WHAT'S an ethical county employee supposed to do?

Those workers who report waste, fraud and abuse often face a backlash from supervisors and colleagues, and get little or no support from county leaders. Rather than protect whistle-blowers, Los Angeles County officials show them the door - at a time when we need them the most.

At least 10 employees have filed lawsuits against the county over the last three years, claiming they were retaliated against, fired or demoted for attempting to expose corruption and wrongdoing. The county has already paid out $2.3 million to settle four of those lawsuits.

Just because the county has a "whistle-blower ordinance" promising protection doesn't mean county officials have created an environment where that actually occurs.

With Los Angeles County facing nearly $2 billion in state cuts, officials should be protecting and encouraging employees who are willing to buck their colleagues and report misconduct. Instead, it appears the county is fostering an environment where the waste of taxpayer dollars is tolerated and illegal behavior is "better swept under the rug," as one supervisor allegedly told a whistle-blower employee.

Just look at a recent county audit that found the Probation Department exceeded its overtime budget by nearly $10 million a year, in part because employees were shopping around for overtime in other work locations and working overtime without pre-approval.

One employee said co-workers hold competitions to determine who can work the most overtime. And despite the fact that the department increased the number of probation officers assigned to Juvenile Halls, overtime still increased.

Unnecessary overtime and paycheck padding is unacceptable when the county is preparing to cut welfare, mental health and other social service assistance to thousands of residents, which could have a devastating effect on poor families and children.

Surely workers in the Probation Department saw the problem with overtime. But even if they were they willing to speak out and risk a backlash, would anybody listen? Would they be penalized or intimidated for trying to protect public resources?

Every dollar counts these days. The public needs to know its money is spent responsibly and that its government is managed well, to serve residents.

A government that suppresses or discourages whistle-blowers is a dysfunctional government, and that serves no one at all - except the people who seek to profit off government.

http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_12555348