ELECTIONS SUPERVISORS : Patagonia to Buy Ads Backing Candidates

Patagonia Inc., whose support of three successful slow-growth candidates became an issue in last fall’s Ventura city elections, pledged Tuesday to spend $9,000 on newspaper advertisements backing two candidates for the County Board of Supervisors.

The clothing company’s support for Maria VanderKolk and Glen Schmidt, who oppose two massive housing projects in southeast Ventura County, prompted an angry response from Supervisor Madge L. Schaefer, who is opposed by VanderKolk.

“I think they’re clearly exceeding what the law allows, but this wouldn’t be the first time,” Schaefer said, referring to a complaint lodged by a Ventura City Council candidate in November. State officials found no violation by Patagonia.

State law forbids companies or individuals from contributing more than $1,000 to a candidate. It places the same limit on the purchase of advertisements that support a candidate if the ads are placed after consulting with the candidate or in coordination with the overall campaign.

Schaefer said that since Patagonia Public Affairs Director Kevin Sweeney admits having acted as a strategist for the VanderKolk campaign, he cannot legitimately claim that the company’s ads are independent of that campaign.

“There clearly is an alignment here,” she said.

Sweeney said Patagonia’s decision to buy a series of quarter-page advertisements in four newspapers before the June 5 election has nothing to do with the advice he has given VanderKolk as a favor and on his own time.

“Maria asked some specific questions and I gave her advice, but I haven’t played a major role in her campaign,” said Sweeney, ex-press secretary for former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart.

Sandra Michioku, spokeswoman for the state Fair Political Practices Commission, said Tuesday that she could not comment on whether Sweeney’s advice to VanderKolk might have established a link that would make Patagonia’s expenditures illegal.

Schaefer said she had not decided whether to complain to the commission. “I’m not sure it’s worth it,” she said. “What’s $4,500.”

Schaefer, 48, has insisted that the 25-year-old VanderKolk, a political novice, is not a serious challenger. And Tuesday, she said that Patagonia, whose owners Yvon and Malinda Chouinard contributed $2,000 to VanderKolk’s campaign last week, is “using this young woman as a pawn.”

In response, VanderKolk said she is her own boss. “I’m insulted that she would think I’m a pawn. And Patagonia is one of the most highly respected environmentalist groups in the country right now.”

Patagonia, which employs 350 workers at its Ventura headquarters, turns over 10% of its profits to environmental causes each year, Sweeney said. The company is involved in the supervisorial campaigns because it thinks that preserving open spaces is an important countywide issue, he said.

Schaefer said Patagonia is attacking her because she is a conservative Republican who is a moderate on growth issues. And she described Sweeney as “a Colorado carpetbagger, an ultra-liberal Democrat dabbling in local politics.”

It is true that he is a liberal Democrat, Sweeney said. But he was born in California and has spent most of his life here, he said. “I’m talking about issues. She’s talking about personalities.”

Patagonia supports VanderKolk and Schmidt, Sweeney said, because they oppose plans to subdivide the Jordan and Ahmanson ranches near the Los Angeles County line.

Schaefer has taken no position on the development of either ranch, nor have Bill Davis and Vicky Howard, two Simi Valley City Council members who are the apparent front-runners in the 4th District race against Schmidt.

Davis and Howard said they were not concerned about Patagonia’s support of Schmidt, a Moorpark planning commissioner and a county supervisor in the 1970s.

“I’m just a little surprised,” Howard said. “They should have called us all before they made a determination. . . . I would match my record on preserving parks and open space with anybody.”