I don’t normally respond directly to comments posted to this site; this is a first.Yesterday, Michelle Meaders posted a comment about my take on UNM’s obligation to prohibit the use of taxpayer resources in a political campaign:
“UNM lets retirees keep their e-mail accounts as a benefit. (I have one myself.) If they had to monitor what people did with them, it would cost a lot, and perhaps violate free speech. We also get free tuition at UNM, and some other discounts. Is anyone saying that shouldn't happen either? Retirees worked for UNM for many years and were promised these things. It's not a donation.”
I received some benefits when I left the Albuquerque Police Department. I was given my badges; three of them, my patrol officer’s shield and hat badge and my detective's badge. I was also given a retirement badge.
I cannot use them because that would be a crime, impersonating a police officer. I can put them on display or tuck them away in my unseen collection.
So what's wrong with this picture?UNM has a rule about not using state funds for campaigning. If the candidate and Meaders, alike, can’t grasp that concept as an ethical issue, then that’s proof of an ethical problem.
I also received my service weapon… I don’t think I’ll be using it in an illegal manner; it just might be unethical.
1 comment:
It would be nice if you would note that Rey Garduno has stopped using his UNM e-mail address for the campaign. (He got a g-mail one instead.) As soon as there was the allegation of a possible problem with the ethics of it, he stopped.
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