Scott Malsin says that my opinion piece written for this online publication on March 16 was “incredibly inaccurate.” Just as my article was my opinion, so is his comment about its publication.
A Public Service
The Fair Political Practices Commission’s Form 700 Financial Disclosure requirement is a public document. Its publication should be looked upon as a public service. The form’s information was accurate. So was my math involving my estimates. Not to confuse the reader, I even put a thick line between the reprinting of the public disclosure statement and my estimates.
Enough Victims to Go Around
Mr. Malsin was, indeed, a victim of a local political dirty trick over the past weekend. Is it not, however, part of the local partisan political game we now find ourselves constantly engaged in?
To a much lesser degree, I am a victim, too. My opinion piece was used without my knowledge or permission, which I never would have granted. I wrote the piece to express my views on Mr. Malsin’s resignation from the City Council last December. Nothing more. And it especially was not to be misused later by an amateurish trickster.
Far From Complete
The FPPC’s Form 700 is not meant to be a complete listing of a candidate’s net worth. It is supposed to show only those holdings each candidate thinks might be seen as a conflict of interest later if he were to vote on a related city matter.
Regarding Conflicts
One should be able to assume Mr. Malsin didn’t only inherit or purchase stocks that would cause a Council member to have conflicts of interest. His stock holdings and his net worth probably are much more substantial than what he declared on his financial disclosure statement.
Old and New Promises
Mr. Malsin says he is running on his future promises to Culver City. I guess he would rather emphasize his new promises than have the community dwell on the one, simple promise he did not keep: Fulfilling his last term of office.
High Road or Low?
Mr. Malsin has a decision to make. He can take the political road more easily traveled and try to draw attention away from his own resignation by playing up the victim and getting what he can out of the “sympathy vote” on Election Day. Or he can take the road less traveled and release his federal and state tax returns to the newspaper this week, setting his financial records straight before next Tuesday’s election.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
