27 of 998 DOCUMENTS

San Bernardino Sun (California)

December 6, 2001 Thursday
Baca's campaign snafus revealed too late in game
SECTION: EDITORIAL
LENGTH: 730 words
The hullabaloo over Rep. Joe Baca's campaign finances shows one of the glaring shortcomings of the federal campaign
reporting process: It moves much too slowly to be genuinely effective. The Federal Election Commission has fined
Baca, D-Rialto, and his campaign committee $3,200 for accepting banned corporate contributions and not disclosing
campaign debts. In a settlement agreement that Baca signed in October and the Federal Election Commission made
public only last Friday [interesting delay], Baca also acknowledged failing to disclose for eight months $10,000 in
contributions and accepting one contribution of $5,500, which was $4,500 above the federal limit of $1,000 per
individual contributor per election. The key point, however, is that all of these violations occurred during Baca's first
run for Congress in 1999, a special election following the death of Rep. George Brown, D-San Bernardino, and in the
2000 primary election campaign. Needless to say, Baca and his erstwhile election opponent portray these revelations in
different lights. One of the congressman's chief aides dismissed the violations as only reporting errors. Elia Pirozzi, who
lost both elections to Baca, sees them, not surprisingly, as "very serious infractions." Pirozzi said the only reason that
Baca won the special election was because he accepted illegal contributions. "If the public had been privy to these
violations at that time, I'd be sitting in Congress today there's no doubt in my mind," Pirozzi said. Most people would
agree, given the real nature of the overall political picture, that Pirozzi is exaggerating and posturing. But then, who
knows? Maybe if the voters had been fully informed at the time, some of them at least might have voted differently. In
any case, the point of the disclosure laws is just that disclosure. It doesn't serve much practical purpose to take action
against lapses in campaign reporting years after the infractions have happened.
By then the process may serve as an interesting political footnote, but it comes far too late to assist voters in making up
their minds.
We understand that the commission cannot act instantaneously, but more than two years is an inexcusably long time to
wait.
County not rushing to
judgment on overtime
In agreeing to pay two years' back pay to five supervising deputy coroners who alleged in a lawsuit that they never were
paid overtime, the county has managed to resolve an employee dispute without protracted litigation. But that doesn't
mean it plans to be taken for a patsy either.
The county has agreed to settle the federal lawsuit by paying $50,000, to be split five ways among the deputy coroners.
That is as it should be. If the county violated federal laws by not paying overtime, it should act responsibly and pay
what's owed.
On the other hand, the county, with all due prudence, plans to look at each ensuing allegation of failure to pay overtime
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in a distinct and separate light. The county, after all, isn't ready to give away the store.
"The county isn't just going to write a check based on what the association's attorneys are asking for. Each case is a little
different, and they all have to be investigated and litigated," county spokesman David Wert said.
Three other lawsuits involving county employees who also allege they weren't paid overtime are likely to go to trial
early next year. The suits, involving 29 sheriff's patrol deputies, 140 sheriff's custody specialists who work in the jails
and 47 probation officers, were filed separately in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in summer 2000.
Those suits have the potential to cost the county $40 million in unpaid overtime and attorney fees, according to Gregory
G. Petersen, the attorney representing the San Bernardino County Safety Employees Association.
As steep as the price tag may be, the county is taking things in stride. If the county erred in not paying overtime, it will
pay what's owed, Wert said, but first it will determine whether the claims have valid legal strength.
Exactly. Each case may involve different circumstances and may require different remedies. The county is exercising
good judgment to take each case by its own merits, and not automatically assume that each has equal justification.
County employees and taxpayers alike deserve to be treated fairly.
LOAD-DATE: October 13, 2003
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
Copyright 2001 MediaNews Group, Inc.
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Baca's campaign snafus revealed too late in game San Bernardino Sun (California) December 6, 2001 Thursday