Caring about our community
The Times-Standard Op-Ed by Leo Sears
Article Launched:11/10/2006 04:17:59 AM PST
Someone gave their frequent flyer miles to the mother of a wounded Marine so she could fly to the East Coast to be with him. Someone else enabled a Marine, after a missed commercial flight, to be with his family before shipping out to Iraq. These are some of the things people do when they are a caring and giving part of our community. The frequent flyer miles, as anyone acquainted with my Judy would know, were given without any thought of personal gain. Why should a different motive be ascribed to the use of Arkley's plane.
The fact that Rob has the means to do things on a larger scale than Judy is no reason to believe they have different motives. Based on means, Judy's gift was probably larger than the use of the Arkleys' personal jet. Much of what Rob and Cherie do is more than Judy and I can afford. But that aside, we are probably much the alike when it comes to caring about our community and helping our friends and neighbors.
Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) regulations and forms are convoluted and confusing, and Virginia Bass' correction of two minor errors was no justification for character assignation. Differences of opinion are part and parcel of an active community's vitality and well being. At least it used to be that way. Unfortunately, respect and fairness in disagreement is being smothered by a cutthroat ends-justify-the-means where truth and fairness give sway to mud slinging innuendo, distortion and unmitigated lies by some elements of our community.
Two years ago the Humboldt Taxpayers League (HTL) was asked for its source of funds for Vote L No. Responding that they were a non profit organized for political purposes and didn't have to file with the FPPC, they said that all funds had come from the dues and member donations accumulated over a number of years, and released a list of its members. The county elections office filed a complaint with the FPPC, and the media went into frenzy about transparency.
This election, to avoid criticism, HTL filed with the FPPC. Citizens for Real Economic Growth (CREG) and Humboldt Business Council (HBC) are making the same nonprofit exemption claim that HTL did two years ago, and are refusing to file with the FPPC or release the names of all their respective members and donors. CREG also claims to be a part of Friends of Humboldt which in the past has refused to reveal its membership.
In 2004 the media reported that the FPPC “has confirmed the receipt of a complaint from Humboldt County Elections Officer Lindsey McWilliams.” And quoted him as saying: “The California Government Code requires income and expenditures of more than $100 to be itemized ... the league did not do that.” Will McWilliams file complaints against HBC and CREG? What about the media that said, “Voters have a right to know where the money is coming from to support or defeat a candidate or an initiative” and HTL's “deliberate obfuscation shows either ignorance of or contempt for campaign disclosure laws.” Does media consternation over transparency apply only to HTL?
Leo Sears writes a weekly Times-Standard column on issues of local interest. He can be reached at lsjb@cox.net
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