An Ethics code for the City : The Big Picture

A good friend e-mailed me this morning about the niece of one of our leading Santa Clarita citizens who is running for mayor in East Haven, Connecticut. It said, “If the city of Santa Clarita could have a ‘twin separated at birth’ it would be East Haven, Connecticut where April Capone Almon, an elected member of their Town Council dominated by developers and special interests -- is ready to shake things up.

I was amazed as I read about her campaign at the similarities between Santa Clarita and East Haven. Capone Almon, who has been a vocal proponent of transparency in government, said her campaign will hinge upon three central issues-taxes, education, and ethics. “The Maturo administration has attempted to convince people its policies have succeeded," she said. "Rather, this administration has used its monopoly of town government to exercise its powers on behalf of the land developers and financial interests that fund its political operations.” “An open form of government that ensures public participation must exist if East Haven is to foster true economic development,” said Capone Almon. “I want to make sure we're following the letter of the town charter as well as the spirit of it...You can follow the law of the charter and not follow the spirit of the charter,” Capone Almon said, stating she believes this is the current case. She said improving the ethical environment in East Haven requires good, new leadership. “Any system that operates to benefit a select, self-interested few at the expense of hard-working taxpayers needs to be displaced,” said Capone Almon. “Government is not about enriching friends; it’s supposed to be about public service. Land developers and others with lucrative town contracts are politically bankrolling this administration. Granting land developers zoning variances, as reimbursement for political donations, is about gifts, not about rights,” she said. So despite the attempts of our local officials to marginalize those of us deeply concerned about the ethical lapses in Santa Clarita, it is clear that we are not alone. The marriage between special interests and local government appears to be poisoning other communities as well. This is an issue that goes to the heart of the 1976 Supreme Court decision that “money equals free speech.” Since then, big money has captured government on every level, national, state and local. The balance between special interests “wants” vs. the public’s “needs” has all but disappeared. We see it here every day because the developers pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into our public officials campaign coffers and then time after time, these officials give them what they want. Ridgeline ordinance? Don’t worry, you can build on ‘em. We don’t need a view. Preserving our heritage oaks? It’s ok to chop 1400 of them down. After all – progress has a price! Building in the flood plain? It’s ok, after all, Newhall Land got FEMA to say it's all right. Low-income housing? Sure, if what you mean as “low income housing” starts around $500,000. Supporting a permanent cold weather shelter for our homeless neighbors? NO!! NO!! and NO!! because according to City Councilman Bob Keller, “We don’t want them around the nice (later stated again but this time he said good) people of Santa Clarita,” Does Bob think poor people can’t be nice? Or good? (The poor must not give Bob many campaign contributions.) And now the Hospital Office Building and Parking Lot Give Away otherwise known as the Hospital Expansion Plan. Mayor McLean’s “I didn’t write that e-mail” e-mail contained possible factual errors, unsubstantiated presumptions, and implications that certain decisions regarding the hospital expansion are already done deals. And yet we don’t need a Code of Ethics! What may pass as “legal” here certainly does not seem to live up to what is “ethical.” Our leaders should be cheering that we examine the practices that if not evil at the very least give the appearance of evil, as my mother used to say. What would a Code of Ethics look like? Codes of Ethics are value-based documents. They demand that our elected officials examine every action according to the spirit and not just the letter of the Code. For example, one of the seductive practices in this community is how City Council members hobnob with the developers who buy $1000 tables at local charity events and then innocently have them attend and sit at their table. Illegal? No, but when you attend these functions with the same “elite” time and time again, they become your friends. Of course, you see them as public-spirited citizens and you are inclined to do what they ask you to do on their project. Their vision becomes your vision. And, anyway, it’s hard to say ‘no’ to a friend. Is that seat at the fancy fundraiser a “gift?” Of course it is. Should City Council members attend these events as the guests of the developers? Absolutely not. Should they even attend these events? Of course, as long as they also spend an equal amount of time serving meals at the Shelter, collecting food for our hungry, working with churches and non-profits to help those who are slipping through the cracks, finding resources for real affordable housing, engaging the Hispanic and African American communities to find our their concerns (and not sacrificing our thriving Hispanic businesses in Newhall with their gentrification project.) They also need to walk every neighborhood and listen to the “common folk” about what is bothering them – over-development, traffic gridlock, terrible air quality, the lack of public transportation down the 5, not enough schools and a taxed infrastructure that cannot keep pace with development. They will realize that the people are tired of paying for infrastructure (roads, storm pipes, etc) that is blatantly built in preparation for the next development at the taxpayer’s expense. (Remember, in this community we privatize the profits and socialize the costs!) These development deals are made years before the public gets wind of them. For example, G & L Realty of the Henry Mayo expansion fame gave Frank Ferry $360 in the fall of 2005. Why? Do they just have strong public spirit for Santa Clarita? From a company headquartered in Beverly Hills? And do I think Frank is going to vote for the expansion? You betcha! Our City Council members are public servants. Public- that means all of us. Servants - they serve the public. Real public service demands that our elected officials walk a narrow tightrope of integrity, honesty and vision that insists they act on behalf of all our citizens not as the puppets of the developers. Maybe with a Code of Ethics in place they will decide not to go to those fancy charity events. Maybe they will decide we need to restore sanity to the way we elect people through public campaign financing of local elections so they don’t have to chase the developer’s dollars to get reelected. We need to help them examine who they are serving. A Code of Ethics will help them to begin this reflection. Carole Lutness SCV Clean Money for Better Government Committee