Mayor violates campaign finance laws

An odd thing happened today.

Mayor Ruth Asmundson and law school professor Marty West -- she teaches at UC Davis School of Law, where I just finished my second year -- formed a campaign committee recently. They mailed hundreds of letters to Davis voters, asking them to support Sydney Vergis, a candidate who benefited from thousands of dollars in contributions from the shady firefighters' union when she lost her last run at city council in 2006.

This time, Vergis is ostensibly forgoing any firefighter money -- their money is tainted now, thanks to the good work of blogger David Greenwald over at the People's Vanguard of Davis. She's made a pledge not to take their money, and we can hold her to that pledge because she must report her contributions to the city clerk. So far, so good.

But Mayor Asmundson and West's "independent" campaign committee isn't held to the same reporting requirements as Vergis's campaign. Their "independent" expenditures are reported on a different timetable, and although they've already printed those letters, we won't know how they paid for them until June 3rd, a mere five days before the election. And the rules on contributions to committees are looser, too.

The problems run deeper:

• Mayor Asmundson's daughter Alinia Asmundson is the treasurer of Sydney Vergis's campaign. Since the Mayor's "independent" committee isn't supposed to consult or coordinate in any way with Vergis's campaign, this seems very shady. Does the Mayor honestly claim that she formed a campaign committee and started publishing advertisements for Vergis without mentioning it to her daughter -- Vergis's treasurer? Yeah, right.
  
  
• The Mayor and Professor West's "independent" committee mailed a letter on May 22nd supporting Sydney Vergis. The Davis Municipal Code (section 12.01.055(c))requires a copy of that letter to be sent to all candidates and the city clerk within 24 hours, via fax, overnight mail, or personal delivery. No candidate received a letter within 24 hours, which is a blatant violation of Davis's campaign finance law. According to the Davis Vanguard, West and Asmundson didn't send a copy to the city clerk, either.
  
  
• If the Mayor and Professor West "knowingly" or "willfully" violated the law, they are guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
  
  
• At this point, I still haven't received a notice of the letter by personal delivery, overnight delivery, or fax. Professor Martha West sent me an email this morning (3 days after the deadline), but the law requires overnight delivery, fax, or personal delivery. I've received no missives from either West or Asmundson through the specified methods.

If nothing else, this demonstrates why fixing the Municipal Code is so important to me. The fact that the Mayor doesn't know the Code well enough to avoid possibly committing a misdemeanor shows that there's something seriously wrong either with the Code or with the mayor.

"Something we need in this city"

We had a debate/forum a couple days ago at city hall, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. My favorite part of the Davis Vanguard's story on the debate wasn't anything the Vanguard wrote, but rather a voter's note in the comments section:

E Roberts Musser

05/08/10 - 10:57 AM

...

IMHO, Daniel Watt did very well in this debate. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind, and used a common sense approach by giving specifics, something we need in this city. Very quick on his feet in a debate. He has shown a proven track record of effecting change in city policies, by getting the city to start the process of repealing its own unconstitutional laws. Thus Daniel already has a certain grasp of how to get things done, a surprising turn of events. He's a little rough around the edges, but he reminds me a bit of Lamar Heystek - young, idealistic, a representative for youth in this town (which is sorely needed) and ready to try to do the right thing for Davisites, without being beholden to special interests. Good job, Daniel...

Read more at the People's Vanguard of Davis: "League Candidates Forum Puts Campaign Into Home Stretch."

"Candidate Watts gets victory"

The Davis Vanguard blog posted a piece on my campaign promise to repeal unconstitutional portions of the Davis Municipal Code. After two representatives from the King Hall ACLU spoke at a City Council meeting in March, the city council will apparently comply.

From the Vanguard:

While Davis Columnist Bob Dunning may rate Mr. Watts as having a 22 billion to one shot at the city council, Mr. Watts has achieved what none of the other candidates have achieved to date, he has changed city law or he will if a consent agenda item passed on Tuesday night that introduces an ordinance repealing Section 26.01.010 of the Davis Municipal Code addressing annoying persons on streets and amending Section 26.01.100 addressing obscene language.

Debating the police -- with the police chief

A few days ago, the Davis Chamber of Commerce sponsored a "candidates' forum." A forum resembles a debate, except slightly more boring. David Greenwald at the Davis Vanguard covered it extensively, and the David Enterprise printed a front-page article on the forum.

I said what the others wouldn't. To quote the Vanguard,

Daniel Watts was rough around the edges but clearly the conscience of the group that was willing to take on the tough issue and let the chips fall where they may. He went after unconstitutional city ordinances, the police who he claims harass students and homeless people, city salaries, the firefighters, landlord-tenant disputes, the Davis Model lease, you name it. Said Mr. Watts, "We don't have an advocate for the voiceless on the city council. I intend to be that advocate."

The Chamber asked how we would sustain enrollment in Davis's schools. I explained how we cannot expect young families to return to Davis, where they spent four years as students, if the city mistreats them when they are students.

"No offense to members of the force in attendance," I said, gesturing to Davis Police Chief Landy Black in the front row, "but the police do not have a good relationship with the students."

During the campus protests, the police -- working with the CHP and UCPD -- beat peaceful protesters with clubs. They tased them, then lied about tasing them, then admitted to the lie when they realized they'd been caught on video.

It's unfortunate.

Endorsement interview, article on Davis Vanguard blog

Updates this week:

I had an endorsement interview with a local group a few days ago. It went well, and I appreciated the chance to introduce myself to a few community leaders. I'll post the results when they're available.

The Davis Vanguard posted an interesting article about the presentation my colleagues and I gave at the last City Council meeting. As with any article, there are a few inaccuracies -- I obviously realize that proposals require a council majority to enact, for example -- but I appreciate the Vanguard's interest. Check it out.