Fair Political Practices Commission Investigating Nevada County, Yes on V for Campaign Finance Violations

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."  In order to have such "consent of the governed" and as an American people, we demand fair and honest elections and campaigns, for true consent of the governed cannot be given if would-be politicians conduct their campaigns dishonestly and in violation of the laws established by the state legislature.  Always believing the best in people, we assume that our local officials are honest and play by the rules until proven otherwise.  The coordinated campaign by Nevada County and the proponents of Measure V clearly demonstrates the "otherwise."

While we have discussed the historical underpinnings of Nevada County's misuse of taxpayer dollars to send the electorate campaign mailers in support of Measure V here, it turns out that, indeed, the use of taxpayer dollars for campaign material is also illegal.  In fact, the Fair Political Practice Commission ("FPPC") is investigating both Nevada County and the political action committee supporting Measure V ("Yes on V") for violations of the California Fair Political Practices Act.

In short and in violation of the law, Nevada County has used taxpayer dollars to send mass mailers to the local electorate in support of Measure V, to air advertisements on the radio, and to place additional advertisements in local print media. In fact, the County and Yes on V are unethically (perhaps illegally) coordinating their efforts in support of Measure V.

In addition to these campaign violations by Nevada County, the proponents of Measure V and Nevada County have printed campaign material without proper disclosures.  The law requires political action committees to disclose on all campaign material the name of the committee who paid for the campaign material and their unique FPPC number.  Neither Nevada County nor Yes on V have complied with this statutory requirement.  In fact, both the County and Yes on V printed yard signs without these required disclosures.   An opponent complained to the enforcement agency, the FPPC, who is now investigating Nevada County and Yes on V for these campaign finance violations.  See letter from FPPC to the left.

On the very same day that the FPPC notified Nevada County and Yes on V that they are being investigated for campaign finance violations, Yes on V issued a press release falsely alleging that opponents of Measure V are stealing yard signs which support the measure and that the opposition to Measure V is racist.  Yep.  If you oppose the additional sales tax to the general fund effort known as Measure V, then you must not like people of color and are a racist.  Linking racism to an effort to oppose a sales tax clearly demonstrates the desperation of Yes on V.  They are losing.  They know that they are losing.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the hopeless scream racism about a sales tax measure.

As far as Yes on V's missing signs, we have far more important action items than stealing yard signs from the ill-informed.  Bless the hearts of those who blindly support the scam known as Measure V without understanding anything about the true nature of the measure and have a yard sign in their yard advertising their ignorance.  That said and if someone was stealing signs, shame on you for not respecting our electoral process.  Folks are free to express their support of or opposition to political matters, and it is not for others to infringe upon another's rights to free speech.  On the other hand, I have seen tons of Yes on V signs located not on someone's property but placed in the right of way on our local roads.  Supporters of Measure V have been placing yard signs on such right of way, because most of us know what Measure V is and would not put a sign in our yard in support of it.  When these signs are placed in the right of way, Caltrans regularly takes such signs down, because they are an obstruction.  Above is a picture of their signs at the Caltrans warehouse off LaBarr Meadows.  I would advise the Yes on V folks to head over to Caltrans in order to pick up their missing signs which were illegally placed on our local right of ways.

As has been proven again and again in connection with Measure V, neither Nevada County nor Yes on V has been honest in conducting their campaign in support of Measure V.  In fact, both Nevada County and Yes on V have coordinated their messaging and violated election and campaign finance laws repeatedly over the past months.  Like you, we stand proudly against an out-of-control local government and a campaign committee that both struggle to follow the law and to be honest with the voters.  Send a message to the County that we will not tolerate being lied to and will not be manipulated by the coordinated campaign of Nevada County and the proponents of Measure V.  Vote NO on V.