By STEVEN CISCHKE, Staff Writer
Friday, July 20
Pasadena City Councilmember Steve Haderlein will meet with the city attorney Monday to discuss a complaint filed by a former Pasadena mayor alleging that Haderlein violated ethics laws in sending out a mass mailer at the city's expense, Haderlein said Friday.
"We'll certainly make [it] right if I've done something wrong," Haderlein told Pasadena Now Friday. "I'll repay the city. If, in the city attorney's opinion I've done something wrong, I would do that."
Last week former-mayor William Paparian, who lives in Haderlein's district, wrote Pasadena City Manager Cynthia Kurtz saying he received a mass mailer from Haderlein that violated the Political Reform Act of 1988.
Paparian said he received a large postcard that used the city's bulk mail permit and mailing database utilizing Pasadena Water and Power accounts.
The mailing said, in part:
"I am thrilled to announce the following ...
STRIP CLUB ELIMINATED!
PERSSON'S NURSERY RETAINED!
BUDGET PASSED!"
It gave additional facts about these issues, did not claim that Haderlein was responsible for any of the actions and ended with "Sincerely, Steven Haderlein, Vice Mayor."
"I looked at this and I thought, 'Unless the rules have changed, you can't do this,'" Paparian told Pasadena Now.
"The purpose of the Political Reform Act is to take away the power of an incumbent to use public resources to keep his or her name in front of the voters," Paparian explained. He added that it doesn't matter that the next election is years away.
Paparian also said that if it were a knowing violation of the ethics rules, that would be a misdemeanor. If Haderlein is convicted of such a misdemeanor he would be ineligible to run in the next election unless the judge specifically determines that he should be allowed to run, Paparian said.
"What does he hope to accomplish with this?" asked Haderlein, who teaches civics and economics at La Salle College Preparatory High School. "It's pretty benign. I just don't know what his point is, seems like a waste of everybody's time."
"I guess Bill's ambulance chasing business is a little slow this summer so he's got nothing to do," Haderlein added.
Paparian countered:
"The guy just went through a re-election campaign; he was narrowly re-elected. And the primary thrust of this mailing has to do with these two highly contentious issues that he was on the wrong side of during the election. And as soon as they're resolved, he sends out a mass mailing telling people what the outcome was."
The former mayor said of the prohibition against mass mailings:
"It is a rule that I learned as a new member of the council. I know they do an orientation — city councilmember 101 — they tell you what the rules and regulations are. And this is the most fundamental one because it's the one that's the easiest to violate and it's the simplest rule to follow."
"If he's done it — he's been around for eight years — what are the others doing?" Paparian asked. "Who's minding the store?"
© Copyright by PasadenaNow.com. 540 Orange Grove Circle, Pasadena, CA 91105. (626) 200-6793.