{"id":35044,"date":"2012-01-10T06:14:16","date_gmt":"2012-01-10T13:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=35044"},"modified":"2012-01-11T07:58:33","modified_gmt":"2012-01-11T14:58:33","slug":"funeral-donation-proves-need-for-reform-in-cruces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2012\/01\/funeral-donation-proves-need-for-reform-in-cruces\/","title":{"rendered":"Funeral donation proves need for reform in Cruces"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Heath Haussamen<\/p><\/div>\n

Former Las Cruces Mayor Bill Mattiace\u2019s donation of campaign funds to help pay for a funeral demonstrates the need for campaign finance and other ethics reform in city government. It\u2019s time for action.<\/h4>\n

Former Las Cruces Mayor Bill Mattiace says donating $10,000 from his campaign account to help pay for the funeral of his sister-in-law\u2019s husband was \u201cthe right thing to do.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

While I certainly understand his desire to help a family member, particularly in a difficult time, Mattiace was wrong to use campaign funds to help his sister-in-law.<\/p>\n

Such donations should be illegal, even though they\u2019re not currently, because of the slippery slope they represent.<\/p>\n

If you can use campaign funds to pay for funerals, why not also for living expenses? Or your child\u2019s college tuition? Or a new car? Or a trip to Vegas?<\/p>\n

Allowing campaign funds to be spent for those purposes is practically inviting bribery. When a public official gets into financial trouble, there will be a temptation to trade an official act in exchange for a personal bailout. Sure I\u2019ll vote for your proposal. Just contribute $2,500 to my campaign\u2026<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why what Mattiace did is wrong. That\u2019s why it should be illegal.<\/p>\n

Money raised for a campaign should only be spent for campaign purposes, and perhaps, as long as it\u2019s strictly regulated, on expenses directly related to city officials\u2019 job duties.<\/p>\n

Reform is long overdue<\/h3>\n

The fact remains that such spending of campaign funds is not illegal in Las Cruces. Thus, the blame lies with city officials (including, I suppose, Mattiace in his former capacity as mayor) for allowing such spending.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been trying to start a discussion in Las Cruces about ethics reform since 2009, when I first wrote an article<\/a> about the need for revisions to the city\u2019s elections code and other ordinances that relate to ethics. At the time, Mayor Ken Miyagishima told me he supported reform and shared with me his own ideas for improvement. Several councilors also told me reform was an important topic to discuss.<\/p>\n

But by last year\u2019s election season, city officials had taken no steps toward such reform.<\/p>\n

In August, I authored a commentary<\/a> complaining about the lack of action. Here\u2019s what I wrote:<\/p>\n

\u201cLas Cruces should focus on reform. The city doesn\u2019t even require that election ads include a disclosure of who is paying for them. That\u2019s a basic campaign transparency issue required at the state and federal levels, and it\u2019s something this website requires from candidates regardless of whether the jurisdictions in which they\u2019re running require it.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthics reform is long overdue in Las Cruces. Let\u2019s hope the mayor, councilors, and candidates running in the November election make it a priority.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In their own words<\/h3>\n

After I wrote that commentary, I asked the candidates about ethics reform. Here\u2019s what those who won last year\u2019s races said (click on the links to read their full statements):<\/p>\n