[StBernard] Taffaro Paid Traffic Ticket With Campaign Fund

[Westley Annis]

Isn't strange how elected officials commit acts THEY KNOW are illegal and
the moment they are caught, their reaction is "oh, well I'll pay back or
make a reimbursement" - as if  any consequence for committing the wrongful
act "iONLY if they get caught" and not actually committing the wrongful act.

Our legislators need to propose a state constitutional amendment (to be
approved on by the voters) that "any unethical act so found by the State
Ethics Commission where it is determined the elected official should have
clearly known the wrongful act was in fact a violation of law, shall be
immediately removed from office."

I wonder if you polled all elected officials how many would say "yes, I'll
support a proposed constitutional amendment such as that" compared to the
general public WHICH YOU KNOW will pass such an amendment if on the ballot.
Just goes to show how differently the voters and those we elect to public
office think.  I wonder if any of them understand what the word "honor"
means.





-----Original Message-----
Taffaro Paid Traffic Ticket With Campaign Fund

St. Bernard Parish President Plans To Reimburse Money

POSTED: 4:22 pm CDT May 10, 2011
UPDATED: 4:49 pm CDT May 10, 2011

CHALMETTE, La. -- St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro used campaign
funds to pay a traffic camera ticket last year, and he has asked the state
Ethics Commission about whether that is a violation.

Taffaro sought clarification from the Ethics Commission on campaign finance
following an inquiry by WDSU News about the traffic ticket.
He said in a statement Tuesday that he paid the citation late, and it cost
$185.

The Ethics Commission said that the only case on record does not allow
campaign finances to be used for defense of criminal activity. But Taffaro
noted that a citation from a traffic camera is not a criminal defense.

Still, Taffaro said he will reimburse his campaign fund for the amount of
the ticket and amend his campaign finance report.

"The report will be amended to reflect the change, and the commission
described it as not a matter for the board and no further action was
necessary," Taffaro said in a statement.


Read more: http://www.wdsu.com/news/27844338/detail.html#ixzz1M2sLtKvb