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Jan Goldsmith, who has been elected city attorney, sent a horny-handed memo to the city attorney staff the day after the election. "It devastated morale," says one attorney in the office. First, it used the City of San Diego seal -- a no-no, since Goldsmith doesn't take office until December. That's a small point, but lawyers are paid to notice small points. Goldsmith told the staff lawyers, "There will be changes and some staff will be let go." Then he asked each employee to give a description of his or her work, highlighting cases the employee is now handling. Obviously, anyone working on a case that Goldsmith doesn't like (say, pension or SDG&E initiatives) can say bye-bye. The information was to be sent to the City's Labor Relations Director Scott Chadwick by Nov. 14 -- again, before Goldsmith takes office. But most significantly, "The person from whom you are seeking continuing employment is not Jan Goldsmith, but a person serving at the pleasure of the mayor," says another attorney at the office. Unknowingly, Goldsmith made clear that he will be a puppet of the mayor, who in turn is a puppet of the business establishment. (That was evident to anyone who followed the campaign, particularly donations.) The city attorney's office will now return to the days of Casey Gwinn: anything goes if the establishment benefits.
Jan Goldsmith, who has been elected city attorney, sent a horny-handed memo to the city attorney staff the day after the election. "It devastated morale," says one attorney in the office. First, it used the City of San Diego seal -- a no-no, since Goldsmith doesn't take office until December. That's a small point, but lawyers are paid to notice small points. Goldsmith told the staff lawyers, "There will be changes and some staff will be let go." Then he asked each employee to give a description of his or her work, highlighting cases the employee is now handling. Obviously, anyone working on a case that Goldsmith doesn't like (say, pension or SDG&E initiatives) can say bye-bye. The information was to be sent to the City's Labor Relations Director Scott Chadwick by Nov. 14 -- again, before Goldsmith takes office. But most significantly, "The person from whom you are seeking continuing employment is not Jan Goldsmith, but a person serving at the pleasure of the mayor," says another attorney at the office. Unknowingly, Goldsmith made clear that he will be a puppet of the mayor, who in turn is a puppet of the business establishment. (That was evident to anyone who followed the campaign, particularly donations.) The city attorney's office will now return to the days of Casey Gwinn: anything goes if the establishment benefits.