After being discussed here Friday, 1si's candidate endorsements were published in the Tribune today. What was covert before is now blatant.
One of the more interesting aspects of this situation to me is the people and institutions involved. Below is a list of 1si's "Top Investors" as shown on their web site.
* River Ridge Development Authority
* Geo. Pfau's Sons Company, Inc.
* Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services
* Clark Memorial Hospital
* Clark County REMC
* Wooded Glen Retreat & Conference Center, Inc.
* Your Community Bank
* The Koetter Group, Inc.
* Stites & Harbison, PLLC
* Southern Indiana Realtors Association, Inc.
* Schuler Bauer Real Estate Services
* SAMTEC Inc.
* Rodefer Moss & Co, PLLC
* PNC Bank
* Monroe Shine & Co., Inc. CPA's
* MedVenture Technology Corporation
* McCauley Nicolas & Company, LLC CPAs
* MAC Construction & Excavating, Inc.
* Libs Paving Co., Inc.
* Koetter Woodworking, Inc.
* K.M. Stemler Company, Inc.
* Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
* Indiana-American Water Company
* imi South
* Hughes Group, Inc.
* Fifth Third Bank
* Duke Energy
* Consolidated Grain & Barge
* City of Jeffersonville
* Chase
* AT&T Indiana
* AML, Inc.
Readers will note the presence of publicly funded institutions. I wonder how citizens feel about their tax dollars being used to support an organization engaged in the promotion of specific legislative agendas and candidates, often against their own interests. Is it ethical? Is it legal?
And if it is legal, should it be? Isn't that a question appropriate for the candidates themselves?
I think it's blatantly unethical if not also illegal for public utilities - Duke, Indiana-American Water, to spend our fees on political candidates and electioneering. Is there another water co. I can choose if I don't agree with Indiana-American Waters politics?
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, G. Kevin Hammersmith, the current president of the 1si board who signed off on the endorsements, is a Duke employee. Both his salary and his company's ability to financially contribute to this political action are the result of special monopoly status.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall having a discussion about granting special status and the public good recently.