[StBernard] Bill would identify ethics complainants

[Westley Annis]

The Chilling Effect on Residents.  Even with public participation, citizens
know the chilling effect of making their name public.  Too often, if
citizens place their name on a petition in opposition -- then they will
receive a visit from the property owners or councilman -- and that is
perceived, by most, as intimidating.  Before you know it, the property
owners claim no one is in opposition; we visited every one of them and they
assured us there will be no problems with what we're trying to do.  

-----Original Message-----
This legislation and the reasoning behind is not only wrong, but it misleads
the public as to the process by which the State Ethics Board handles an
anonymous complaint.  Ms. Hutter would have you believe the credibility of a
complaint is based on the credibility of the person filing the complaint,
when if fact the Ethics Board investigates the credibility of the violation
that is being brought before the Board.

Let me put it in the form of a simple example.  After receiving a complaint
that an elected official accepted a bribe,  an Ethics Board investigator
asks the official "Did you accept a kickback from a vendor doing business
with your parish government?"  The officials response is "who told you
this?"  Note, what does the answer to the official's question have to do
with whether or not he/she accept the kickback?"  The official's "honest"
answer is irrelevent to who the accuser is.

I guess Ms. Hutter is not aware that even in serious criminal trials there
are witnesses who are allowed to have their identity hidden because of the
personal harm that can come to them or their families.

In the past two years Governor Jindal's sponsored legislation has
accomplished wonders in changing Louisiana's tainted impage of its
government and its public officials.  Ms. Hutter's legislation will take us
back by a good twenty years.

Let me strongly recommend you let decision on whether or not to reelect your
incumbent legislator based on how he/she voted on Ms. Hutter bill.

- John Scurich