Critics Abound

No matter how long he retains his office,though, it is unlikely he ever will have to recruit critics. They treat him like a magnet. Some members of the City Council began dreaming of uncoupling Mr. Fulwood from his job as Chief Administrative Officer about a day after he arrived. He never would have wanted to be on a rope bridge with the five members of the  City Council. He had two loyal allies and two ferocious critics. The swing vote appeared to be supportive. But the support was far from a cinch. I have interviewed Mr. Fulwood ever since he came to town, and I am not exaggerating when I tell you I know people I have not met better than I know Mr. Fulwood. Many people I can read. Not Mr. Fulwood. If his brainwaves were gauged during an interview, the line on the green screen would be so flat you could lie on it all night even if you had an aching back.   

He Doesn’t Even Tell Himself

He is so circumspect that there probably is vital information he even withholds from himself. When certain people treat you like target practice, tattooing you with every accusation they can coax from friends, passersby and homeless bums, a man has to subsume his personality and lock his tongue if his critics have the authority to cashier him. When his original contract was renewed last January for three more years —— by a 3 to 2 vote, naturally —— that should have ended speculation about whether he would be dropped in June. A complication arose. An elaborate plan to modernize Culver City’s constitution was to be placed before the voters in April. Several aspects were controversial, chief among them changing the job description for the Chief Administrative Officer to a more comprehensive title, City Manager.

What Happened to Stability?

When the voters approved of the change by a clear margin, Mr. Fulwood’s stability again appeared to be jeopardized. One woman with an impressive web of friends throughout City Hall attempted to place Mr. Fulwood’s situation in context yesterday afternoon. “Jerry’s style and personality trouble some people, and I am not telling you for a minute that it is fair,” she said. “Start with the fact that there is a lot of side-choosing at City Hall. With much of the criticism, you have to consider the source. How much has to do with the fact that Jerry was the first non-in-house CAO in decades, I can’t tell you.

Not From Around Here, Are You?

“He had the idea when he came here that he was going to do things his way. That rubbed some the wrong way. Since he came from outside, he did not know the players, he did not have the background that a homegrown person would have.” The woman, who came from elsewhere herself, talked about the hefty driving distance that confronts Mr. Fulwood each morning, across much of Los Angeles. “It is said of Jerry,” she continued, “that many days he will not be the first person into the building, by a long way. President Clinton had a reputation for not being punctual. They say that Jerry is Clintonesque in his ability to make meetings on time.”

The Race Is on

The woman’s face turned frosty as she moved on to the most volatile dimension of the assessment. “I don’t believe the criticism is race-related” she said, “but I can’t prove it. Historically, when you hear people complain about a person being the first-in, the first-out, that is race-bigoted code for ‘those lazy so-and-sos.’”

Postscript 

The complaint I have heard most often is Mr. Fulwood’s asserted lack of visibility at some community social functions. Those critics are accustomed to shmoozing with hometowners from City Hall whom they have known much of their lives.  Mr. Fulwood’s contract calls for him to carry out professional duties, not social ones.  Welcome back for three more, Mr. Fulwood.