Nuñez tries to explain his junkets

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez is trying to defend his practice of using campaign funds to pay for international travel and expensive purchases. A Los Angeles Times investigation showed he spent nearly $50,000 on airline travel this year and more than $8,000 for high-end hotels in Europe, and thousands of dollars in extravagant purchases by tapping his $5.3 million “Friends of Fabian” campaign fund. He then really stepped in it when he said, “”There’s not too big a difference between how I live and how most middle-class people live” which contrasted greatly with his long cultivated image as a champion of the working poor. In trying to explain himself at a news conference, Núñez said, “The fact that I’ve been successful, that I’m the speaker of the Assembly, and I’ve represented California around the world is something I’m very proud of,” and that this travel would help “broaden his horizons”, he went on “I think the fundamental question here is, should I use campaign funds for trade missions and educational missions, or should I be using government money, or should I be using non-profit entities that sponsor trips like these?”

Mr. Speaker, a small suggestion. when you are in a hole, stop digging. First of all, campaign funds- or public funds, should not be used to “broaden your horizons” – that is what your own money is for. Second, as we have said here at least a dozen times, people will forgive an occasional international junket if you you also come up with some meaningful and international policies or programs- but the Legislature and the Schwarzenegger administration have done neither. You might, like the Governor, be able to fool some people into thinking that using these shadowy “non profits” with “undisclosed donors” to fund your junkets is good public policy, but those of us who follow this issue closely know better- and eventually everyone else will too.