COUNTYWIDE : Union Defends Deputy’s Cartoon About Supervisor

The head of the union for Ventura County sheriff’s deputies appeared before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday after an inquiry into a deputy’s cartoon criticizing Supervisor John K. Flynn.

Flynn initiated the inquiry after an editorial cartoon that poked fun of him was published in a local newspaper Feb. 2.

“We will continue to exercise our First Amendment rights to encourage the right decision” on the new county jail, proposed for agricultural land on Todd Road near Santa Paula, said David Williams, president of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Assn.

The cartoon depicted Flynn carrying a sign that read “Flynn for Congress” surrounded by ranchers and jail inmates.

The caption read: “Principal opponents to the Todd Road jail project. . . .”

Flynn said Tuesday that he found Sheriff’s Deputy Ken Edling’s cartoon “very offensive” and criticized Edling for not identifying himself as a member of the county jail project design team in the newspaper.

“I don’t feel any need to identify myself as a member of the jail project,” Edling said Tuesday.

“I’m just expressing my personal opinion.”

Public Works Director Arthur Goulet said Flynn phoned him last week to complain about the cartoon and told Goulet that he would “do something about it.”

Goulet said he replied, “I don’t think you can do much about it.”

Edling’s supervisor, Capt. Don Lanquist, said he received a phone call from an aide to Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg inquiring about whether Edling’s duties included drawing cartoons.

“I told him he did it in his spare time,” Lanquist said.

“I was concerned when we first heard about the inquiry that it would have a chilling effect on our deputies,” Williams said.

“But we will continue to voice our opinions on our spare time.”