Political reform for some but not for all

Over the years, this column has exposed the myriad ways that the California Legislature enacts laws not for the public benefit, but to cement progressive political power with one-party rule. A lawsuit recently filed in the Sacramento Superior Court illuminates yet another example.

A coalition of business groups is challenging Senate Bill 1439 (Glazer), signed into law last year. The legislation, which took effect on Jan. 1, requires city and county elected officials to recuse themselves from certain decisions that would financially benefit any entity or person that donated more than $250 to that official’s campaign in the past year.

Specifically, SB 1439 amends the Political Reform Act of 1974, which prohibits an officer of an agency from accepting, soliciting or directing a contribution of more than $250 from any party while a proceeding involving a license, permit or other entitlement for use is pending before the agency. The new law is targeted mostly toward developers and other real estate interests which, rightly or wrongly, are perceived to make use of “pay to play” tactics, especially at the local level.

But prior to the enactment of SB 1439, the term “agency” was defined to exclude those entities whose members are directly elected by the voters. The thinking is that members of local legislative bodies, particularly city councils and county boards of supervisors, are directly accountable to voters, and citizens can either recall or reject for reelection politicians perceived to be unduly influenced by special interests.

SB 1439 removed the exception for local government agencies, thereby subjecting elected officials to the same prohibition as other officials. But despite what may have been good intentions, SB 1439 is flawed and may end up being invalidated.

The legislation’s legal problem is that it may be an impermissible attempt to amend the Political Reform Act without a vote of the people. PRA was an initiative and, as such, may only be amended by a popular vote or by legislation to further the n See Coupal page A5

Belltower

Letters To The Editor Foundation Change

EDITOR:

Marshall Foundation for Community Health began as Marshall Hospital Foundation in 1974. The primary purpose of the Foundation was to “support financial aid toward the operation, maintenance, and expansion of facilities at Marshall Hospital.” For nearly 50 years the foundation operated as a separate entity from Marshall Medical Center, supporting both the hospital and community health programs.

As Marshall Medical Center’s long-standing fundraising agent, the MFCH board recently explored with the Marshall board opportunities to streamline and strengthen its philanthropic efforts. As a result, to best support Marshall Medical Center’s mission now and in the future, the MFCH board voted to integrate with Marshall’s organizational structure. With the new alignment, the MFCH will retain its board and not-for-profit status with the support of Marshall for operational and financial functions. Mindy Danovaro has been appointed the new executive director of the foundation.

These changes are administrative in nature and do not affect donors, community partners or any funds and bequests with the foundation.

The new direction will poise Marshall Foundation for Community Health to raise more funds to continue to build on the great work that its founders intended. With a greater alignment with Marshall Medical Center, the foundation will be able to improve its support for medical services in El Dorado County and continue to be a catalyst for a healthy community.

CHRISTA CAMPBELL MFCH board chair

u.S. postal Service problems

EDITOR:

Iwas shocked to find out the reason given for no mail delivery to my house one block from the post office this past week was due to extreme understaffing. According to one carrier, with the working conditions, the long hours and now seven days a week just trying to keep up with the parcel post not many seem to stay on.

Having worked for the USPS for 28 years I am certain the problem can be solved by reorganizing staffing and bid job availability. The service has been mismanaged by every appointed postmaster general for decades. Too many managers and not enough workers. This is the theme now as well as then.

Moving into an era where letter mail volume dropped off and parcel post growth increased, changes needed to be made — more manpower, not less, was required. Sadly, instead of paying all postal workers a living wage and providing reasonable time to complete their tasks, it is the same old song — pay a manager to hit the desired numbers all the while losing sight of the service they are paid to provide.

I cherish my time and all the wonderful people I met while working for the USPS, especially the daily interaction with my assigned customers. They are family and it saddens me that it has come to this. Good news: Job openings at USPS ... only the strong apply.

MATHEW SNEERINGER Placerville

How Green Was My Tree

EDITOR:

When I came to California, I marveled at the oak trees that dropped their leaves in winter, just when rain was readily available. Then I noticed the truly evergreen oaks, such as the Gold Cup oak and read that it was believed to have evolved in a tropical environment. Its lobeless or dentate leaves are another indicator of a dry, hot origin like our own summers.

Oaks go back 146 million years (not a typo), during which time they did a lot of hybridizing with other species, which we mistakenly believe to be a bad thing. The transfer of genetic information from one oak species to another or from an individual tree with its own species and repeated backcrossing has resulted in estimated an 435 to 600 species of oaks. For our information, the fossil record goes back only 100 million years, but now scientists are able to find a complete set of genes in a cell or organism to go further.

Trees do not hybridize with just anyone. That Gold Cup is in a group of only five. You will probably have to go south along the coast or visit the islands down there to see the other four. (The Interior Live oak is a different matter, being in the big red/black oak group.)

But here the Gold Cup do just fine with their n See letters page A5