Bayside’s candidate survey may open the door for others
A decision to publish a city council candidates’ survey in a publicly-funded newsletter may set the precedent for other city commissions and boards to do the same, officials say.
But despite recent criticism by some community members, a political observer said he believes the Bayside Beat would be doing a public service by asking questions and publishing them in its monthly newsletter, which prints 2,000 copies for downtown business and residents.
The Bayside District Corp, which receives 80 percent of its funding from the city, has proposed publishing in its September issue the results of a questionnaire it distributed to all nine city council candidates last month. The Bayside District manages the downtown area, including the Third Street Promenade.
A few of Bayside’s board members have said the action would violate the organization’s status as a non-profit. The issue has been put on hold until the city attorney’s office can determine if it’s legal.
Publishing the questionnaire’s answers also may allow any of the city’s other non-profit organizations to follow suit, officials worry.
The Pier Restoration Corp. board could ask political candidates their views on issues concerning the Santa Monica Pier. Or the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau could ask candidates for their views on matters dealing with the city’s tourism industry.
And while neither organization publishes their own newsletter, they both have Web sites where such material could be posted.
Robert Stern, president of West L.A.- based Center for Governmental Studies, applauds Bayside’s decision to ask candidates pointed questions about issues facing Santa Monica.
The more information being provided about candidates and their views the better, said Stern, who used to live in Santa Monica.
And while the city’s official newsletter, “The Seascape,” discontinues publishing during the 88 days surrounding an election, Stern pointed out that Santa Monica’s publicly funded cable television station does not.
Santa Monica TV hosts candidate forums and individual interviews with candidates running for city council.
“It would be somewhat unusual (Bayside officials) are asking these questions, but there is a city TV station already putting candidates on and asking questions of them and airing all of that,” he said. “That’s paid for by the city and it should be encouraged.”
Stern brushed aside accusations that the survey’s questions were leading or biased. The questions address topics as diverse as candidates’ views on the city’s living wage ordinance, public food giveaway programs held in downtown parks and a question about an intricate downtown planning policy.
“These are specific questions, but I’m not sure they are biased questions,” he said. “Any time you ask questions you can be accused of having an agenda. I mean they aren’t endorsing candidates.”
“These are specific questions, but I’m not sure they are biased questions. Any time you ask questions you can be accused of having an agenda.” — — ROBERT STERN Center for Governmental Studies
The questions Bayside officials submitted to all nine city council candidates asked them to respond to five questions in 15 words or less. The answers would be edited for content or editorialized by the newsletter’s staff.
Stern said the more the city provides forums for candidates to engage each other and the voters in an unbiased dialogue, the better informed residents will be when they go to the polls in November.
However, other city non-profit board officials said they don’t plan to submit questionnaires to candidates any time soon.
Michael Klein, chair of the Pier Restoration Corp., said personally he would not advocate publishing a survey of candidates’ views. He feels publishing the information might give the appearance of a conflict of interest.
“I always prefer to avoid even the appearance of suspicion, and there are other places where this information can be published,” he said. “Places that are not funded by the city.
“It has obviously raised questions for some people, so my personal inclination would be not to do it,” he added.
Rodney Punt, chair of the Convention and Visitor’s board, agrees.
“Our board has collectively decided to focus on our mission, which is to bring visitors to Santa Monica, and serve those visitors while they are here,” he said. “I haven’t considered quizzing candidates and it’s not something we would do.”
However Punt said he feels Bayside should be free to publish its survey if that is what the membership wants.
“It’s their own right to pursue such matters as they see fit,” he said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 5, 2002. Read the original PDF.