Webb: In politics, perception is reality and symbols and simplicity are all-important. That's why Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman has a big, but not insurmountable, problem.
Don't count her out. Workman's political sins are symbolically large but substantively small. They are easy to demagogue, but when voters weigh her significant accomplishments against her mistakes, they'll give her another four years.
Three topics have provoked heavy news media scrutiny and criticism: high salaries, "guzzle-gate" and a temporary employee hired for the Boys & Girls Club.
High salaries. This issue is simply not a big deal. Salaries are recommended by personnel officials after studying other governments of similar size. Most of the people in question have important responsibilities overseeing 7,000 employees and multimillion-dollar budgets. Within Salt Lake County, some 40 people earn more than $100,000, half of them in the District Attorney's Office. Government compensation must be at least nominally competitive to attract quality people.
Guzzle-gate. Salt Lake County's fleet operation is one of the best-run in the country, with low operating costs and excellent service quality. A few people abused the system and one of them, the separately elected county auditor, will likely go to jail. The mayor took very quick action, appointing an independent commission to investigate and make recommendations, and the County Council and mayor will make any needed changes in policies and procedures.
Boys & Girls Club. Workman did not follow precisely proper procedures in hiring a temporary bookkeeper. It's important to understand that the county supports a wide variety of social services organizations with funding and employees. Helping the Boys & Girls Club with a $10-an-hour employee (who responded to a newspaper ad and never met Workman), is a typical activity. There was never any personal benefit to Workman.
As they relate to Workman, these issues involve a very small amount of money and no intentional wrongdoing. But symbolically they are big. Citizens don't like government workers making big salaries; they don't like government employees driving SUVs for personal travel, especially when gas prices are sky high; and Workman's daughter supervised the worker hired for the Boys & Girls Club.
So weigh those matters against Workman's accomplishments in starting up a brand new form of county government while fixing many leftover problems.
Without a lot of political grandstanding, Workman has served up modest tax decreases, is rebating $5 million in sanitation funds and has reduced the county's certified tax rate for municipal services, all while solidifying the county's excellent bond rating. She saved a million dollars in her first month by instituting a hiring freeze, earning recognition from the Utah Taxpayers Association as Taxpayer Advocate of the Year. She has bolstered fire and library services, started a voluntary recycling program, instituted an excellent neighborhood cleanup program, initiated an economic development program, streamlined the building permit process from eight months to eight weeks, and saved $2.7 million for open-space initiatives. Not bad at all in the first years of a brand new government. She deserves to finish what she's started.
Pignanelli: I rarely accuse Republicans of stupidity in election strategy. While often misguided in policy, they usually demonstrate smarts in campaign tactics. GOP leaders have finally exhibited savvy in the Salt Lake County mayor's race by providing the political equivalent of intensive medical care to the Workman campaign.
Chris Bleak recently left his position as executive director of the Utah Republican Party to manage Workman's election operations. At best a lateral career move for Bleak, this transfer was a calculated strategy to utilize his skills and play doctor to the mayor's ailing campaign. Her Democratic opponent, local businessman Peter Corroon, is enjoying a substantial boost at the expense of Workman. Party bosses reacted with painting Corroon as a crony of Rocky Anderson. This is a shrewd maneuver, since most voters outside Salt Lake City would be hard-pressed to choose between Rocky and grasshoppers to describe their least favorite irritant.
All this kindness by Republican bigwigs for Workman is not out of charity. With 45 percent of Utah's population, they know that Salt Lake County is the linchpin for electoral success for all the major elections. Technically a "swing" area that leans Republican, valley voters are mavericks. Democrats have been successful in electing countywide officials (i.e. County Council members Jim Bradley and Randy Horiuchi, District Attorney David Yocom and Clerk Sherry Swenson), and Workman struggled in 2000 to beat Democratic opponent Karen Crompton. In fact, Mike Leavitt lost Salt Lake County to Bill Orton in the last election. The real battleground in 2004 is the east bench of Salt Lake County. Homeowners in these affluent neighborhoods have chosen Democrats (i.e. Congressman Jim Matheson and state Sens. Patrice Arent and Karen Hale). Thus, Republicans do not want voters, angry at Workman, wandering all over the ballot. If this dynamic occurs, races other than just the mayor's will be easier for Democrats, especially the hotly contested County Council seats. Moreover, a shift of Salt Lake County votes will hurt 2nd Congressional District candidate John Swallow and create unanticipated problems for Jon Huntsman Jr.
In the upcoming months, GOP political physicians will use all sorts of remedies to heal Workman — the deadly disease she carries is too contagious.
Upon the above noted departure of Bleak, staffer Spencer Jenkins was named the new executive director of the Utah Republican Party. Jenkins is an ecumenical fellow who served as deputy campaign manager in my mayor's race.
During the Democratic National Convention, the Kerry campaign played a well choreographed video highlighting his support among demographic groups. The "Mommies for Kerry" spokeswoman was my sister, Gia Pignanelli Dowling, who held her daughter Lena while articulating Kerry's commitment to families. Gia is currently a resident of Santa Monica, Calif. (obviously the most liberal family member).
Republican LaVarr Webb was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. He now is a political consultant and lobbyist. E-mail: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. A recent candidate for Salt Lake mayor, Pignanelli served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as House minority leader. E-mail: frankp@xmission.com.