Tomorrow (Tuesday), Orange County Supervisors will consider taking positions on the two eminent domain ballot measures that will appear before voters in June.
By most accounts, most observers expect the Board of Supervisors to unanimously endorse Proposition 98, the ballot measure that protects all private property from eminent domain abuse and oppose Prop. 99, the phony alternative measure placed on the ballot by public agency associations representing politicians and developers.
According to sources, this news will be overshadowed by the news that Board of Supervisors may also decide to withhold its dues to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) until the taxpayer financed organization addresses complaints first reported in the Orange County Register (to read article, click here) that they, along with other such government associations, have funneled more than $4 million from anonymous sources to qualify Prop. 99 and to fight Proposition 98.
While CSAC and the California League of Cities continue to profess innocence, the Orange County Supervisors should demand, as have a number of newspaper editorials (to read click here) that CSAC release all internal documents that reveal who has been financing their political activities and how? If CSAC has nothing to hide, they should have no problem with this request. Moreover, Supervisors should demand that CSAC adopt bylaws that prohibit these so-called “non-public funds” accounts before restoring Orange County’s membership dues.
My preference would be for the Board to withdraw from CSAC all together. A county of Orange County’s size and political clout does not need the lobbying services of CSAC, especially if they continue to use our tax dollars in this manner. Just within the past few weeks, our tax dollars were also used to finance lobbyists and Capitol insiders to defeat AB 1992, by Assemblyman Chuck Devore (click here which would make CSAC’s so called “non-public funds” campaign accounts illegal, which would ultimately require them to use traditional campaign accounts that disclose donors to State regulators, government watch dog groups and the media.
CSAC’s representatives have good reason to appear before the board and address these complaints and concerns. After all, Orange County is the third largest dues paying member of CSAC and with this membership comes the influence and ability to demand greater transparency and accountability.
Like most Californians I find it distasteful that government has the ability to use our tax dollars to deny us our private property rights. Just imagine how they could use these same anonymous (aka slush funds) campaign accounts to promote ballot measures that raise taxes, or to defeat ballot measures that promote government reforms?
I applaud the Orange County Board of Supervisors for demanding greater accountability and transparency from CSAC, after all, they are within their right to do so since the board uses our taxpayer dollars to finance this organization, and their political indiscretions.
To learn more about these political slush funds operated by CSAC and the League of California Cities, visit www.thetruthaboutProp99.com. I encourage FR Readers to attend Tuesday’s OC Board of Supervisors hearing, starting Tuesday at 9:30am or watch the hearing live, by clicking here.
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