Michael Allen is running for 7th District Assembly with the slogan: Our Values, Our Voice. Really? What are our values?
Let's put it together here. What has Michael Allen been investigated for, and why is he under investigation now?
We have documented proof, his own contracts and invoices, showing that he was paid to influence the City of Santa Rosa while he sat on the City Planning Commission. This is a violation of the law of ethics and a serious conflict of interest as written in the State of California's codes. Take a look: Generally, a public official must not contact staff of his or her agency for the purpose of influencing a decision in which he or she has a financial interest, including contacts on behalf of a business entity, client or customer. (Regulation 18702.3(a); Rumansoff Advice Letter, No. I-94-045; Holbert Advice Letter, No. I-90-080.)
Unfortunately it takes the FPPC about two years to complete their investigations. By the time they have completed their investigation Michael Allen may be your assembly person. Will you elect Michael Allen to represent you in a position of trust?
But there is more.
While he was working for the SCWA and paid to influence the city of Santa Rosa, he was also employed by the State of California as Sen. Pat Wiggins' District Director, a job that pays about $60,000 a year. His own invoices for the time he was under contract to SCWA show that he was working for SCWA during the week, during working hours, and presumably, during the same time that he was charging time to you and me, the taxpayers, while he was employed by Pat Wiggins. Your values?
But there is more.
The Sonoma County Grand Jury has investigated Michael Allen (and Nick Caston's) behavior on the city of Santa Rosa Planning Commission. At the time that the Lowe's project came to the Planning Commission for approvals Allen and Caston were chair and vice-chair of the Accountable Development Coalition, a group Allen started to use as a pressure group for developers who wanted to get their projects approved or block other projects from being approved. Allen and Caston said that they had no bias against the Lowe's project but they were lobbied by their own group at the Planning Commission meeting and voted against Lowe's, as their group had demanded.
(Note: The Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition has no interest whatsoever in the Lowe's project.)
What did the Grand Jury say? That there were serious ethical problems on the Planning Commission, and Allen and Caston should have recused themselves from voting on the Lowe's proposal.
YOUR VALUES? YOUR VOICE? Someone commented recently that we seem to be abnormally interested in Michael Allen. That we appear to have a vendetta out against him. We don't. We don't know him, and have never met him. If he didn't want the attention he shouldn't have done the deed. What is more important than being able to trust your politicians? If you KNOW that they are corrupt why would you vote for them?
We've also heard from people who were actually angry with us for not letting them know about Michael Allen sooner. We have done everything we can to let the public know about this investigation by the FPPC, and the Grand Jury investigation information was sent out as an insert in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The reports were in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, the Napa Valley Register and other papers. Michael Allen has been very quiet about it. Will you be?
YOUR VALUES? YOUR VOICE? This November 2 some of us will be voting for a Republican for the first time since we registered to vote (Democrat) at age 18. Doris Gentry for Assembly.
Let's put it together here. What has Michael Allen been investigated for, and why is he under investigation now?
We have documented proof, his own contracts and invoices, showing that he was paid to influence the City of Santa Rosa while he sat on the City Planning Commission. This is a violation of the law of ethics and a serious conflict of interest as written in the State of California's codes. Take a look: Generally, a public official must not contact staff of his or her agency for the purpose of influencing a decision in which he or she has a financial interest, including contacts on behalf of a business entity, client or customer. (Regulation 18702.3(a); Rumansoff Advice Letter, No. I-94-045; Holbert Advice Letter, No. I-90-080.)
Unfortunately it takes the FPPC about two years to complete their investigations. By the time they have completed their investigation Michael Allen may be your assembly person. Will you elect Michael Allen to represent you in a position of trust?
But there is more.
While he was working for the SCWA and paid to influence the city of Santa Rosa, he was also employed by the State of California as Sen. Pat Wiggins' District Director, a job that pays about $60,000 a year. His own invoices for the time he was under contract to SCWA show that he was working for SCWA during the week, during working hours, and presumably, during the same time that he was charging time to you and me, the taxpayers, while he was employed by Pat Wiggins. Your values?
But there is more.
The Sonoma County Grand Jury has investigated Michael Allen (and Nick Caston's) behavior on the city of Santa Rosa Planning Commission. At the time that the Lowe's project came to the Planning Commission for approvals Allen and Caston were chair and vice-chair of the Accountable Development Coalition, a group Allen started to use as a pressure group for developers who wanted to get their projects approved or block other projects from being approved. Allen and Caston said that they had no bias against the Lowe's project but they were lobbied by their own group at the Planning Commission meeting and voted against Lowe's, as their group had demanded.
(Note: The Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition has no interest whatsoever in the Lowe's project.)
What did the Grand Jury say? That there were serious ethical problems on the Planning Commission, and Allen and Caston should have recused themselves from voting on the Lowe's proposal.
YOUR VALUES? YOUR VOICE? Someone commented recently that we seem to be abnormally interested in Michael Allen. That we appear to have a vendetta out against him. We don't. We don't know him, and have never met him. If he didn't want the attention he shouldn't have done the deed. What is more important than being able to trust your politicians? If you KNOW that they are corrupt why would you vote for them?
We've also heard from people who were actually angry with us for not letting them know about Michael Allen sooner. We have done everything we can to let the public know about this investigation by the FPPC, and the Grand Jury investigation information was sent out as an insert in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The reports were in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, the Napa Valley Register and other papers. Michael Allen has been very quiet about it. Will you be?
YOUR VALUES? YOUR VOICE? This November 2 some of us will be voting for a Republican for the first time since we registered to vote (Democrat) at age 18. Doris Gentry for Assembly.
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