Arcata Eye Editorial - Elect an adult with a work ethic

Arcata Eye
Eye Editorial: Elect an adult with a work ethic – May 30, 2006

Which of the district attorney candidates would you rather have a beer with?

Which would you rather have representing you in court?

The answers to both questions are instantly obvious, and form the basis for our enthusiastic support of Worth Dikeman for Humboldt County District Attorney.

The last DA election wasn’t about the candidates. It was a case of big money trying to depose a legal threat. That election galvanized the community behind the incumbent, elevating him to iconic stature.

This time is different. Having successfully defended our democracy, we owe it to ourselves to exercise our right to critically examine, contrast and compare the candidates on their individual merits.

Alas, tribalism is alive and well in local politics, and alliances forged during the recall have sprung to life again. We scolded the law enforcement community for buying in to the Maxxam attack on public process, and by the same token we now have to fault some on the progressive side for signing back up with the incumbent without a fair reassessment of the two candidates.

The respective backers’ biases are surely aided by superficial perceptions of Gallegos and Dikeman: The surfer and the grump. Mr. Cool and Mr. Burns. Youth vs. age. The slacker vs. the hardass.

The caricatures aren’t without basis in reality. And yet mythology surrounds the situation, too. Paul Gallegos isn’t the civil rights or environmental champion some of his backers would like to believe. His record of accomplishment on both counts is mediocre.
Nor is Worth Dikeman the stern conservative opponents love to portray him as – he’s a disciplined, well-rounded Democrat who happens to believe in process, precedent and precision with regard to matters legal.

The now-concluding DA race has been fun –tasty, too, with lots of good food, great music and friendly get-togethers. But beyond the balloons, what is this election going to deposit in our dreary county courthouse for years to come?

Hopefully, someone interested in the job. And here again, there’s no comparison between the two candidates. Gallegos literally wandered into his initial candidacy on a whim. Now, with Charles Hurwitz having made him a hero and the bullying, blundering CHP doing its level best to instill suspicion of law enforcement during election season, the incumbent is riding high on his image as the anti-establishmentarian. Given the times, though, that’s not enough.

Gallegos’ commitment to the job is half-hearted. His work ethic is poor. His hiring practices and choices are abysmal. The staff churn in the DA’s office is a direct result of weak-to-nonexistent leadership. Arcata Police aren’t getting follow-through on their earnest, difficult work for the community. Crucial programs such as the Child Abuse Services Team are in trouble. No laughing party at the Avalon or the Grange is going to restore any of this.

Gallegos’ colleagues are weary of dealing with a half-involved, often AWOL boss. Much of the time, says a colleague, “We don’t know where he is, what he’s doing or how to get ahold of him.”

The time for fun and games has passed. Humboldt County ought to go with a grown-up this time and elect Worth Dikeman as district attorney.