Posted on 10/04/2005 6:37:47 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO - Hamstrung by funding and staff shortages, California's political watchdog agency is dropping about 225 cases and instead is sending warning or advisory letters to some candidates or officials accused of violating election or ethics laws.
"We have to prioritize cases," John Appelbaum, head of the Fair Political Practices Commission's enforcement division, said Tuesday. "If we don't have the resources, they may get closed."
The enforcement division currently has 23 members, down from a high of nearly 33 in 1997. Overall, the FPPC has lost about 30 staff positions - a third of its work force - since 1991.
Meanwhile, the number of enforcement cases has increased. Applebaum's staff has begun a "triage approach" to whittle its workload to a more manageable level.
That means dropping about 225 cases that the agency would "love to pursue" if it had the resources, said Mark Krausse, the commission's executive director.
The 225 are among 485 cases the agency has closed since May 1 or plans to close. The 485 also include 128 completed cases in which fines were issued, as well as cases in which investigators found no violations or only technical violations.
About another 650 cases are pending, Krausse said.
Most of the 225 dropped cases fall into a "low public harm" category, but they represent a large percentage of the approximately 1,000 complaints the commission receives each year, Krausse said.
Besides additional manpower, the enforcement division also needs higher pay and benefits to slow a turnover rate among its attorneys that reached 157 percent in the last five years, Appelbaum said in a report to the commission.
The commission has asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for a $1.2 million increase in funding next year, which would allow it to restore the 30 positions it has lost since 1991. Its backup request is for another $600,000, which would return its budget to the same level it was three years ago.
Spokesman H.D. Palmer said the Department of Finance, the governor's budget arm, will consider the requests.
"As with any agency, we don't reject a request out of hand. At the same time, we don't offer a blank check," he said.
"Our staff will sit down with the commission staff, review their case load, review their staffing level and based on that review make recommendations to the governor on what he should provide in his budget in January."
Krausse isn't optimistic the commission will get either increase.
"While it is not highly likely that either of these requests will be granted this year, our strategy is to begin making the case in order that some additional funding be secured when revenues are available," he said in a memo to commission members.
The five-member commission was created by voters when they approved Proposition 9 in 1974. It investigates and prosecutes campaign law violations, such as failure to report donations or exceeding contribution limits, and provides advice to public officials on requirements of the state's Political Reform Act.
It releases information only about cases it has completed.
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On the Web: http://www.fppc.ca.gov
So, they can just purge more than 25% of their workload?
This stinks.
Well, it isn't called StinkyTown for nuthin'.
Typical California. Rather than cut meaningless billions, the politicians cut lawenforcement that covers themselves. Disgusting.
If you're not going to enforce the laws, then simply abolish them. Honest candidates should not be put at a disadvantage.
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