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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

For "the rest of the story"

There is no more important position in the City of Glendale. All 7 city councilmembers, which includes the position of Mayor, create and decide on all policy and all local laws for the city. City council decides all kinds of policies and enacts all kinds of laws. For example, when your garbage is picked up and how many times a week; what city projects are funded and which are rejected; or the speed limits within our city.

But there is far more to being a councilmember. A councilmember is not only a leader of the community.  He or she is a symbol of our value system. Each is charged with being above reproach and is considered to be an example of and an emissary of our community.

My platform consists of 5 “E’s. Over the next week or so I will flesh out each “E.” The first of these is

Ethics. Ethics is standards of right and wrong that tell us what we ought to do in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. For example, it is unethical to steal, murder, or commit fraud. Ethics embodies honesty, compassion and loyalty. It motivates us to act based upon the concepts of right and wrong. It is a moral philosophy.

I am running to bring ethics, including honesty and integrity, back to the Yucca district city council position. The current holder of the position seems to have misplaced his ethical compass. Witness the recent media stories that cite his abuse Chavira and luggage 1of taxpayers’ dollars and trust by using taxpayer money for nearly $25,000 of highly questionable trips. Despite the laxity of city policy, it does generally require that councilmembers’ trips are to be done for city business. Most people agree that it is unethical to go to Washington, D.C. using taxpayer dollars to see the Pope on a large screen TV. Despite the fig leaf of the councilmember’s claim that city business was done (for 5 minutes?) many Yucca citizens believe that he abused the taxpayers’ trust. There are also questions about frivolous expenses he incurred on these kinds of trips, such as a $420 dinner for his boss, the Phoenix Fire Chief.

The people of Glendale have every right to expect their public officials to be of the highest character. I pledge that as your councilmember I will make public every taxpayer dollar I spend. If the city cannot accommodate my intent then I will personally post all of my expenses on my blog site, www.joyceclarkunfiltered.com  for anyone to see at any time. It’s your money and you should know the who, what, where, why and when of my expenditures of taxpayer money as a councilmember.

When public officials, such as Mr. Chavira, not only waste taxpayer dollars on questionable expenses, but then refuses to disclose receipts for reimbursement, or votes in favor of issues belonging to some of his largest campaign contributors, he tarnishes what it means to be your councilmember and reduces his ability to ethically represent our district’s best interests.

When I learned of Mr. Chavira’s actions I was angry and dismayed for he had tarnished the reputation not just of the Yucca district elected position but he has now raised public distrust of all of Glendale’s elected officials. He has reinforced the public notion that all politicians are crooks and corrupt. The actions he committed in an instant will take much time to repair. He has lost the trust of the people who elected him to serve them.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go tohttp://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

 

Right after this blog endorsed Jamie Aldama for the Glendale Ocotillo district council seat, I received the following information.

Zomok ltr Oct 8 2014On October 1, 2014 former Ocotillo district city council candidates Bud Zomok and Michael Hernandez sent a formal letter to the following: Attorney General Tom Horne, Maricopa Supervisors Marie Lopez Rodgers and Clint Hickman, County Attorney Bill Montgomery, Glendale City Clerk Pam Hanna and County Recorder Helen Purcell.

They allege that Jamie Aldama, a current employee of the Glendale Community College Structures Department, is required to resign his position if he wishes to remain a viable candidate for the Ocotillo District City Council seat. Anyone, as does Mr. Aldama, who works for a governmental agency such as the Maricopa Community College district is a paid, public employee. A councilmember’s position is a paid, public office.

The Maricopa County Ethics Handbook on page 18 states, “A public employee, whether merit-covered or unclassified, may not be a candidate for nomination or election to any public office which is either paid or partisan. Upon filing for nomination papers or making a formal public declaration of candidacy, an employee shall be required to submit a letter of resignation.” See this link: http://www.maricopa.gov/InternalAudit/pdf/Controls/ethicshandbook.pdf . It is commonly referred to as ‘Resign to Run’.

If after further investigation by the above cited agencies this stricture applies, Mr. Aldama has only two options. One is to resign from his paid, public position with the Maricopa Community College District or two, immediately terminate his candidacy for the paid, public office of the Ocotillo City Council seat.

Is Aldama waiting to see if he captures the Ocotillo council seat before resigning? That can’t be kosher, can it? Not according to the Ethics Handbook which says upon filing nomination papers one is required to resign.

So, Mr. Aldama, which is it to be? Will you resign your paid, public employment or will you withdraw your candidacy? Those of you planning to vote for Mr. Aldama may want to hold off for a bit to see how this situation plays out.

On yet another front…JMC Irrigation. It’s public address and phone number is that of Jamie Aldama’s residence within the Ocotillo district. Hmmm…either Mr. Aldama has a side business or someone else living at his residence has the business. Either way, in checking the Arizona Corporation Commission, it is unregistered. In checking the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, it is also unregistered with that agency. Is anyone from JMC paying required licensing fees and taxes?

© Joyce Clark, 2014

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.