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Backsliding re Mayoral Balls
Monday, April 21st, 2014
Robert Wechsler
I am a big believer in officials taking voluntary action to improve an ethics
environment when passing laws is not possible. For example, if the
state and the council both choose not to prohibit campaign
contributions from restricted sources, that is no reason why a
mayoral candidate should not make it known that he will reject such contributions and do his best
to get all candidates to reject them. In many instances, this can be
the end of such campaign contributions in that particular city or
county, and neighboring cities and counties may follow suit.
But often, when voluntary action is taken, but no law is passed, there is
backsliding.
For example, according to a Sun-Sentinel article last week, "a string of local government corruption scandals that started in 2006 once prompted Palm Beach County commissioners to temporarily stop soliciting donations for group fundraisers, due to the potential perception of donations buying influence. Likewise, Broward County in 2011 temporarily stopped holding its annual Mayor's Gala charitable fundraiser due to potential ethics concerns."
But the Broward County gala was revived only two years later, and Palm Beach County's 2011 ethics code has an exemption that allows local officials to lend their names to nonprofit fundraising events, including mayoral balls (one will be held in June 2014) and the like, and to solicit contributions except from a "person or entity with a pending application for approval or award of any nature before the county or municipality" (they can accept, but not expressly solicit such contributions; however, everyone knows that pay to play rarely requires an express solicitation).
Such involvement, solicitation, and charitable donations (over $100) must be disclosed in Palm Beach County. But how many citizens are aware of the disclosure list, and how many of these actually have looked at it, and how many of these understand who these people are, and how many of these will vote based on this information?
One problem with the Palm Beach County mayoral ball is that "advertisements for the Mayor's Ball highlighted the chance to wine and dine with [the mayor] and a long list of other top officials." That is, it's not just about using one's office to get people to donate; it's about access to officials.
The mayor is quoted as saying, "I have never been swayed by contributions. Never, ever." It is only reasonable to believe officials who say, "I would like to think that I would never be swayed by a contribution. But I'm human and, therefore, good at hiding my biases from myself. And even if I were never swayed, how in the world could the people in my community possibly know that?"
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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For example, according to a Sun-Sentinel article last week, "a string of local government corruption scandals that started in 2006 once prompted Palm Beach County commissioners to temporarily stop soliciting donations for group fundraisers, due to the potential perception of donations buying influence. Likewise, Broward County in 2011 temporarily stopped holding its annual Mayor's Gala charitable fundraiser due to potential ethics concerns."
But the Broward County gala was revived only two years later, and Palm Beach County's 2011 ethics code has an exemption that allows local officials to lend their names to nonprofit fundraising events, including mayoral balls (one will be held in June 2014) and the like, and to solicit contributions except from a "person or entity with a pending application for approval or award of any nature before the county or municipality" (they can accept, but not expressly solicit such contributions; however, everyone knows that pay to play rarely requires an express solicitation).
Such involvement, solicitation, and charitable donations (over $100) must be disclosed in Palm Beach County. But how many citizens are aware of the disclosure list, and how many of these actually have looked at it, and how many of these understand who these people are, and how many of these will vote based on this information?
One problem with the Palm Beach County mayoral ball is that "advertisements for the Mayor's Ball highlighted the chance to wine and dine with [the mayor] and a long list of other top officials." That is, it's not just about using one's office to get people to donate; it's about access to officials.
The mayor is quoted as saying, "I have never been swayed by contributions. Never, ever." It is only reasonable to believe officials who say, "I would like to think that I would never be swayed by a contribution. But I'm human and, therefore, good at hiding my biases from myself. And even if I were never swayed, how in the world could the people in my community possibly know that?"
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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