Allowance for Officials Stirs Anger : Government: Many county workers express outrage over supervisors’ vote for a $392 monthly stipend for ‘professional development.’

On Wednesday, the day after Los Angeles County Supervisors voted themselves and 271 top county judges and officials a $392-a-month unfettered “professional development allowance,” many of the county employees who work for them were outraged.

One target of criticism was Chief Administrative Officer Richard C. Dixon, who had announced he planned to spend his allowance on a new home computer.

“I supervise 25 district centers and none of the registrars have a computer yet in their county offices,” said Joyce Patterson, who oversees the overburdened agency that handles birth and death certificates countywide. “I can’t believe they’re getting more money.”

She paused, and added: “Am I going to get fired for this?”

“I would hope Richard Dixon would use his new computer to write out his resume,” sniped Sharon Grimpe, general manager of the Service Employees International Union Local 660, which represents 40,000 county workers. “I have trouble even imagining how you could spend $392 a month on ‘professional development.’ What are they going to do with it? Study budget and finance? Take public speaking classes?”

County Assessor Kenneth Hahn, a political novice who won his first election last year, said he plans to do just that.

“I’m not that good a (public) speaker,” he said.

The supervisors approved the new allowance Tuesday on a 3-1 vote. Supervisor Gloria Molina dissented. Supervisor Deane Dana was absent.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich announced Tuesday he would give his allowance to charity. Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, who defended the move Tuesday, announced Wednesday he plans to turn his funds back to the county treasury. Supervisor Ed Edelman and Molina have not said what they would do with the money.

When presented to the supervisors Tuesday, the allowance was put at $350 a month. But Dixon said Wednesday that the $350 a month is a base, established in a 1989 ordinance awarding the allowance to Municipal Court judges. The monthly allowance, if given final approval next week, will actually be $392, Dixon said.

The ordinance, which was amended Tuesday to include the five supervisors, 33 county department heads and 238 Superior Court judicial officers, provided for annual cost-of-living increases in the allowance tied to changes in the Consumer Price Index. Therefore, the allowance this year is $392 and is due to go up again next February.

Dixon said the allowance could be used by supervisors, county executives and judges to attend out-of-town seminars or to buy personal computers, books or videotapes.

“Arguably, going to dinner with some people might well be an intellectually and professionally developing exercise,” Dixon said.

“I think this is a scandal. A scandal, “ said Schlomo Friedman, owner of That Deli, across the street from County-USC Medical Center. “The supervisors are earning $100,000 a year and workers from the hospital can’t even afford a sandwich before payday.”

Friedman held up a fistful of IOUs on which were scribbled names of county employees pledging to pay $3 or $4 after payday. The worst part, Friedman said, is he has nearly stopped taking IOUs because people do not have the money to pay them, even after payday.

Workers in county departments across town, from social workers to nurses and janitors, complained about the new allowance.

The proposed county budget for fiscal 1991-92 contains no pay raises for county workers and calls for cuts in virtually every county department.

Eric Coleman, 41, a nurse at County-USC Medical Center, shook his head and said, “Them what’s got, gets . . . they’re trying to make us pay for employee parking here now.”

One hospital custodian, who asked not to be identified, sniped, “What are they (supervisors) planning to develop themselves for professionally? Governor? Senator?”

Asked what they would do with $350 a month to develop themselves professionally if they had the opportunity, several workers at the overburdened medical center said they would give the money to patients.

“I’d help those poor people sitting in the lobby,” said Judith Stovall, a custodian. “Fix some pipes around here too.”

A Spanish-speaking orderly, asked what he would do with the money, said he would take English lessons.

One aspect of the new allowance that particularly annoyed rank-and-file workers is that the judges, department heads and supervisors will not be audited as to how they spend the funds, in effect giving the officials a more than 4% raise.

Many county employees have no professional training programs available to them at all. Those that do have to document not only expenses once they have returned, but prepare sometimes-elaborate proposals justifying the need for the expenses in the first place.

The item approved Tuesday received little advance publicity because it appeared on the agenda as “professional development allowance to Superior Court judicial officers, the judge of the Catalina Justice Court and County Officers.”