No big surprise, Greensboro City Manager Mitchell Johnson doesn’t have a problem with Coliseum director Matt Brown’s politicized e-mails:
Johnson said two e-mails — one that Brown received about a political ally’s City Council campaign posters and another that he sent to a prospective candidate — probably aren’t that different from those sent or received by other department heads at City Hall.
Really? Is it me, or is there only one way to read that: Johnson—if his comments are being accurately characterized — just suggested that other city department heads are involved in political activity. If they’re involved on the level that Brown appears to be, then we have a real problem downtown.
But here’s the other issue. While it’s true that Brown technically is Johnson’s employee, Brown makes more money than Johnson does, and we all know money’s where the power is. So what do we expect Johnson would say about Brown’s activities?
I know I’ve gone on and on about Brown’s salary, but this is simply another example of the city’s misplaced priorities. Is it not clear that our city manager is a very compromising position when he’s asked to publicly comment on the activities of an employee who draws a bigger salary?
