"FPPC Fines North Salinas Valley Fund for Responsible Growth" by News Blog

News Blog

FPPC Fines North Salinas Valley Fund for Responsible Growth

December 3, 2012

There are winners and losers in elections, but in the California Fair Political Practices Commission's aftermath, there are mostly losers.

The North Salinas Valley Fund for Responsible Growth, the 501(c)(4) organization that bankrolled Marc Del Piero's failed campaign for county supervisor, settled for $1,350 with the FPPC for a late filing violation.

The group's treasurer, Margie Kay, filed a statement disclosing $95,000 in contributions after a semi-annual 2012 deadline.

"It was brought to our attention and we apologized. It was absolutely our mistake," Fund president Julie Engell says.

The Fund, comprising open space advocates, formed in 2008 with $600,000 won in a settlement with the county and developer HYH Corporation, after two successful referendums on the proposed Rancho San Juan development in North County.  

In 2011, the first year the Fund was active, the group gave $10,000 each to Supervisor Jane Parker's and candidate Ed Mitchell's (who serves on the Fund board) campaigns, according to 990 forms. They also made a $21,000 donation to Landwatch, a smart-growth nonprofit.

So far in 2012, they’ve given nearly $200,000 to Landwatch, Kay reports.

The FPPC opened its investigation into filing errors after Ron Chesshire, CEO of the Monterey/Santa Cruz Building & Construction Trades Council, lodged a complaint with the FPPC.

The Commission is scheduled to approve the resolution of the matter at its Dec. 13 meeting in San Diego.

Note: This blog post has been modified from its original version.

 This is priceless, the FPPC, is a paper tiger. Potter flies to Ireland (apparently paid for his own tickets, wow) with the developer of Monterey Downs, drinks it up with the Irish financial backers of the project, and no one at the FPPC thinks this is a conflict?
 Calcagno is going to make millions on the Cal Am project with the new site and pipelines on his property after he leads the effort to kill the Regional Project, and the FPPC and press could care less?
 Calcagno diverts water from the Salinas Valley Water Project to Laguna Seca for future development with his partner, Tony Lombardo (see the engineering report on-line) versus the original plan of a pipeline to Granite Ridge and, heck, no one seems to care.
 Let Kay miss a deadline and by golly, we have a punishable offense. I agree deadlines are important and this group should be fined, but does any one else in this reading audience not see the delicious irony here?

 I have the distinct feeling that very few, if any people are reading any of my posts, that is OK, but if you want to challenge me on any of my points, do so. Lets create a dialouge, force me to produce evidence of my points, I welcome the opportunity.