Editorial:
Over the years we have been lambasting the Sweetwater Union High School Board for its ineptitude. This has been punctuated by the corruption charges brought against four of the five board members. Therefore, it is only fair that when the school board gets it right, we need acknowledge the good as well!
This past Tuesday the board voted to limit campaign contributions to $750 and only individual donors would be allowed to contribute. There will be no limits on independent expenditures. Prior to this, there had been no limit on campaign contributions which lent itself to undue influence from contractors doing business with the district.
The community has been demanding a change to the contribution limit for years, and this paper has editorialized on behalf of this change, but the school board had steadfastly resisted changing the limit. The resignation of one indicted board member, Arlie Ricasa, and the corruption charges against three of the remaining four board members still pending was enough for the board to finally act on the campaign contribution limit.
While the limit is a step in the right direction, it only goes halfway with the board election process. The next logical step that the board needs to take is to change the format of the elections from At-Large elections to District Only Elections.
The Sweetwater district is so large, from National City south to San Ysidro, that it takes a lot of money to run an effective campaign, one mailer alone can cost between $30-$50 thousand. Limiting campaign contributions does not even the playing field between incumbants and an individual seeking their first office.
District only elections would not only make the playing field more even, it would provide the residents within the district more accountability from their elected representative.
Now that the school board has taken a positive first step, they now need to take that second step and call for District Only Elections.