Letter: Offices shouldn’t be used to gain clout with voters

Monday, Aug. 5, 2002 | 9 a.m.

In Mike O'Callaghan's July 25 column, "Don't misuse a good law," he asserted my alleged abuse of a good law when I questioned Myrna Williams' motives and conduct in producing the Spanish-language version of the brochure in question.

It should be noted that although the federal EPA requires water providers throughout the nation to furnish the data contained in this brochure to its customers, they are not required to provide it in multilanguage versions. To do so would place a huge burden on these entities and misdirect resources that could and should be used elsewhere. It is easy to see that if all governmental entities and the agencies they regulate were required to conduct all business in all languages, the costs and disruptions caused would be catastrophic. As a former governor, O'Callaghan must know firsthand how such a requirement would consume valuable resources better spent on other worthy projects.

To say that the brochure has been printed in Spanish for three years is not in itself an argument for them to continue to do so. If anything, it is a reason to examine these practices, and if found to be in error, correct them. I argue that this complaint was not filed on behalf of Mr. Badillo's campaign to gain political points, but simply as an attempt to make the public aware that politicians should stop using the power and influence of their office to gain clout with the voters. Politicians should be promoting worthy programs, not pandering to ethnic groups in their constituency by using public money to produce multilanguage literature that they have no mandate to furnish.

O'Callaghan argues that we acted because it was an election year, and in this point, he is absolutely right! In our system the candidates present ideas and complaints to the people during the election process. The voters then make their decisions based on these arguments, and we move forward, hopefully for the better. That is how our system works, and that is how it should continue to work.

JACK LIPSMAN Editor's note: The writer is campaign manager for Tony Badillo, who is running against Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams.