2008-02-13 Board of Ethics Minutes Regular Session

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YAGONG: - -So it doesn't matter— CHAIR: - -The issue is you brought up the issue by using your photograph first, and now shouldn't we decide whether or not that might constitute an ethical violation? YAGONG: Oh, absolutely. CHAIR: And it won't come back to you, of course, because we're trying to make this — and just set a precedence to tell all other elected officials you can or you can't. DILL: 1 think Mr. Yagong had a fairly good point when he briefly stated that the actions of this Board to date —what we've done already, just looking into this issue —I think may serve a purpose of having our incumbents think twice about how big their picture is, what kind of —if they're going to put it in at all or not =if it's worth it, worth the pilikia, to put their picture in the paper. I think just the fact that we're looking into it might serve our purpose of just keeping things in check a little bit. YAGONG: And you know, at the same time it could also be a disservice, though. DILL: Sure, yeah. YAGONG: You know, it could be a disservice, Mr. Joseph and commissioners, simply because the whole intent of the DAE Account, the whole intent of public monies and so forth, is —is it being utilized for County purposes? And that's the whole intent. Where I think the ethics commission comes in is when they feel that no, it wasn't used for County purposes. It did not serve a governmental purpose. That's when I could see everyone on this Council jumping up and down and saying, you know, we really need to look at it, you know. But I would challenge any member here, as well as —and as I talk to my constituents —to take a look at what we have placed in the ad and that we have utilized taxpayer money. And if anyone could give you one inch of that ad that says this does not serve a good purpose. DILL: That's why I think a yes vote on this motion that's on the table now might be tying the hands of our elected officials to truly serve in the best capacity—truly serve the constituents. CHAIR: Ms. Lum? LUM: I have a question for Mr. Ashida. The way this wording is in the motion we have on the floor, does it say —does the use of County funds —okay, let's say if it were —does it mean that it would always constitute —see, to me, it's ever constitute or always constitute ASHIDA: It's always. LUM: It would be always constitutes, always constitutes a Code of Ethics- ASHIDA: It doesn't give you any wiggle room. 39