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Guest commentary: Where is the real conflict?

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So Director Ace wants to “investigate potential conflicts of interest” of two of the challengers for the seats on the water board, one of which is his. Why, because they live in the district they represent, they have already said they are willing to resign their seats on the San Diego Country Estates Association Board should that be considered an issue.

Since we have had water board members and SDCEA board members holding respective seats on the boards at the same time in the past with no accusations of a “conflict of interest,” what is his problem? Will he be willing to open himself up to the very speculation that he is willing to subject his challenger to?

To this reader it would appear that Director Ace is attempting to intimidate his challenger and poison the well of the electorate, before the race has even begun. Seems to me he is the one with a “conflict of interest.”

His explanation: “That potential conflicts of interest could (my emphasis) occur when the district negotiates a new recycled water contract with SDCEA and during water and sewer discussions.” Well innuendo and maybes do not get you a conflict; in fact, since the two proposed challengers are not even on the water board, the discussion is moot.

Since there is no “conflict of interest” until the person is on the board and it is the board’s job to police or monitor its members for just those issues, as well as the electorate that those members serve, is Director Ace trying to influence an election?

Should Director Ace have recused himself, “when voting on or participating in negotiations” having anything to do with the district that he represents since he would have been the beneficiary of his vote regarding water and sewer fees, or on any vote taken that would benefit his district since he lives in it? Remember he is a sitting water board member; in fact he is the board president. This is one of the worst examples I have ever seen of a water board president attempting to use his powerful seat as the president to try and intimidate an opponent before a race has even fully begun.

I fully agree with Director Hickle: “Just the fact that you are … going up for re-election, there is a conflict there.”

I believe that the current sitting president of the water board has created a “conflict of interest” regarding himself, simply by him creating an ad hoc committee to investigate his opponent for a non-existent “potential conflict” that even the FPPC (Fair Political Practices Commission), has said “would be difficult to offer an opinion on since it has not yet happened” is something that should be looked at as a true conflict of interest.

I will also point out that district General Manager David Barnum should have pointed out the very fact that there is no conflict until the candidate has been elected and taken his seat, then voted, thereby creating the (supposed) conflict and that there are already remedies should this occur. Barnum agreed with the water board president and said “the District should have its legal counsel investigate/review the matter,” thereby securing the expenditures of all of the people of Ramona (the District) to investigate something that has not occurred, and costing us more money in legal fees, thereby giving him another reason to ask for a rate increase again next year and ingratiating himself further with one of the members of the water board who holds his job in the palm of his hands.

Kevin Pack is a Ramona resident.

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