Editorial : Government Charity Should Begin With Workers : The city and county continue to loan out executives to private charities while asking employees to take pay cuts.

Imagine you are a city employee who has been told San Diego’s budget crisis will require cutbacks so severe that you will have to take unpaid leave and a temporary pay cut.

Now imagine the same supervisor who broke that news to you ending the conversation by announcing that he or she is taking three months off--at city expense--to raise money for a private charity.

Huh? You’re taking a pay cut while a supervisor gets full salary to do temporary duty as a charity fund-raiser?

That’s essentially what’s happening in the county and city of San Diego these days. And if you think it sends out mixed messages, you’re right. How can a government under fiscal siege be so penny pinching with employees and so accommodating with the private sector?

The answer, of course, is that it can’t--not if it wants to maintain credibility for its fiscal prudence.

For years, the city and county have participated in the United Way’s “loaned executive program.” This year, five employees--including a $70,000-a-year sheriff’s commander--have been loaned for several months each to raise money in schools, businesses and government agencies. The total tab to taxpayers so far: $55,388.

Sheriff’s Cmdr. Robert De Steunder, who was the first to publicly raise concerns about the propriety of the program, says his underfunded department has essentially donated $16,000 of his salary to the charity. The county has also provided the United Way with three other full-time employees--a $68,000-a-year assistant deputy director of the Department of Social Services, a $44,902-a-year senior accountant in health services, and a $29,848-a-year administrative clerk in the Public Works Department.

The city loaned out a $68,400-a-year deputy director for facilities financing in the engineering and development section.

After years of budget woes, it’s difficult to believe that local governments can afford to pay these employees their regular salaries to work for the United Way and the Combined Health Agencies Drive. If so, there is more fat in government than officials are letting on.

Yes, private charities deserve support, especially now that cash-strapped governments are cutting back on social services virtually across the board. After all, the recession has taken a fiscal toll on these charities as well. The local chapter of the United Way is grappling with a $3.7-million fund-raising shortfall and layoffs of its own.

But if governments can no longer afford to fully fund every worthy program--and they can’t--they certainly don’t have the luxury of providing “free” employees to private charities.