Editorial: Tax money off limits for mailers

Thursday, May 29, 2003 | 8:37 a.m.

District Attorney David Roger has issued an opinion that a mailer sent out by the Las Vegas-Clark County Library system broke a state law against using public funds to support a ballot question. Roger noted that the mailer contained a disclaimer, telling recipients that the district was not advocating on behalf of the $50.6 million library bond issue that voters will decide in the municipal elections. Nevertheless, the mailer crossed the line because it contained information supporting the bond issue, Roger ruled. Instead of pressing criminal charges, Roger has asked the district to seek advice from his office before sending such mailers in the future.

While we support the ballot question, we also think Roger's opinion was correct. What's surprising is that government officials continue to ignore what are long-standing, clear-cut prohibitions on electioneering.

In Boulder City, City Manager John Sullard recently sent a city-paid newsletter to residents that was nothing more than a campaign rebuttal to allegations made by mayoral candidate Bill Smith about the state of the city's finances. Mayor Bob Ferraro initially defended its publication, but just a week later he said that in retrospect it wasn't the right thing for the city manager to do. (On Tuesday Ferraro called for Sullard's resignation, saying the city manager's financial information about one of the city's golf courses was misleading.)

The Clark County Commission and the Las Vegas City Council have sensible restrictions that prevent incumbents from unfairly benefiting by being featured in government-paid newsletters and on government-run television station programs. They're the kinds of limitations on campaigning that all other local governments should embrace. And, in the case of ballot questions, no governing body should spend any money on so-called "public information campaigns." It's shameful that government officials have to be reminded that they're public servants, not political consultants.