Campaign tactics show candidates' leadership traits.

Vallejo residents need to elect new political leaders because the term for some officeholders is over. They need to consider candidates’ overall qualifications and not just their specialty in one area. Ethical standards, critical reasoning ability, accounting knowledge and political skills are some leadership traits voters should consider.

The United Workers for Local Government FPPC #1297806 sent out different flyers to support its slate of candidates. One coalition flyer featured a picture of firefights and police officers in uniform in front of a fire truck and a police cruiser. Inside Vallejo Firefighters, Police Officers and Teachers Associations endorsed Pamela Pitts, Erin Hannigan and Mike Wilson.

Presumably, this flyer intended to stress their candidates’ safety, education, and law and order credentials. It created an opposite impression of unethical and probably illegal campaign tactics.  

Public safety vehicles and employee status are city assets intended for use in ways that serve all Vallejo residents’ interests equally. Employees in the public safety department do not have discretion to use those assets to support political candidates they favor.  

The candidates supported by those flyers also show questionable ethical judgment by allowing misuse of city equipment and city employees to support their political campaigns. Vallejo’s police and fire chiefs, city manager, city attorney, mayor and council members all live in Vallejo and received this flyer. They all had a responsibility to call attention to and stop this misuse of city assets for political advantage.

I suspected that many people might disagree with the ethical standards I applied here.  They may even consider me arrogant for imposing them on candidates. So, I checked the opinions of people who have a final say on such matters.  The California Legislature agreed in Government Code 3206, “No officer or employee of a local agency shall participate in political activities of any kind while in uniform.”

I find little in the various political flyers to convince to vote for a particular candidate.  The candidates supported by the United Workers coalition talk about increasing police and fire protection. Is this a coincidence? This suggests that other candidates are against having a fully staffed police force and secure streets.  I doubt if any law-abiding resident objects to having more police officers and safer streets.  The problem is finding the money to pay them. No candidate offers credible suggestions in this area.   

Candidates suggest they can help bring bookstores and specialty food stores like Trader Joes to Vallejo.  This may sound promising to the people who want those results, but no Vallejo political candidate can produce them. Those stores will come here only when there is a market for them.  

Vallejo makes up the largest portion of the potential Vallejo, Benicia and American Canyon bookstore or specialty store market.  However, less than 30 percent of Vallejo students score proficient or above in English Language skills. This suggests to a bookstore owner that over 70 percent of families in Vallejo are not the caliber of readers needed to support a major bookstore. Children of readers usually have good language skills.

After years of trying, Raley’s supermarket still has a tiny section of organic chicken and small organic food section. Albertsons tried selling organic chicken a few years ago and gave up. I doubt if any politician can persuade Vallejo residents to buy the higher priced specialty and organic foods in large enough quantities to support a Trader Joes type store. If they can, they should do it for Raley’s supermarket that served Vallejo by offering organic foods here without guarantees for success.

Political candidates should stop suggesting they have solutions to problems outside their expertise and area of responsibility. They should concentrate on policy and political issues where they can make positive changes.  

Recently, Vallejo lost control of its ferryboat service to the state of California.  Local officials say they were blindsided by the state legislature. Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said nobody was blindsided and people complain otherwise because they weren’t paying enough attention.

Vallejo’s political leader needed to attend Gov Schwarzenegger’s signing ceremony that created the Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA). This ceremony signaled the start of Bay Area politicians’ race to gain influence in WETA. Vallejo’s mayor did not attend. Mayors from Alameda, Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose were there. They leaped from their starting blocks leaving Vallejo behind tying its shoelaces. Time will show us if Vallejo’s interests suffer because of this omission.

Kenneth Brooks is an independent writer. Contact him at P.O. Box 882, Vallejo, CA 94590. opinion@ethicalego.com