Guest Opinion | Paul Little: Let’s Talk About Accountability and Measure H

Proponents of Measure H like to say the rental housing board would be accountable because they could be recalled by a petition of qualified voters.

That is great in a theoretical fantasy world, but how would it work in practice?

The language of the ballot measure says it takes the valid signatures of 10% of qualified voters of a district to recall a tenant board member and 5% of qualified voters citywide to recall an at large member.

Just how many signatures would be required to recall a Board member?

The number of registered voters in Pasadena City Council districts varies from 9,821 to 14, 604. Imagine carrying a petition door to door and trying to get even 982 signatures to remove a tenant representative? Or 5% of the 84,533 registered voters citywide to remove an at large member?

It is an impossible task that no one would even think to undertake. (Information on the number of voters in Pasadena and its council districts comes from the LA County Registrar of Voters.)

So, realistically, there is no accountability for anyone sitting on the rental housing board.

The only means called out in the measure is the recall petition. There is no other means to remove a rental housing board member, not in instances of malfeasance, nor corruption, nor even illegal activity are grounds for removal of a board member according to the language of the measure. It is possible, though maybe not likely, that a rental board member could continue serving from prison.

Nothing other than a petition signed by at least 982 voters and as many as 4226 voters can remove a sitting rental board member.

Proponents claim that California open meeting laws would prevent corruption and ensure honesty among rental housing board members.

Those same laws, required under California’s Brown Act, were supposed to be adhered to by appointed and elected officials in the City of Bell and in Los Angeles. In Bell, seven city officials, including former mayor Oscar Hernandez, former city administrator Robert Rizzo, assistant city administrator Angela Spaccia, and four city council members were convicted on graft and corruption charges. In Los Angeles, two former council members are currently under indictment for corruption.

Those same open meeting laws were required of the more than a dozen elected and appointed officials in Cudahy, South Gate and Lynwood who have been convicted of corruption.

The inability to realistically remove rental housing board members embedded in Measure H invites back-room dealings, pay-to-play and corruption.

In addition, passage would require the City Attorney of the City of Pasadena to defend measure H. We can be assured that interested parties will sue to invalidate the measure. Our tax dollars would then have to be used to defend all the provisions of the measure, even if the Pasadena City Attorney believes the measure will lose in court, which is likely.

Please vote to preserve integrity, honesty and your tax dollars.

VOTE NO ON MEASURE H!

Paul Little is a former Pasadena City Council member, President and CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. Neither he nor anyone in his family are rental property owners.

Got something to say, email Managing Editor André Coleman, at andrec@pasadenanowmagazine.com