The issue came up at the candidates' forum for 2004 Saratoga City Council hopefuls hosted by the League of Women Voters on Oct. 1.

Barnes indicated that the $30,000-plus he spent in an attempt to win a council seat was all his own money. He later shook his head as Mayor Ann Waltonsmith, running for re-election in the '04 campaign, contended that disclosure statements revealed that number to be more than $40,000. During Barnes' next opportunity to speak, he emphasized that it was $30,000.

The banter may have been no more than political posturing, however the numbers were significant--not so much because of the amount, but because independent candidates need to spend big money in order to compete for the Saratoga City Council--because of something called "the slate."

The slate is literally political piggybacking. Candidates of like minds with similar positions on the key campaign issues join together in their run for the council. The campaign financing issue comes into play because independent candidates are forced to spend more in an effort to stay even since slate candidates share campaign costs for signage, buttons and advertising.

We believe that the slate concept is wrong in nonpartisan races such as a city council campaign. By teaming up individuals on a slate it provides an unfair advantage for those candidates and discourages others from challenging what is nothing short of a political action committee.

Barnes had little choice but to spend so freely in 2002 when he opposed a three-person slate of Kathleen King, Nick Streit and Norman Kline. He no doubt will have to spend similar dollars in 2004 in his race against Waltonsmith and Aileen Kao, slate candidates this fall.

Saratoga voters need to ask some tough questions in this election and those that follow: Who is it behind the slate concept in Saratoga? In a city of brilliant professionals where are the independent thinkers who could bring so much to the council? Are qualified candidates scared away because of the thought of the money and effort it would take to defeat such a political machine?

A slate is a bad idea in local politics and it's certainly not serving the city well. The time has come to wipe the slate clean in Saratoga, if not now, in 2006 when three seats come open.