TS My Word - DA leadership: The 8-step program

Article Last Updated: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 6:13:40 AM PST
DA leadership: The 8-step program
The Times-Standard My Word by Allison Jackson

Paul Gallegos has gone out of his way to cultivate his image: The surfing DA, the individualist rebel with no use for bureaucrats, meetings or rules. He seldom attends county department head meetings (North Coast Journal) and appears at board meetings only rarely (Times-Standard). Unfortunately, all too often this cavalier attitude makes for a disastrously ineffectual leader. His latest debacle came to light last week in front of the Board of Supervisors. With a lack of careful attention causing the virtual elimination of his Victim/Witness Unit, it became clear just how much damage Paul Gallegos is doing to the District Attorney's Office.

Back in September of 2004, Gallegos bungled the application for a grant that provided funding for four people in the Victim/Witness Unit in his office. The grant denial letter went on for a page and a half with criticisms about the application's shortcomings. (Rule No. 1: When you apply for a grant, follow the application rules.)

Even though the denial of the grant would lead to the loss of four positions (75 percent of the unit) and a substantial loss of service to county residents, Paul did nothing and told no one for eight months. (Rule No. 2: When you lose money for something that is really important to the public, do all you can do to find a substitute.)

In May of this year, Gallegos authored a short, ambiguous request to the Board of Supervisors asking them to begin the layoff process for four of his positions. He didn't attach the grant denial letter (for obvious reasons) until asked by the county administrative officer for a further explanation as to why the grant was denied. What's more, he asked that the item be put on the "Consent" portion of the board's agenda, meaning that unless a board member took action to pull the item for discussion it would be summarily passed without comment. (Rule No. 3: If you really want to keep important positions, go to the board and ask them for help.)

Supervisor Geist, who clearly does understand the process, stated publicly that she called the DA's office before the board's May 10 meeting to ask about the grant denial and loss of positions. Unable to obtain clear responses to her questions, she said that she was going to pull the item off the consent calendar for discussion. At the May 10 board meeting, it was Wes Keat who appeared, without any answers or explanations to offer. The board expressed a desire to find some type of funding to preserve the positions and avoid the layoffs. They then continued the item a week to make it possible for Gallegos to be present. (Rule No. 4: When your office is told ahead of time that you are going to be asked questions about something you have requested, prepare for the meeting.)

When Gallegos learned that the item had been pulled for discussion, he went into full attack mode. He claimed that the item was just routine and that Geist had pulled it for political reasons. (Rule No. 5: Be aware that consent items are routinely pulled for discussion. It occurs at nearly every board meeting. Rule No. 6: If you ask any government group to take a specific action, be prepared to respond to any questions they might have about your request in a reasonable, tantrum-free manner. Rule No. 7: When you muff a grant application and a board member tries to find you money to cover your mistake and save your positions, that is not an attack.) The following week, when Gallegos did attend the board meeting, he was arrogant and even confrontational when Supervisor Geist told him they were simply trying to find the money necessary to save the unit (Reread Rule No. 7). Further, when asked about the specifics of the Victim/Witness Unit and its sources of funding, he was unable to provide answers to their questions (Reread Rule No. 4). We still don't know what will happen to the Victim/Witness Unit or to the jobs of four valuable county employees. We do know, however, that once the situation was on the table for discussion, something interesting occurred. The board began to generate and discuss possible ways they could help: Contact legislators; lobby for the passage of an existing Assembly bill; and work with other county officials to find replacement money. (Rule No. 8: Don't assume that problems created by your mistakes cannot be solved by others who know more than you do.)

Maybe ignoring the meetings and the rules gives Gallegos a certain cachet in the circles in which he travels. Maybe he thinks that if he responds with defensive petulance, attacking the very people trying to help him, it will distract the rest of us from seeing how poor a leader he is. He's a rebel, all right -- a rebel without a clue.

Allison Jackson, a Humboldt County deputy district attorney for over 10 years specializing in child abuse and sexual assault cases, is now in private practice. She lives in Hydesville.


Related:
ER - Interview Process Cuts Down On Trauma Of Children 5/6/04
Losing the Victim Witness Grant
ER - Board of Supervisors talks over grant denial for program 5/11/2005
NCJ - VICTIM PROGRAM THREATENED: 5/12/05
ER - Gallegos says program is safe 5/15/2005
ER - Victim witness program funds sought by county 5/18/2005
TS - Proposed cuts to victims program delayed May 18, 2005
TS - My Word - DA leadership: The 8-step program May 24, 2005
County to fund Victim Witness Program The Eureka Reporter 6/8/2005
Supes mull grant application 5/14/07
The opinions expressed in this My Word piece do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard.