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I received a call June 25 from Daily Sentinel reporter Mike Saccone and was asked to comment on Commissioner Janet Rowland’s plans to create a public relations firm. Mike’s call was my first confirmation of this.
Although no names for the source of this story were mentioned, some people may have the impression that I somehow started this debate and that it is inappropriate. I would like to set the record straight. Perhaps Janet raised the issue herself at this time, to inoculate herself from future criticism. Whereas she has let it be known before the election what she is planning, the voters can’t complain later. The Sentinel pointed out Commissioner Meis did the same thing before he was first elected.
The law is quite specific about what constitutes an actionable conflict of interest. In essence, an official would have to trade a specific favor for proven compensation to break the law. Dennis Herzog’s June 27 “From the Newsroom” blog entry is correct in stating there is nothing wrong on the surface in opening a PR firm. The questionis: Would this be ethical conduct? The fact that Janet would be an influential public office holder would not be lost on potential clients to her PR firm. It would cause me to wonder whose interests she is putting first.
Special interests find many clever and legal ways to buy favor. I find this influence-peddling to be offensive.
In Janet Rowland’s case, Republican voters can decide for themselves on Aug.12 what they think is right. Mr. Herzog is correct, it is my job as the Republican candidate to point out this choice. It is why I am running against her.
David A. Kearsley
Mesa
15 Responses to “Influence peddling is offensive”
Posted June 30th, 2008 at 5:39 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
A public official should be above even the hint of a conflict of interest. The Janet Rowland upcoming P.R. firm smells bad! The County Commissioners are paid for full time jobs. When is she going to engage in the P.R. work? I suggest she resign as County Commissioner if she wishes to open a business trading on her contacts. We would also be spared the sight of her mouthing Christian prayers in open defiance of the law of the land.
Posted June 30th, 2008 at 7:19 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
This is pretty much standard for many public officials. For some reason many seeking public office can’t seem to separate their personal business from conducting public business. Or perhaps they believe it is one and the same. After all, is that not the same thing done by Kathy Hall, the current energy industry Palladin for the Western Slope? As I recall, there was not a single moment between the point at which vacated her seat as a county commissioner and that where she assumed the position of “shrill and shrewish mouthpiece” for the energy industry.
Posted June 30th, 2008 at 11:10 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Mr. Kearsley is obviously wasting his time running for county commissioner. He is apparently a talented clairvoyant. How else could he predict who the clients of a non-existent business would be? Heck, he even knows why they would become patrons of that non-existent business. Truly amazing. He insinuates that his opponent would be in the pocket of influential clients. Dare we assume that he is referring to energy companies? Perhaps Mr. Kearsley could explain to the voters exactly who makes their living investing in off shore drilling? But that would be reading the tea leaves in ones own cup. The time spent by Mr. Kearsley gazing into his crystal ball may have better served his candidacy if he had spent that time explaining to Mesa County voters how the county might have progressed under his leadership. But maybe he does not have a platform of his own.
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 9:00 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
Scott McInnis is another very good example of a person who has tried to wiggle out of his obvious conflicts of interest. About a week ago he wrote a very uncivil (indeed highly insulting) letter about Duke Cox, a prominent environmentalist. He then signed it as an ex-congressman, as though that somehow put some weight behind his demeaning remarks. I nearly rolled out of my chair laughing at this bogus attempt to appear respectable. If Mcinnis were honest, he would have signed it with his present job title: lobbyist for the oil and gas industry (which come to think of it is not very different from what he did when he was supposed to be a congressman).
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 9:13 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
Has anyone else noticed that Class of 52 posts are nothing more than a continuous political commercial? His partisanship is obvious, and that is OK, but that partisanship should be recognized as his motivation for reducing this forum to nothing more than his personal propaganda instrument. How sad that he doesn’t end his post with; my name is J. Eugene Fox, I am a radical left wing activist, and I approved this message. That would make it easier for those of us who do not wish to live in a world consisting of one long, continuous political advertisement to just skip over his posts. But then, I suppose that would defeat his purpose.
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 10:06 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
AP: “Has anyone else noticed that Class of 52 posts are nothing more than a continuous political commercial?”
I am registered as an independent and at each election I vote for both Republicans and Democrats. Indeed I am on the Republican national mailing list since I contributed to the election of a republican senator. I get their polls, newsletters and requests for support. I have a big framed document on my bulletin board from the Republican national committee thanking me for their support. So AP continues his lying ways.
But what is really funny about this post from AP is that he is an acknowledged conservative of the fundamentalist streak somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 10:56 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
Class,
Nice rant, but I have a question about it. Why would the Republican national committee send you anything “thanking me for their support”? While we try to figure that one out, we’ll just let the public read through your posts, from which they can easily determine that you lean so far left you are horizontal. It wasn’t your leanings that I commented on, it is your obsession at turning this forum into nothing more than a political commercial, and your misguided attempts to feed your drivel to the public. Give it a rest. Let your candidates run on their merit. Besides, I don’t think you are doing them any favors, but then maybe that was what the Republican party was trying to tell you.
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 11:19 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
“52, with the disappearance of troll #1, it looks like you’re down to only one stalker! Congrats!
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 11:30 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
toaaronuu,
I prefer to think of it, not as stalking, but rather as lying in wait, as a hobby. It makes one wonder what it is about Class’s personality and tactics that would motivate so many to adopt the hobby. Maybe it was something he said.
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 11:34 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
Chiming in; it is my opinion that JR should leave her post as a county commissioner. From the outside looking in, it seems as if she has changed her tune on more than one occasion although I have no examples to give only because I didn’t write them all down as she was flippin’-n-floppin’.
As for her opponent Mr. David A. Kearsley, I don’t know him. He hasn’t come a knocking on my door to let me know how he feels about Mesa County hiring of illegal aliens, so he probably doesn’t have my vote either.
In this race, anyone who is willing to break our laws, more than likely is a Professional Politian and one I am not going to vote for.
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 11:52 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
T.: ““52, with the disappearance of troll #1, it looks like you’re down to only one stalker! Congrats!’
yeah, Troll # 1 can’t get anyone to show any interest in his bait anymore so I think he has gone fishing elsewhere.
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 12:00 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
“Maybe it was something he said.” Yep, civil discourse, eloquent prose, well-reasoned arguments, the ability to think for ones-self, all are enough to send an American_Patsy into mouth-frothing fits of delirium.
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
huh…looks like a guy can’t work for a living without getting a new designation…as for “trolling”, nobody is able to beat the wondrous threesome (known as a menage-e-trois in some circles, if ya pardon the spelling)of classless, toa and rl for baiting hooks then responding with insults and barely veiled innuendos….
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 12:37 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Hitek,
Ah, the age of enlightenment emerges. I appears what once was a secret has become common knowledge, and is therefore obsolete. Good call, Hitek.
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 1:19 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Who is “troll #1″? And since when is crass no longer on here?
t-monkey is nothing more than a little toadie for the BBB.
He only gets involved when he thinks his masters will allow it.
Most users are capable of carrying on discussions on a wide variety of topics until the moron bunch butts in and begins their name calling, belittling and whining.
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