By Kevin D. Korenthal

A note to all Real-Estate professionals that are aspiring to public office; think again. The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) investigation against Santa Clarita City Councilman Bob Kellar is a stark reminder of government's intrusions into the private affairs of those seeking elected office. The issue that has launched the FPPC investigation centers around an invasive requirement of candidates to list the personal information of persons who pay $10,000 or more towards the privately earned income of a candidate in any given year. By requiring the private customers of candidates seeking office to essentially be registered with the state's authority on elections, the FPPC has created a playing field where successful real-estate agents (and others who are paid on commission) are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to running for elected office.

Because this catch 22 scenario has been seized upon by a long time critic of the Councilman, just as he is running for his 3^rd and final term in the office, the FPPC has made it a priority to start up an investigation. This is a hyper-partisan decision when contrasted with other complaints that the FPPC has received on other cases. For example, two Palmdale County Water District Directors noted back in 2007 that they had witnessed a fellow board director passing out International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker (his employer) pamphlets while on assignment at a conference being paid for by the rate-payers of the Palmdale Water District. The FPPC declined to investigate the obvious conflict of interest with that particular "political practice".