An ethical slip?
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Submitted by scottjason on Tue, 2008-07-15 15:05. |
Monday night, the Atwater City Council unanimously approved giving $2,500 to the Merced County Chamber Commerce to build a display advertising this area at the state fair.
Other cities and the county will also be hit up for money in the coming weeks.
The chamber wants to build a stunning display because they're viewed by more than a million people, some of whom may be convinced to visit Merced County.
Other chambers tend to spend thousands on displays, such as one in Sonoma County, which had a $165,000 bill one year, Merced County Chamber of Commerce officer Mary Ward told the council.
The problem here? Atwater Councilman Nelson Crabb is also the president of the chamber and would obviously like to see it thrive through projects like this.
Nelson voted for the donation, as did the other council members, so it presumably would have passed either way. Though it was only a $2,500 gift, it still struck as questionable me the more I thought about it. When it comes to ethics in an elected officer, perception is what matters most.
Little mention was made of Nelson's ties to the chamber, nor did he step down for the vote.
Do you think he should have?
Ethical slip
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Submitted by unruly58 on Fri, 2008-07-18 04:03.
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Why would we want anyone to visit? our County and city are in such a poor state of repair, we would only be the laughing stock!!
Ethical Slip
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Submitted by ATWATER1 on Wed, 2008-07-16 15:35.
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Of course, it was an ethical slip. As a long time observer of the Atwater City Council, I see these ethical slips all too frequently..... First, lets use the right word--dishonest.... Example?..At the Last council meeting, the members voted to purchase a 2008 Ford Exployer for the City Manager..... The Council's stated reason? For use at the Public Works Dept.... The Council neglected to say that the Old vehiche, driven by the city manager would be the vehicle going to the Public Works Dept...... Then the Fire Chief, in order to justify Fire Inspection Fees, reported that fees were charged and collected for weed abatement inspections---not so.... They are not.... Ethical slips are a routine event at the Atwater City Hall....
An ethical slip?
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Submitted by ReverendDraco on Tue, 2008-07-15 16:47.
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He absolutely should have. . . actions like that fall under the same lack of ethics as if he had voted himself a raise. . .
Balance is Life. . .
Reverend Draco
Syndicate
Ethical slip...Really???
What constitutes an ethical slip? Is the council member personally benefitting from the decision? No. Let's not forget that most council members in most cities are members of community organizations. Those organizations (Rotary/Soroptimist/Kiwanis/Lions etc) sponsor events in our communities and request a waiver of room fees, or park fees, or application fees because they provide a public benefit. This is no different. The public will benefit from the activity NOT THE COUNCIL MEMBER. His membership in the County Chamber is not a paying position--he's a volunteer.