Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 31, 1994 TAG: 9401310049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Rob Eure
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia's new governor sometimes seems to believe he can run state government without the help of its 100,000 employees.
Since his election, Allen has done little to convince Virginia's work force that he will drop campaign rhetoric that ran them down as "meddlesome bureaucrats."
Before taking office, Allen put 450 senior workers on notice by demanding their resignations. The intent was to rid government of Democratic appointees; the result was that a number of experienced, nonpartisan bureaucrats became incensed and fearful.
Now Allen has found that a Jan. 20 executive order banning state workers from discussing legislation with members of the General Assembly is being followed to the letter. State employees are shying away from talking to anyone and citing Executive Memorandum 3.
The memorandum directs that no state employee "shall appear before a legislative committee for any purpose, nor contact members of the General Assembly nor their staff for the purpose of influencing the initiation or disposition of legislation" without first notifying a Cabinet officer, who in turn must clear the conversation with the governor's policy office.
Last week, Allen seemed puzzled that the directive is being seen as a gag order. He attempted to backpedal, noting that a similar order in place during former Gov. Douglas Wilder's administration caused no stir.
The problem in Allen's case, however, is that between his campaign attacks and the "Christmas Massacre" resignation demand, Allen has alienated many state employees.
During his nine years in the General Assembly, Allen seems to have missed one of the most important lessons learned by good legislators: Few things are more valuable in that job than good sources in the bureaucracy.
To be sure, state workers lobby hardest for their paychecks. That is apparent every year when raises seem to dominate the legislature's final budget considerations. But state workers are helpful to lawmakers in a number of ways, often identifying practical problems or clever solutions missing from the computer analyses or untested by policy wonks.
Worse for Allen, his talk of assembling a revolutionary army to change the way Virginia government operates stands little chance if the foot soldiers refuse to cooperate. Any business executive can attest to the havoc a disloyal and disgruntled work force can cause.
Governors come and go, former Sen. Dudley J. Emick Jr. of Botetourt County used to say, "but regardless of who thinks he is in charge, bureaucrats run the government."
Allen might take a hint from another of the best legislators, the late Sen. Edward E. Willey of Richmond. Willey's knowledge of state government and mastery of the budget was unparalleled, largely because he spent part of almost every day at the Capitol. Consequently, he developed an enormous pool of sources in the work force, from whom he learned where to snatch a couple of million to patch up the state budget in times of need.
You rarely saw those two legislators, or see the best ones of today, publicly bashing state workers. They know one of the basic rules of good managers: Don't bad mouth the help.
Career state workers know more about how government delivers services than any four-year governor can hope to learn, and they know more ways to frustrate policy than he can figure out. If Allen hopes to change Virginia, he is going to need their ideas and cooperation.
He's off to a particularly bad start - a function of the lack of gray hairs in his circle of advisers. Perhaps Allen doesn't need sources in the state work force - but he could sure use some of their experience.
by CNB