Two months ago, we applauded Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's decision to pick up a broom and sweep out some of the holdovers from the administration of the late Bob O'Connor.

Now the mayor has moved his cleanup campaign into seven city departments and three authorities by asking the directors to submit their resignations. Oddly, though, he simultaneously asked them to reapply for their jobs while he starts what he said would be a national search.

If the mayor is unhappy with the performance of all of the holdovers, why doesn't he fire them or move them to other positions? If he's only dissatisfied with the work of some, why put the whole group through the morale-busting exercise of reapplying for their jobs, with all of the uncertainty that brings?

The day after meeting with the directors, the mayor said he was dissatisfied with the delivery of city services, but he refused to be specific or to single anyone out for criticism. He went so far as to say that all of the directors were "doing an admirable job." Huh?

The mayor has the right to bring in his own key directors and put their nominations before City Council for approval. But he should be willing to say what change he's really after.

And he'll need to act quickly if he plans to satisfy the City Charter, which says he must nominate replacements 90 days after openings occur. To do so, he'll have to be more efficient than he has been in finding a permanent replacement for his former solicitor, who was fired 11 months ago, or press secretary Dick Skrinjar, who was transferred from that job in April.

A decisive mayor would fire the slackers, keep the rest and move on.