ORANGE COUNTY IN BANKRUPTCY : Popejoy Tries to Restrict Flow of Information

Orange County Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy this week issued a pointed directive to department heads, warning them not to discuss publicly the implications of the county’s bankruptcy or impending budget cuts.

In an attempt to clamp down and control the release of information to the public, the strong-willed CEO has asked that all inquiries about the nation’s largest municipal bankruptcy be referred to his office.

“We have enough misinformation, so we asked them, ‘When you have an inquiry from the press, let us know,’ ” Popejoy explained Friday. “You can’t have several hundred different spokesmen out there.”

The attempt to seal off the flow of information has had a chilling effect on county employees, who fear that any comment could cost them their job.

Popejoy’s directive is one of a series of actions he has taken to manage the information released from the Hall of Administration. Earlier this week he built a new reception area in his office to keep reporters from interacting with county staff. He has also set a strict timetable for when he intends to release information about budget cuts, privatization, asset sales and other important issues. He has refused to discuss the issues before those dates.

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Before Popejoy’s actions, department heads and other county employees were free to discuss any aspect of the crisis.

“It’s awkward because it’s a tremendous change,” said Supervisor William G. Steiner about the clampdown. “By the same token, if Popejoy is CEO, then communication should come from him.”

Board Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez said he finds Popejoy’s actions “constructive” because they will eliminate circulation of bad information which could be disruptive.

“I think he’s doing a service,” Vasquez said. “There’s a healthy intent.”

Because of Popejoy’s growing power in the county, many disgruntled employees have started referring to him as “the Pope.”

“I’m sure people are calling him a lot of other things too,” said one employee who asked not to be named.

Union officials claim that Popejoy’s directive is being carried even further by department heads who have threatened to discipline any worker who participates in rallies or protests against the county.

Popejoy said neither employees nor department heads were being threatened, and he denied that his directive amounts to a “gag order.”

One county memo being circulated among employees quotes Social Services Agency Director Larry Leaman as telling his supervisors to warn workers not to discuss the bankruptcy or “engage in bankruptcy- or budget-oriented rallies, demonstrations or other advocacy actions while they are on county paid time.”

Leaman said Friday that the message conveyed by the memo was “a little more harsh sounding” than he had intended. The intent, he said, was not to threaten employees, but rather “getting the rules understood before somebody shoots himself in the foot.”

Leaman added that he was not trying to “thwart or encourage” employees who wanted to attend demonstrations on personal time. But, he said, “I think they should make it very clear they are speaking out as individuals and not (for) the agency.”

Nonetheless, a group of Social Service employees said their boss’ comments sent a chill through the office.

“It’s scary,” said one worker, who asked not to be identified. “The atmosphere is sort of like a morgue. People are very anxious because they don’t know what is going to happen.”

Another said she has decided not to attend an upcoming employee rally for fear of retribution.

“I don’t think it’s good for me to be there,” she said.

Regardless of memos from the top, many county employees at the Hall of Administration and elsewhere are treading lightly out of fear of attracting undue attention.

Times staff writer Jodi Wilgoren contributed to this report.