August 25, 2006

"Rival groups seek to write argument against ballot measure"

"Two groups oppose a combined pay hike and term limit for county supervisors.

One opposes term limits. The other is against pay raises for elected officials.

By law, only one can write the argument against the measure in the official ballot statement. The county's registrar of voters will decide the winner Friday with the flip of a coin.

Even before the toss, one group is already crying foul. A member of the group says the rival group has written an intentionally bad argument in order to help the ballot measure, not hurt it.

"That's just so disgusting I can't believe it," said Sean Brunske, a representative of Citizens Against Pay Raises for Politicians, the group opposing salary increases.

Approved for the ballot last month by San Bernardino County's Board of Supervisors, Measure P would amend the county's Charter by imposing a 12-year, 3-term limit on county supervisors' service and change the formula for how they are paid.

Initially proposed by Supervisor Paul Biane, the measure would mean a $29,000 annual salary increase plus benefits for county supervisors within three years.

Brunske's group says it intends to raise $250,000 to oppose the effort. In its proposed ballot argument, it decries Measure P as "really designed to disguise a pay increase for politicians who want political cover for raising their own salaries 50 percent!"

Its rival, "Citizens Against Term Limits," does not mention the pay raise. Instead, it takes issue with the wisdom of term limits.

"Don't force good elected officials to leave office. Vote no on Measure P!" it argues.

Under election law, certain people and organizations are given priority in writing ballot arguments. A county supervisor would receive precedence, as would a group that circulated petitions to qualify the measure for the ballot. In the absence of opposing arguments from either, however, "bona fide associations of citizens" are allowed to submit ballot statements.

What "bona fide" means, however, is open for debate.

The article is here.

Posted by Randy Riddle at August 25, 2006 09:25 AM