Running on word of mouth alone

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Michael Clifford, Joel Faris and William Perkins are

running for City Council, but voters basing their decisions on the

county’s voter information pamphlets might not know it.

The candidates’ statements are not included among the others appearing

in the pamphlet, which the county Registrar’s Office sends to all

registered voters in the city.

Clifford, Faris and Perkins each said they just couldn’t pay the price

-- $950 for up to 200 words.

That’s what the candidates pay up front, with any difference in the

actual and expected prices being refunded or billed to the candidates

after printing is complete.

The three, along with Ron Channels, Councilwoman Libby Cowan, Karen

Robinson, Rick Rodgers, Councilwoman Heather Somers, Thomas Sutro, Chris

Steel and Dan Worthington, are running for three open seats on the dais.

Suzanne Slupsky, an assistant at the registrar’s office, said the

money is necessary to print, translate and mail the pamphlets. Taxpayers

do not pay for the printing costs, she said.

Faris said he was shocked when he heard the price.

“I’m running my whole campaign on $500 and we don’t have any savings,”

he said. “What was I going to do -- bust my kid’s whole college fund? I

understand it’s a great information source and I understand the city

doesn’t want to pay for it, but it’s not fair for people who aren’t rich.

People told me that not having my name in there really killed me, but I

just didn’t have $950.”

Faris and Clifford, who also cited monetary reasons for not appearing

in the guide, said they weren’t willing to accept money from

special-interest groups to pay the $950 because they think it would

compromise their decision-making should they be elected.

Ron Channels, a candidate whose statement is printed in the pamphlet,

said he agrees the process in unfair.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” said Channels, who paid the fee with his

own money. “We’re throwing money away on all kinds of things, yet we

won’t pay for these people to put their statement in there.”

Other candidates disagree, however.

Perkins said he thinks the process is fair, but said having to pay is

“a bad situation” for candidates who can’t afford it.

Incumbent Libby Cowan, who made the choice to pay for the pamphlet

space, said candidates should pay for printing and distributing the

pamphlets but admitted that candidates who don’t are at a disadvantage.

“It’s a very natural place to go for information,” she said. “It’s one

place you can sell your message to the voters and nearly every voter

reads it. I know I read those ballot statements to decide who I will

support. It’s part of running and shows you’re a serious candidate.”

QUESTION

o7 A LITTLE TOO MUCH?f7

Should candidates be required to pay to have their statements included

in the voter guide? Call our Readers Hotline at (949) 642-6086 or e-mail

your comments to o7 [email protected] . Please tell us your name

and hometown, and include a phone number (for verification purposes

only).