Saratoga News

Dreaded PAC members are people too

By Ann Marie Burger

I noted with interest Jim Shaw's letter to the Saratoga News Sept. 18 urging candidates for Saratoga City Council to "renounce PAC contributions and PAC-sponsored forums." What Shaw is asking us to do is ignore large segments of the residents of Saratoga, paying heed only to those who reflect parochial or insular views shared by an individual candidate or candidates. It would be foolish to take such an action, and I will not accept his challenge. Instead, let's take a moment to look at political action committees (PACs) and to try to understand why they should be an issue at all.

The first candidates' forum of the season was held by the Board of Realtors on Sept. 18. Shaw and his running mate, Stan Bogosian, declined to attend the forum, citing their unwillingness to participate in a forum sponsored by "organized groups with special objectives."

Who are these people on the Board of Realtors? Well, they are the people who help you build a new home. They help you sell your home or buy a new one. They live down the block or across the street from you, and they send their children to the same schools as the rest of us. Their sons and daughters may even eventually marry your sons and daughters. In short, they are our neighbors. They live and work in this community, and their interests are shared by all of us: They want to maintain and preserve the value of our residences, the quality of our schools and the beauty of our city. Yes, indeed, they are an organized group with special objectives, ones we should be happy to embrace and endorse because they benefit us all. These dreaded PAC members are people! And, by the way, many Saratoga residents who attended were somewhat insulted by the failure of Shaw and Bogosian to appear at the forum. They feel that they are being ignored.

There are also people who possibly belong to other groups in the community who have organized to achieve special objectives, like many of our local homeowners groups. Shaw is president of the Saratoga Woods Homeowners Association. Isn't that a PAC? Bogosian tells us that he is an active member of the Sierra Club, a former membership chair. Isn't that a PAC? Will they decline the endorsement of either of these groups or turn down financial support if offered? Come to think of it, everyone in this city is a "special interest group" unto him or herself. Those who are really committed to excellence in government band together into groups to achieve legitimate ends.

There is a larger danger here, and one that I believe we must be careful to avoid. Failure to engage all segments of Saratoga in dialogue and debate sends a very clear message to the voters, and that is, "We are not interested in what you have to say or how you feel about an issue unless you reflect our views, and only our views." How well will you be represented if these candidates are elected to the City Council in November? The desire to serve the community must be accompanied by enough self-confidence to exchange ideas with everyone in that community.

In the four years that I have served on Saratoga's City Council, I have never been approached by the Board of Realtors, the Good Government Group, the League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women, the Rotary Club, the Friends of Saratoga Libraries, the Hakone Foundation, the Saratoga Sister City or any homeowners' association to act in their favor. Some of these groups are actively involved in the political scene, some not. But all of their members are concerned and interested residents of Saratoga.

Contrary to Shaw's expressed fears, I have never felt constrained by some oblique "obligations that result from financial support of political action committees." And to further put unrealistic fears to bed, why don't I just tell everyone what political action committees have contributed to my campaign to date? More than 1,260 individuals have donated, and 93 percent are from Saratoga (some seniors who used to live here have now moved to retirement facilities in other communities, and I have a few friends from beyond our borders). Of my contributions, 94 percent are $100 or less. It's an affirmation of a broad-based, grassroot support for my efforts, and not one legally registered PAC among them. And yes, I intend to present myself and my views at every forum organized during this campaign. I welcome the invitations that have been extended, and I am thankful for the opportunity to meet as many residents as possible for an honest exchange of views. How else will you ever know if you wish to cast your vote in my favor?

Ann Marie Burger is a member of the Saratoga City Council.