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Saturday, Apr. 18, 2009

Tom Frazier: Vendetta against county?

In 2006, the Sun-Star was a thorn in the side of Gordon Spencer, Merced County district attorney.

Like a bulldog with an old towel, Chris Collins, the Sun-Star reporter, would not let go. The news investigator convinced the state attorney general he should do its own investigation.

Spencer resigned, paid back nearly $30,000 for private use of a county SUV and was barred from practicing law in the state for 30 days.

Now the Sun-Star seems to have its eye on Dee Tatum, the county's chief executive officer. Stories about his retirement, his retirement retracted, a Planada land "deal," his wife's pay raise, an editorial that claimed Tatum was hiding behind his public information officer and the latest salvo -- an article about his salary increases from 2001 to 2009.

Is the Sun-Star trolling for another investigative reporting award? Or is it possible the paper just has a huge grudge against Merced County?

I decided to ask around.

I called Dee Tatum -- scheduled a sit-down concerning the editorial that he was hiding behind the county spokeswoman. "No one from the Sun-Star called me," he asserted. "I don't know why they called Katie."

He then explained, in great detail, the process of the grand jury during its investigation of the Planada land purchase.

Corinne Reilly, who covers Merced County, now in Iraq for her second McClatchy assignment, agreed with the editorial, saying the county has a well-established history of being close-lipped. She's covered the county since Chris Collins left in late 2006.

Katie Albertson, the governmental affairs director for Merced County, sent me the county's written policy.

What a document! County employees, with few exceptions, are prohibited from talking with the media without prior approval. It's a top-down bureaucracy. Reminds me of the U.S. Air Force.

I compared that to Merced city and Stanislaus County policies.

Merced city does not have a written policy. According to Mike Conway, the city's public information officer and counterpart to Albertson, "We want to be totally transparent -- we have nothing to hide."

"Anyone can walk into City Hall and see any document they want, including documents with salaries or job descriptions," he said. "In our training for all employees we tell them to answer anything they are asked."

Stanislaus County has totally decentralized its media policies. There's no central go-to.

What about the latest story -- the CEO's salary? It is interesting that Merced County is 26th in population of California counties, yet 12th in CEO salary. Even more interesting is that Tatum's salary is higher than any state governor.

Maybe the supervisors should consider these facts as it recruits for a new CEO?

Final verdict? It's a draw.

Perhaps the Sun-Star should back off just a bit, maybe find a better picture of Tatum.

Or maybe the Sun-Star should refocus and pick a new target, perhaps Albertson. After all, she's "too young" and likes the wrong Bulldogs -- the Georgia Bulldogs.

Sun Dog can be reached at sundog@promessage.com