Our View

Our View

Focusing on race, gender misplaces hiring priorities

Appears a couple of minority members on the West Memphis City Council are of the assumption the city’s white fire chief isn’t hiring black fire fighters and, oh, women, a familiar accusation with no creditable substantiation.

Seems Councilman Marco McClendon, well known to city politics as well as governmental functions, is also suspicious Chief Wayne Gately may be guilty of nepotism, another claim that we’re confident is being made without any creditable or factual substantiation.

Gately should of known such racial accusations were going to be made when a few weeks ago McClendon requested staffing percentages concerning women and minorities on the fire department.

What McClendon seems to be basing his accusations on is his remark that simply because West Memphis has a population with more blacks than whites then tax supported, government jobs should be predominately held by minorities.

So then, and based on the city’s demographics, McClendon wants to know what needs to be done — or is it manipulated? — to put more blacks on the city’s payroll.

McClendon made the remark that it has come to his attention there is the belief blacks have a more difficult time getting hired than whites and that, according to this councilman, is “a little disturbing.”

Responding to such accusations and assumptions was Assistant Chief Jeff Jones, who informed McClendon of something he should have already known, and that is the fire department actively recruits under and strictly adheres to national standards for testing and evaluation.

It is because of this strict hiring practice and high standards that the West Memphis Fire Department proudly holds the highest fire insurance rating in the United States and is among only about 60 other cities that boast a ISO-1 rating.

As a veteran city politician, McClendon knows, or should know, the requirements by which fire department applicants must meet, and McClendon knows applicants are accepted year round.

It might be strongly suggested that McClendon or any other council member questioning the integrity within this fire department, or the professionalism of its supervisors, that they sign up to be tested and undergo the agility evaluation fire department applicants must pass.

It would be interesting to know whether or not Mr.

McClendon could successfully pass the entrance exam or make it through the nationally approved physical agility evaluation.

If McClendon is using racial demographics as a basis for who gets a government job, and using the fire department as a punching bag, then maybe this racial theory should apply to every other city department.

That means the 70 percent of all the employees at city hall, the utility department, the police department, the fire department and others will have to be black regardless of their abilities or qualifications.

The taxpaying citizens of this city should be aware of this type of inept leadership and demand that their elected representatives not pander to such ridiculous nonsense.