Our View - Sunday

Over the line

Local bureaucrats should butt out of policy debates

Twice last week, senior local bureaucrats launched outrageously over-the-top, ad-hominem attacks on a prominent elected official and citizen — attacks that are being tolerated by other local “leaders” only because the target was smaller-government gadfly Douglas Bruce. City Manager Lorne Kramer and County Attorney Bill Louis should be reprimanded, if not fired, for their actions.

Kramer and Louis can say they were speaking as private citizens, but they are not ordinary citizens so this is a charade. Each works for all the people of the city and county, even those who happen to admire and support Bruce. Each earns a good living courtesy of the taxpayers. They are paid to execute, rather than make, policy. Each has an interest in growing local government.

Both crossed the line, in our opinion, violating a traditional prohibition against politicking by public servants. If such attacks had been launched against any other public official in this community, heads would be rolling. But a troubling double standard seems to be evolving, which permits public servants to act as lobbyists, partisans and, now, attack dogs, as long as a majority of city officials agree with their positions. This sets a bad precedent, no matter who the target of such attacks is.

During Thursday’s board of county commissioners meeting, Louis took to the microphone, weighing in on Amendment 38, one of a number of ballot measures Bruce is backing. Louis called it “a collection of nonsense” and lambasted Bruce as “a narcissist, sociopath and crackpot enabler,” according to The Gazette. Further insulting El Paso County citizens, some of whom apparently are “crackpots” who voted in a “sociopath,” Louis said of Bruce, “How a person like this could rise to elected office is beyond my comprehension.” He then pledged to do everything in his power “to make sure that (this) comes to an end at some point for the good not only of this community but for all of Colorado and the nation.”

So, Bruce is now also a danger to the nation? Alert the Department of Homeland Defense! Louis went on to compare himself to Harry Truman. Protector of the nation? The second coming of give-‘em-hell Harry? And Louis calls Bruce a narcissist. Not only was Louis allowed to blather on, but when Bruce interrupted with a question, Chair Sallie Clark — who frequently engages in verbal sparring with Bruce — told Bruce he was out of line. Actually, Louis was out of line. And if Clark doesn’t recognize that, her judgment is impaired by her own animus toward Bruce.

Clearly, Louis has lost his composure and his objectivity and should resign, if he isn’t fired. How can be serve as a credible public servant if he can’t remain above the fray and believes some of the citizens are “crackpots” who elected a sociopath?

Kramer’s Bruce-bashing took place at an Economic Development Corp. lunch, which doubled as an anti-Initiative 200 and 201 pep rally. The featured speaker didn’t disappoint, serving up plenty of rhetorical red meat. Among other things, Kramer said that in his “humble opinion,” Bruce was an “antagonist” and “backyard bully.” There’s nothing humble about Kramer or his opinions. Like Louis, he was taking part in a policy debate that should be settled by voters, not the hired help.

Did Kramer cross the line? That assumes a line still exists. Whatever firewalls there once were between public service and politicking have nearly been obliterated by this city manager, who approved the use of public resources and city personnel to wage a propaganda campaign against 200 and 201, using the city's cable channel and other means.

This apparently has gone on with the tacit approval of a majority on City Council, who sometimes seem to work for Kramer, rather than the other way around. But to Kramer and most members of this City Council, the ends apparently justify any means when it comes to fending off tax cuts and debt limits.

This is all undoubtedly satisfying for snickering Bruce-haters. But it should be a firing offense for public employees to treat any elected official, and citizen, with such disrespect. If Kramer and Louis want to get up on soap boxes and take positions on political issues, they should get off the government gravy train and seek work in the private sector. Irrespective of what one thinks of Bruce or his ideas, every citizen should be alarmed when public employees begin acting like the masters, rather than the servants.

Commissioners make status-quo selection

Terry Harris evidently has been a crackerjack county administrator. After all, they put his name on a building even before he retired. But we are nonetheless troubled by the county commissioners’ (with the exception of Douglas Bruce) decision to hire Harris protege Jeff Greene for the job, without even bothering to consider other candidates.

There’s something to be said for filling the slot with someone with county experience, perhaps. A known commodity is often preferable to an unknown. But we’re just not comfortable with the anointing of hand-picked successors, and think this might be perceived as a tad “incestuous” and a perpetuation of an old-boy network. We think it would have been prudent to at least consider other alternatives. There was certainly plenty of time and opportunity to do so.

By most accounts, Harris has done an admirable job. We thank him for his years of service. And we all hope that Greene will be up to the job. But all organizations, even government, can benefit from an infusion of new blood and new ways of doing things. Harris served a relatively long time, exerting considerable influence over the culture of county government, for good or ill depending on your point of view. And we just wonder if it wouldn’t have been healthier to shake up things with someone other than a Harris protege.