County Issue / Workers’ Compensation Donations...

Michael D. Bradbury, District attorney, Ventura County

With the economic plight facing local governments, there are likely to be instances in which private sources are sought to provide certain needs. Often this occurs indirectly. For example, government may have to look more to private organizations to assist the poor and needy. Unfortunately, the same weak economy has resulted in many such organizations having their own budget problems. A public program, such as the investigation and prosecution of workers’ compensation fraud supported by private dollars, does not necessarily mean that there would be prioritized service to the donors. Programs that service general needs and avoid influence of contributing individuals can provide a valuable service. The proposed program here entails donations by private parties to a local government entity for the purpose of enhancing the execution of a law enforcement duty which is already owed to the general public. This is very different from prioritized service. Any such program that depends on private donations will not result in prioritized service. Instead it will be a benefit to the general public.

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Larry Carpenter, Sheriff, Ventura County

I think certainly in the immediate future and perhaps beyond that, government must give serious consideration to reorganizing and consolidating, and the public must also educate themselves to accept a lower level of service in many areas. I think there is a place for public assistance in government programs, but I think that place is best utilized if these donations or that assistance is for a specific purpose or in a very narrow field, such as the D.A.R.E program. Who’s going to donate to the government when they think government’s being wasteful anyway. Who’s going to say, ‘Here’s my $18,000 income tax and, by the way, here’s another $500. See what you can do with it.’ You have to say, ‘We’ve used all our money this year and we need another $7,500 that would do wonders for us in the area of drug prevention. Would you help us out?’ The response has been pretty good. I am most familiar with the criminal justice field and it has never been the practice in my 27 years carrying a badge that favors could be purchased. That has not occurred and we don’t allow it to occur.

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Vicky Howard, Supervisor, Ventura County

I think that we are facing such severe budget problems that we are going to have to find some innovative solutions to them, and I can see where private donations of funds to government could become one of the options. If we get into that kind of situation, I think when you get into something really significant as far as dollars are concerned, it needs to be put into some sort of a blind trust so there is no information as to who gave the money. That really is important. There shouldn’t be any kind of a connection. If there is a nexus there is a problem. It’s an appearance (problem). It’s just like with us, we have to be very careful about campaign contributions. They have to be reported. The Sheriff’s Department K-9 program is supported by donations. And I don’t think there’s ever been any problems with that program or a feeling like the K-9s are only dispatched to people who have donated. You don’t ever want to get into a situation where it looks like somebody is buying a service from government. Whether it’s local or national, you just don’t want that to happen.

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Manuel Lopez, Mayor, Oxnard

I basically don’t think it’s a good idea. If somebody’s willing to provide funding to the Sheriff’s Department, and then the Sheriff’s Department would be providing service evenly throughout their jurisdiction, then it’s not a problem. But say I live in subdivision A and I say ‘I’m going to give you some money, but then you have to provide enhanced service to me.’ I don’t think that is right, because then only the people who have the ability to pay would receive the services. If there are no strings attached and somebody would say, ‘Out of the goodness of my heart, I’m going to give $10,000 to the Sheriff’s Department,’ then that’s one thing. But if they say, ‘I’m giving you this and I want a higher level of service,’ I’m against that. I think that we just have to be vigilant. People who are in positions of trust have to try to minimize that as much as possible. I don’t think that you can prevent it completely, but just being aware of the danger is the first step.

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Clint Harper, Board member, Moorpark Unified School District; former city councilman

I think it’s an inevitable trend as the funding gets tighter at the state that we’ll be looking to the private sector to support school districts through supplemental grants (and) donations. We’re now taking donations for library books at the high school and that’s already occurred a lot here at (Moorpark) college. Should it result in favoritism? My answer is no. The donations should be given with no strings attached and no expectation of favorable treatment. We were always very careful when we took donations from developers at the City Council, that there were not strings attached and they would kind of wink and say, ‘Yeah, but we expect you to answer our telephone calls a little quicker.’ I made it clear that whether I received their donations or not, they would get the same treatment. (At Moorpark College) we distanced ourselves a little bit from it by setting up a foundation, which accepts the money and then turns it over to the college. So maybe one way you insulate yourself is by establishing a foundation and have the foundation director or board deal directly with the donors.