Campaign Activity on Personal Time: What's the Problem?
Posted by: SB Pietas | 07/05/2008 11:34 PM
Recent stories have been critical of any campaign-related or otherwise political activity among staff members of elected officials. Clearly, those concerns have some legitimacy. First, let me say that, without question, it is inappropriate for government staffers to do non-government work on government time.
However, we should recognize that the staffs of elected officials must do and always have done some political work on government time. I am not talking about campaign activity. I am talking about the political aspects of governmental service. A meeting between two elected officials could certainly be considered political, but it could also have a legitimate governmental purpose. Press releases announcing an office's achievements could also be viewed as political, but are frequently distributed by the offices of elected officials at all levels.
Often, observers are quick to condemn any mention of politics in government. Perhaps I'm just playing semantics, but I think it's important to recognize that what's inappropriate during government work hours is activity without a governmental purpose. Some political activity may have a legitimate governmental purpose (governmental press releases, meetings between officials, etc), and is, therefore, appropriate. This is all secondary to my main point, though.
My main point is that there are a limited number of skilled political professionals, and their talents are often in great demand. I see no issue with elected officials' staff members working for political committees or campaigns, so long as that work is done on personal time, during vacation, or on another appropriate form of leave.
Recently an Assessor's Office spokesman was critical of two of BOS Chairman Paul Biane's top staff members for being involved in campaign-related activity. However, the Assessor's Office presented no evidence that any campaign activity had occurred during County work hours. Barring such a discovery, I must defend Chairman Biane's staff. What's done during a staff member's personal time is his or her own business. The public shouldn't care that an elected official's staff assists with campaign-related bodies, so long as that activity is not done on government time.
I understand the reservations the public may have about a government staff member also receiving payment from a campaign or a similar organization. But to restrict--or, even, to cast a stigma over--a government employee being involved with groups and organizations of any kind a very dangerous precedent to set. A government employee should not be prevented from doing whatever he or she wants during personal or vacation time, so long as it does not conflict with governmental duties, and is allowed by law.
In addition, if an elected official's staff are active in campaign-related matters (again, on personal/vacation time), the elected official is likely to be more formidable in his official duties. If a County Supervisor enjoys the support of numerous political organizations, is well regarded by his or her political party, and has a government-level staff that is also capable on the campaign trail, he will be far more influential on the Board. Again, that sort of activity must take place during personal or vacation time only. But if it does occur in an appropriate way, it can be very beneficial to the official even in a governmental sense.
However, we should recognize that the staffs of elected officials must do and always have done some political work on government time. I am not talking about campaign activity. I am talking about the political aspects of governmental service. A meeting between two elected officials could certainly be considered political, but it could also have a legitimate governmental purpose. Press releases announcing an office's achievements could also be viewed as political, but are frequently distributed by the offices of elected officials at all levels.
Often, observers are quick to condemn any mention of politics in government. Perhaps I'm just playing semantics, but I think it's important to recognize that what's inappropriate during government work hours is activity without a governmental purpose. Some political activity may have a legitimate governmental purpose (governmental press releases, meetings between officials, etc), and is, therefore, appropriate. This is all secondary to my main point, though.
My main point is that there are a limited number of skilled political professionals, and their talents are often in great demand. I see no issue with elected officials' staff members working for political committees or campaigns, so long as that work is done on personal time, during vacation, or on another appropriate form of leave.
Recently an Assessor's Office spokesman was critical of two of BOS Chairman Paul Biane's top staff members for being involved in campaign-related activity. However, the Assessor's Office presented no evidence that any campaign activity had occurred during County work hours. Barring such a discovery, I must defend Chairman Biane's staff. What's done during a staff member's personal time is his or her own business. The public shouldn't care that an elected official's staff assists with campaign-related bodies, so long as that activity is not done on government time.
I understand the reservations the public may have about a government staff member also receiving payment from a campaign or a similar organization. But to restrict--or, even, to cast a stigma over--a government employee being involved with groups and organizations of any kind a very dangerous precedent to set. A government employee should not be prevented from doing whatever he or she wants during personal or vacation time, so long as it does not conflict with governmental duties, and is allowed by law.
In addition, if an elected official's staff are active in campaign-related matters (again, on personal/vacation time), the elected official is likely to be more formidable in his official duties. If a County Supervisor enjoys the support of numerous political organizations, is well regarded by his or her political party, and has a government-level staff that is also capable on the campaign trail, he will be far more influential on the Board. Again, that sort of activity must take place during personal or vacation time only. But if it does occur in an appropriate way, it can be very beneficial to the official even in a governmental sense.
I've had this discussion quite a few times since Rita declared her candidacy earlier this year. As one of only a few government employees on this side of the fence, I found myself defending government employees' right of free speech and right to participate in the political process many times. I always tell people that I am a citizen, a voter, and a taxpayer first, then I'm a county employee. I do not give up my rights because I work for the government and neither does anyone who works on the Fifth Floor.
All of this is a long way of saying that I have no issue with any of the Supervisors' staff or Postmus' staff participating in the political process on their own time. However, as you stated, it is a very fine line. It seems like with certain staffs they do what they want until they get caught and then suddenly green-slip vacation time. We saw some of that during the campaign. We also saw some other very questionable campaigning being done at taxpayer expense just days before the election by a certain supervisor. Although they may not be violating the letter of the law, they certainly are violating the spirit of the law, which is no less important when one is campaigning on a platform of ridding San Bernardino County of corruption and promoting transparency.
This is an excellent piece, Pietas.
I am glad to see the new direction this blog is going- very objective yet fair.
There is a very fine line between government and political work, and one must always be sure not to cross it. When you're an elected official or staffer, your job is to serve, quite obviously, THE PUBLIC.