Wieder’s Move to Ban Gifts Lauded
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When County Board of Supervisors Chairman Wieder issued the directive to Supervisor Roth’s staff saying, “With the climate in that office the way it is now, I think for them to do anything untoward (in accepting meals or gifts) would be stupid,” she stated a fundamentally important principle of ethics: There is no legitimate reason, ever, to give gifts of any kind to a public servant. Gifts to politicians, whether they be excessive campaign contributions or simply meals, trips or “free passes,” at least give the appearance of influence buying, if not, in some cases, of outright bribery. This practice has grown to such proportions in recent decades as to undermine our fundamental democratic process, and citizens everywhere are beginning to demand reform.
We think the time is right for the Board of Supervisors to take a stand for integrity and enact a ban on all gifts to all elected and appointed officials and their staffs.
BILL STRAHAN
Project Shame
Brea
Project Shame is an independent, nonpartisan grass-roots organization of citizens working for campaign finance reform.
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