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Common sense,
not cash, should rule the BoS
Published in the
Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, July 15, 2009
Paul Ortiz
Smart
voters know that to explain the behavior of some politicians, you often just
have to “follow the money.” That’s
why I am running for Supervisor in the Aquia District, to help bring about
some much needed common-sense reform of the way our local government
operates.
Whether
they are Republicans, Democrats, or Independents, all citizens have a right
to honest and fair government. But,
too often, elected officials ignore citizen voices in favor of influential
special interests that bankroll their campaigns.
One
way to limit the effects of special interests is to have transparent
campaign finance reporting. To
that end, I am adopting voluntary campaign finance reforms and challenging
my opponents—incumbent Paul Milde and candidate Irene
Egan—to do the same. Regardless
of who wins the election, full disclosure by all candidates will be a
benefit to citizens and the democratic process.
I
will adopt three basic “clean money” reforms.
First, I will report the source of all campaign contributions,
regardless of size. Current
Virginia
law only requires reporting the source of contributions greater than $100.
Though multiple small donations that add up to more than $100 are
supposed to be reported, there is no effective way to enforce this law,
leaving too much room for mischief. The
best way to close this loophole is simply to report all
contributions. That’s what I
pledge to do.
Second,
I will not accept any campaign contributions from the development industry
(developers, builders, real estate agents and land speculators).
I do this because this is the industry that profits most from the
actions of Supervisors through rezonings and other land use legislation. By
declining contributions from them, citizens can be confident that I am free
of obligations to those special interests
Third,
in the spirit of transparency and openness, I will make all economic
interest statements and campaign finance reports available on my website (PaulOrtiz.org).
Citizens should have easy access to such information from all
candidates.
These
steps will go a long way towards preventing the conflict of interests that
have too often characterized
Stafford
politics. For example, in 2008
(a non-election year), Paul Milde (R-Aquia) accepted $700 in cash
contributions from Bill Hoyt. During that same period, Milde initiated a
controversial conditional use permit application for a property owned by
Hoyt—which was opposed by nearby neighbors—saving Mr. Hoyt $10,000 in
application fees.
Does money change how
Supervisors vote? Or does it
merely follow candidates who are already loyal to contributors’ positions?
It doesn’t really matter. Either
way, the influence of money in politics dilutes the voices—and votes—of
ordinary citizens.
Loudoun
leads the way
That’s one reason why the
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors adopted a voluntary code of ethics that,
among other things, places limits on campaign contributions by people,
organizations or corporations with applications before the Board.
If elected, I’ll work for the adoption of a similar code of ethics
in
Stafford
.
I’ve
seen first-hand how special interests can override common sense and the
welfare of citizens. Developers
got the Board of Supervisors to remove an “open space” deed restriction
from a parcel of land next to the Hills at Aquia subdivision where I live,
and then proposed a commercial development for the parcel.
Although
I and my neighbors successfully fought the rezoning, the current Aquia
Supervisor supported that rezoning and the special interests behind it, even
though his constituents opposed it. That’s just wrong. I’m running for
office to change that way of doing business and to make sure constituents
come first.
Both
of my opponents have a special obligation to commit to a clean money
campaign. Mr. Milde has a long record of advocating fast growth legislation
and promoting development projects. In
moments of candor, he has even described himself as a “developer.” Ms.
Egan has been employed by builders and the construction industry. Voters
are right to be wary of candidates with such ties to special interests and
they deserve to know the truth about finances in the Aquia race.
Clean
elections give citizens a greater voice in their government, while greatly
reducing the undue influence of special interest money in politics. That’s
why I challenge my opponents in the Aquia election to also adopt voluntary
campaign finance reforms, starting with the filing of campaign finance
reports due July 15th.
It’s time to restore
honesty and a spirit of service to the office of Aquia Supervisor, and I
will run my election campaign the same way I will govern: with integrity.
Paul Ortiz is an Independent candidate for Aquia
Supervisor.
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