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Should city hall be able to politick?

By HOWARD TROXLER
Published March 15, 2007

One duty of a democratic government is to lead people to make informed choices through fair persuasion.

- Florida Supreme Court

First of all, congratulations to the backers of the Penny for Pinellas sales tax. They won a big, decisive victory in Tuesday's election.

Sour-grapes types like me might complain: Well, they scheduled it for March to get a low turnout. But 57 percent to 43 percent is too big to argue.

On the other hand, here is a different bunch of sour grapes:

Once again, the government of Pinellas County spent tax dollars to take sides in an election. The county campaigned for a "yes" vote.

The county, as well as many of the cities in Pinellas, did the same thing last fall, when they fought each other on amendments to the county charter.

To them, this kind of electioneering is apple pie. They say they need to "educate" the voters. They like to cite the 1991 Florida Supreme Court ruling quoted above.

But they aren't just '"educating" voters through "fair persuasion." They are telling them which way they ought to vote, using tax dollars.

What if George W. Bush or Bill Clinton or Congress had ever claimed such power? It is the same thing, even with a piddly little local election.

There are bills in our Legislature to make it illegal: Senate Bill 734 by state Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, and House Bill 749 by state Rep. Janet Long, D-Seminole.

Justice's bill came up last week in the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, but it ran into trouble and Justice postponed a vote.

The current wording of Justice's bill would outlaw:

... expending, directly or indirectly, public funds to support or oppose an issue, referendum, or amendment that is subject to a vote of the electors ...

A lobbyist for the Florida League of Cities said it would be too easy to violate such a law. Even discussing an issue with a news reporter on a government telephone, or answering a constituent's question, might be illegal.

Okeydoke. But does that mean we have to go to the other extreme, and let governments start PACs, buy ads, send out fliers, pay political consultants and put up signs?

We'd see how long lawmakers would let this go on if their cities and counties started campaigning against them.

On Wednesday, Justice said he is working on a compromise to target explicit campaigning, while making it clear no one is a lawbreaker just for stating an opinion.

If you'd like a say on this bill - either for or against - then why not contact the chairmen of the elections committees in the Senate and House?

The House chairman is Rep. Pat Patterson, R-Deland. The Senate's is Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs. All of their contact information is available on the Legislature's Web site, www.leg.state.fl.us.

Patterson's Tallahassee number is (850) 488-9873. Constantine's is (850) 487-5050. If you call, please be brief and sweet and have the bill numbers handy - the folks answering the phone are working hard, and there is a saying about honey being better than vinegar, you know.

Howard Troxler now has a blog for updates, observations and reader comments. Check it out at www.tampbay.com by clicking on the "Blogs" link, or at the Web address blogs.tampabay.com/troxler.

[Last modified March 15, 2007, 06:15:52]