Martin Chavez- Candidate or Not Candidate

It would appear that everyone in this city but the Mayor is willing to admit that he is a candidate. He has filed the paperwork and went to court to make sure that he could run for mayor this year. The idea that he can hold off using public funding just by not announcing he is a candidate may not be illegal but it sure screams unethical behavior to everyone in this city. The other two candidates are sick of his behavior and it may not play well with the voting public either. The time has passed for the mayor to make the public announcement and it is a clear insult to the voting public and his opponents if he does not do the right thing within the next few days.

There are many voters that have supported the mayor in the past and they would like the chance to do so again but his behavior has gone for coy to downright insulting. It is one thing to say that you want to run the city and quite another to abuse the system put into place to ensure that money is not an issue when running for a public office. Campaign funding reforms were enacted in this city to allow a level playing field for all candidates but now the question is does a sitting mayor have the right to use taxpayer’s dollars to promote himself knowing full well that the other candidates will have to spend limited resources to offset those funds.

The mayor has done the city a favor by pointing out some serious flaws in the new campaign funding reforms enacted and those loopholes should be closed before the next election to ensure a fair and ethical race for all involved in the future. With any luck the changes will include a rule that as soon as a candidate meets the filing date that he or she be required to announce as a candidate.