KELSEYVILLE
Lake County Land Trust holds annual dinner Oct. 26 at Boatique Winery
Join us for an unforgettable evening at our annual dinner on October 26 at the Boatique Winery, where your presence is not just appreciated; it’s essential! This gathering is more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of our shared commitment to protecting the beautiful landscapes of Lake County. By securing your ticket before the October 16 deadline, you’re not only enjoying a delightful night but also playing a vital role in local ecological initiatives. Let’s come together to make a real difference—every ticket sold contributes directly to our conservation efforts, ensuring that our community thrives for generations to come. Don’t miss out on this chance to engage, connect, and support the environment we cherish.
Tickets available at https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/LakeCountyLandTrust/annualdinner2024tickets.html
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LAKE COUNTY
LCTC announces auditions for its next production
The Lake County Theatre Company is pleased to announce auditions for its next production, A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play. No holiday season is complete without this iconic classic, and LCTC is excited to invite community members to be a part of this project. “This production is a little different,” explains director Tim Barnes, “because it is a reader’s theater-style play. Actors will not be required to memorize lines. Their voices, along with the sound effect skills of a live Foley artist, will bring this story to life. Many plays are very visually appealing, but this one will be an auditory delight.” LCTC performed a radio version of a Christmas Carol in 2008, and they are thrilled to bring it back nearly two decades later.
Auditions will be held Tuesday, October 22 at 6pm at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, and Saturday, October 26 at 11:30 a.m. at the United Christian Parish Church in Lakeport. Auditionees should practice their British accent, and re-familiarize themselves with the story and its characters. Performance dates will be November 30 and December 1 at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, and December 7 and 8 at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport. For more information, please check our website at www.lctc.us, email laura.barnes@laketheatre.org, or call Laura at 707-533-3406.
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SACRAMENTO
How well is California’s political watchdog doing its job?
After the Watergate scandal, California voters approved a ballot measure that created the Fair Political Practices Commission — an independent, nonpartisan agency to police election campaigns and investigate political ethics violations.
Fifty years later, there are serious questions about how well it’s doing its job. CalMatters politics reporter Yue Stella Yu and data reporter Jeremia Kimelman found that it can take the commission years to resolve cases. And by the time the public learns about either an official’s wrongdoing or their exoneration, they could have won an election or already left office.
- Carmen Balber, executive director of the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog: “The FPPC is so notoriously slow that it’s not worth bugging them. If campaign violations are not identified and prosecuted in a timely manner, then after-the-fact penalties have no impact on the elected officials who are being investigated.”
Consider Isaac Galvan: During his nine years on the Compton City Council, he spent campaign donations for personal purposes (including $1,316 at a Los Angeles restaurant), kept shoddy financial records and failed to disclose his spending accurately and promptly, according to the commission.
The agency opened its case against Galvan in 2016 and fined him $240,000 in 2022. But during those six years, Galvan was reelected twice. He left office before his case was made public. And as of Oct. 9, the commission has not received a single payment from Galvan.
A commission spokesperson said the case took so long because of Galvan’s extensive violations and lack of cooperation. But the agency has been plagued with what its own staff has called an “enormous” backlog. CalMatters’ analysis found a steadily growing number of complaints and referrals over the past decade, which surged in election years. The peak was in 2022 with 3,103 cases, compared to the low in 2015 at 1,205.
The commission’s duties have also expanded over the years, and some lawmakers and ethics advocates argue the agency is chronically understaffed and underfunded.
Adding staff, educating political candidates and streamlining minor cases have eased the backlog some, according to the commission. But some are concerned that in its quest to close cases quicker, the agency may have become more lenient — issuing fewer penalties and more warning letters.
—Lynn La, CALMatters
