Follow the Money…Three weeks and one day until the Nov. 8 general election—Squid can’t wait. While election rules don’t give voting rights to cephalopods, Squid looks forward to the curtain closing on this year’s political theater of the absurd.
Squid’s ready for the post-election deluge of books and documentaries analyzing a certain Cheeto-colored narcissistic candidate, who may be on the brink of becoming a historical footnote—or maybe just the beginning of a lasting movement. Squid also looks forward to actually discussing the less-than-savory aspects of Hillary Clinton’s political career without being reflexively denounced by her supporters. Squid thinks the trail of money is always worth following, even if it leads to the hands of one’s political darling.
That goes for local elections, too, where the controversy surrounding leases on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey just might be enough unseat either city councilmember Libby Downey or Alan Haffa. Challenger Dan Albert Jr. seems to have the support of the wharf interests, though he's remained wishy washy on leasing policy.
While wharf business have so far shied away from dumping large sums into Albert’s campaign coffers—as they have for other candidates in past years—Squid decided to play a game called, What if Pacific Grove’s campaign finance rules applied to Monterey? Turns out, a lot of city business might not get done.
Here’s the backstory: In 2014, Haffa proposed campaign finance reform for the city of Monterey, similar to what is currently on the books in P.G. In America’s Last Hometown, no contributions of more than $500, and if a councilmember receives $250 or more from a donor who might financially benefit from a vote, the council member must recuse themselves from said vote.
Haffa’s proposal was dead on arrival, maybe because if P.G.’s ordinance were applied to Monterey, there’d barely be a quorum left for hot topics like the wharf.
For example: Councilmember Timothy Barrett proposed scrapping the city’s 19 leasing guideline at a council meeting on Sept. 20. If P.G.’s campaign finance rules applied, he wouldn’t have been able to, since he raised at least $4,000 from wharf businesses for his 2014 campaign, with $2,000 from the Shake family’s Monterey Sportfishing and another $2,000 from Benji Shake.
Councilmember Ed Smith would also have to recuse himself from voting on wharf leases if P.G.’s rules applied. In 2014, Smith got $1,000 from Sam Balesteri—who is now suing Monterey for $1.7 million, after the city moved to evict him.
As for Albert Jr., he got $250 from Randy’s Fishing and Whale Watching Trips, according to his latest campaign finance filings.
Maybe we’d be all better off if we just accept the spectacle that politics has become and go full NASCAR. Clinton’s pantsuits would be adorned with Wall Street logos, and Barrett’s tweed would be a walking advert for the Shake wharf empire. At least it would be colorful.