In The News
Large campaign contributions raise questions
Saturday November 01, 2008
By By Todd Guild
The Watsonville Register-Pajaronian, November 1, 2008
Large campaign contributions raise questions
Posted: Saturday, Nov 1st, 2008
The battle to develop the land around the Watsonville Municipal Airport has taken on a new twist with thousands of dollars in campaign contributions given to candidates who oppose placing housing there.
Gabriel Gonzalez, who is running for a seat in District 1 against Manuel Bersámin, was given $3,000 each from pilots Ken and Gabrielle Adelman, and $3,600 from the Watsonville Regional Airport Promotion.
Candidate Joe Ortiz raised $7,788, $6,000 of which came from the Adelmans, and $600 from the WRAP.
While other candidates have raised more money overall, the donations have raised eyebrows among community members and other candidates. Watsonville City Clerk Beatriz Flores said the largest amount she's seen until now is $1,000.
Because of the size of the contributions, Councilmember Oscar Rios said he is considering reforming campaign donation rules in Watsonville, where there are no limits.
"Its incredible," he said. "It's like buying the election. They will expect (Gonzalez) to be his voice. That's what I oppose."
Gonzalez has said that he opposes development around the airport. It's the only airport in Santa Cruz County, and served a vital function during the Loma Prieta earthquake and the recent wildfires, he said.
"I guarantee you we are going to have another earthquake," he said.
Gonzalez suggested that the city instead build low-income housing on the Bergstrom annexation, 90 acres of farmland to the southwest of the city once slated for industrial development.
"I would rather take $5 from anyone supporting the airport than $20 from a developer," he said.
Ken Adelman defended the contributions by saying that grassroots donations are difficult to come by in difficult economic times. Candidates have little chance of running a successful campaign without large donations, he said.
Adelman said he opposes not only development around the airport, but on Atkinson Lane as well.
"I'm not a big fan of (the City Council's) build-anywhere-consequences-be-damned attitude," he said.
Adelman pointed out that the candidates who support the development are also well funded, and pointed to Councilmember Manuel Bersámin, who received a contribution of $600 from the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, and $300 from the county Building and Construction Trades Council.
Taking contributions from such entities is "the reality of economics," Adelman said.
Countering criticism that he's essentially buying the election by giving such large contributions, Adelman said he doesn't stand to make or lose money from the success of his candidates.
Airport Manager and WRAP chairman Don French said the issue is really about safety, and added that the proposed development would lead to the end of the airport.
"We feel that we would like to try to pick up one or two seats on the City Council of people that have a more realistic view of what keeps an airport safe," he said. "Building off the ends of airport runways has proved to be unsafe for people in the air, and unsafe for people on the ground."
French said the contributions were simply to help their preferred candidates get their foot in the door.
"I think we're small potatoes compared to other candidates," he said, pointing to Luis Alejo, who has raised nearly $14,000 as a candidate for District 2.
Alejo pointed out that most of his donations came in increments of $10 to $250 from about 80 donors.
"The amount I raised shows the support I had in my campaign," he said.
Alejo added that 90 percent of Gonzalez's contributions came from airport interest groups.
"For the other candidates, it shows a lack of support," he said. "They raised very little on their own."
Bersámin has said he supports the plan to construct low-density housing near the airport, because many in his district are working class and farmworkers who cannot afford to purchase a home.
"Those folks need more housing stock," he said. "I don't believe we have enough."
Bersámin said he understands the need for a regional airport, particularly in the face of potential disasters like the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and said he understands his opponents' positions.
Still, he said giving large contributions to candidates who oppose development sends the wrong message.
"I believe their issue is singular, and that's to prevent any development around the airport," he said. "My job as a councilman is to make things better for the people in my district."
Candidate Emilio Martinez, who has raised no money, has said from the beginning of his campaign that he wouldn't accept contributions, stating that he is a businessman, not a politician. It's "overkill" to accept that much money in contributions, he said.
"Watsonville is about to go broke," he said. "You can't take a penny. If you do, they're going to hold you to it."
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(Published in 11/1/08 edition)