Review those lessons in communication from 'Luke': 1967

"What we have here is failure to communicate."

So said prison boss Strother Martin to Paul Newman's convict in the 1967 prison film "Cool Hand Luke," a screen classic passed from generation to generation in independent-minded America.

If a morbid fascination with hard-boiled egg ingestion flushed all other memories of the movie from one's mind, it is helpful to recall that while stubborn Luke remembered the line, he failed to get the message and failed to survive the movie as a result.

It's a line all public servants might want to repeat as they look in the mirror each day, given most of them aren't getting the message, be they presidential candidates who can't provide a straight answer to any question, a governor who has declared himself king or a school board giving thousands to someone doing no work.

Though far easier to illustrate at the local level, the "just don't get it" disease is epidemic at nearly every layer of government these days.

As but one example, let's take a look at Elgin, where voting natives were restless enough to oust two incumbent city council members last spring in favor of newcomers Mike Powers and John Steffen.

Residents felt the city was giving developers too much incentive money and delivering too little service in areas like storm cleanup, snow plowing, leaf pickup and street maintenance. They also felt the city was deaf to their complaints.

They were right, and they opted for Powers and Steffen, who made both those issues a campaign priority. After that abrupt message was delivered at the polls, the council promised to beef up the public works department, looking at both internal efficiencies and manpower needs.

"I think we've heard the message that we shouldn't neglect basic services as we pursue other projects," said Mayor Ed Schock.

Now comes the 2008 proposed budget, the first put together since those promises were tossed out. And guess what? There's no additional personnel for public works despite the fact the city is projecting an $8.5 million -- or 9.8 percent -- increase in the general revenue fund, the fund from which such workers would be paid. Actually, there's no new money anticipated for public works through 2012, where this document ends.

The city is being conservative in light of the economy, rightly anticipating a downturn in permits and stagnation in sales tax revenue. It has cut income tax growth projections in half. Wise moves all.

But with an additional $8.5 million coming in, it is ludicrous to believe the city can't find $250,000 or so to pay for four snow-plowers, leaf-pickers or pothole-fillers, etc.

And again, there's little evidence of any effort to cut expenditures somewhere else in order to fulfill that "we'll do better" promise in areas demanded by the public.

The second retirement plan available to some employees at a $500,000 annual city cost is still in place, and the city's health care costs continue to increase seemingly unabated. We're paying more and more to current employees for the same services. I understand it is ludicrous to expect employees who put this tentative budget together to recommend changes that would run counter to their own interests, so the onus is on the council.

What we have here beyond a promise that has not been fulfilled is a serious failure to communicate. Might be wise for public servants -- and especially Elgin City Council members beginning 2008 budget discussions -- to remind themselves again what happened to stubborn Luke in the end.