursue mediation might be seen as a constructive approach to conflict resolution that could benefit all parties involved.

Sculley emphasized the importance of preparing for future leadership and nurturing new talent.

Sculley placed a strong emphasis on developing potential leaders and enhancing their career development to ensure ongoing progress and stability within the organization.

Sculley's dedication to fostering a varied and robust leadership pipeline.

Sculley focused on assembling a diverse and talented leadership team within the municipal government of San Antonio. Sculley's commitment to nurturing a robust pipeline of future leaders stemmed from her experiences in Kalamazoo and her tenure in Phoenix, where she directly observed the benefits of investing in the development of an organization's talent.

Implementing Programs to Identify, Train, and Promote Internal Talent

Sculley led the charge in recognizing, nurturing, and advancing individuals who demonstrated talent from within the ranks of the organization. The municipality bolstered the skills of its workforce to address complex challenges through the establishment of elite leadership programs, the creation of training facilities for managerial personnel, and the provision of career progression seminars for individuals in intermediate supervisory roles. The establishment of these initiatives, coupled with a robust administrative partnership, fostered a culture that prioritized continuous learning and progress, thus developing a cadre of individuals ready and willing to step into roles of leadership.

Attracting high-quality experts from beyond the company's borders.

Sculley also recognized the need to enhance the organization's capabilities by integrating knowledge and expertise from those who are currently not members of the group. She actively engaged with experienced professionals whose unique skills and viewpoints greatly augmented the administrative staff's overall knowledge, thus becoming a key factor in the municipality's metamorphosis. Sculley emphasizes the significance of nurturing internal talent and complementing it with experienced outsiders to create a varied and robust leadership group that can steer the city's course.

Sculley took measures to ensure a smooth handover after she left her position.

The confrontation involving labor organizations intensified, impacting Sculley on a personal level and leading her to contemplate resigning from her municipal leadership position.

Sheryl Sculley prepared her executive team for the potential of succeeding her in the city manager position.

Sculley implemented measures to ensure a smooth transition of authority to her leadership team after she left. The author acknowledges that her focus on preparing for upcoming leadership stemmed from a desire to ensure organizational stability and uniformity, especially considering the ongoing conflicts with labor unions. Sculley's dedication to enhancing expertise and encouraging teamwork ensured a seamless transition of city manager duties to a team of competent professionals upon her departure.

Sheryl Sculley's tenure left a lasting mark of distinguished governance across San Antonio.

During Sculley's notable period of service in city management, the operations of San Antonio's government were transformed into a model of outstanding efficiency. She left behind a skilled team ready to propel the city's advancement and address its persistent challenges. Sculley ends her reflections by underscoring the achievements of the group she led, while stressing the significance of persistence, careful strategizing, and dedication to community service.

Other Perspectives

• While Sculley emphasized preparing for future leadership, it could be argued that focusing too much on future potential might lead to underutilization of current experienced staff.
• Fostering a varied and robust leadership pipeline is commendable, but it may also lead to internal competition and conflict if not managed with transparency and fairness.
• Implementing programs to identify, train, and promote internal talent is important, but it might inadvertently create a bias against external candidates who could bring fresh perspectives and ideas.
• Attracting high-quality experts from outside the company can enhance capabilities, but it may also cause resentment among internal employees who feel overlooked or undervalued.
• Taking measures to ensure a smooth handover is crucial, but it could also be seen as micromanaging the succession process, potentially undermining the confidence of new leaders.
• Preparing the executive team for succession is responsible, but it might limit the search for the best candidate if the process is not truly open and competitive.
• While Sculley's tenure may have left a mark of distinguished governance, it's possible that not all initiatives were successful or well-received by the community or the staff within the municipality.