Posted by Joanna, a resident of the Menlo Park: Downtown neighborhood, on Jul 6, 2008 at 7:00 pm

Those flags are certainly uninspiring...

Shop Menlo!

What's that? Is that supposed to encourage me to shop menlo park? I'll shop where there is innovation and value, not because of a sense of loyaly to pay high Menlo Park sales taxes. Shop menlo park so my sales tax dollars will pay our city manager's $250k salary (+ benefits)?

Misguided flag initiative. How much did those flags cost?

Posted by Rory Brown, Almanac staff writer, on Jul 7, 2008 at 11:54 am
Rory Brown is a member (registered user) of Almanac Online

The Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce is behind the flags. They were paid for by the chamber, according to Fran Dehn, the chamber's president and CEO.

The chamber's holiday committee came up with the idea for the flags, Ms. Dehn said.

Posted by Sarah, a resident of the Menlo Park: Downtown neighborhood, on Jul 7, 2008 at 1:37 pm

I just want to say -thank you. I am so entertained by these posts. I love seeing how worked up people get over the smallest things.

Ahhh, cheers Menlo Park, cheers.

Posted by truth, a resident of the Menlo Park: Belle Haven neighborhood, on Jul 7, 2008 at 3:47 pm

Joanna is incorrect and if you look at the past two years of achives you will see "she" is dedicated to attacking and misinforming. The city manager makes $208K salary + benefits.

Palo Alto's new city manager makes $240K base before benefits.

Feel free to be bitter and to lash out at flags but keep to the facts.

Posted by Joanna, a resident of the Menlo Park: Downtown neighborhood, on Jul 9, 2008 at 7:56 pm

Rojas' package is worth about $256,400

Link for falsies...

Web Link

I find it quite telling those who justify pay packages based on what others are doing. One of the major flaws in thinking is the assumption that that we couldn't get performance if we didn't pay high salaries.

I for one think that we can get just as much done with a $100k (maybe more) manager. Paying high salaries doesn't get high results. Need proof? Look at what changed since we brought the big guns in.

I'm going to buy the next town over. I'm going to name it San Haha. At San Haha, we're paying our employees tons of cash for no reason at all. Definitely not merit. Does that mean that you should too?

I sure could have used that laugh! Thanks Falsie.

Posted by truth, a resident of the Menlo Park: Belle Haven neighborhood, on Jul 10, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Congrats on getting the number accurate for the first time in almost two years. Maybe my attempt to curb your deception is starting to rub off.

Here is where your "logic" falls short yet again (ignoring the complete lack of creativity in your attempt at humor).

Free markets dictate salaries, not ideologies. If you believe in free markets, then you believe in competitive bidding, pricing and pay.

If you don't, then you are pushing a conversion to some hybrid socialist system that may in fact work, but requires more research than a joke and a web link.

Throwing out a salary arbitrarily is a waste of everyone's time.