ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : A Councilman Can’t Be a Lobbyist

Tourism is big business in Anaheim. So what’s a city councilman doing accepting a position as executive director of a newly formed hotel and motel association? It’s not right.

Councilman Bob D. Simpson says he will work part-time as head of the Anaheim Area Hotel/Motel Assn., working 20 hours a week on association business, being paid $36,000. He says he took the job because the group wanted a stronger voice. There was, of course, a suggestion of the underlying problem right there. He is useful to such a group precisely because he is a councilman.

And the obvious question came up: What would happen if Simpson in his capacity as councilman had to rule on matters affecting Simpson in his capacity as head of the hotel and motel group? It could easily happen. While Simpson says he wants to be of service, he certainly wouldn’t be of much use to his city constituents if he took himself out of the voting loop because of conflicts of interest.

For example, City Atty. Jack L. White suggested that Simpson’s ability to vote on the $3-billion Disneyland Resort--the Walt Disney Co.’s theme park named Westcot and the accompanying hotel project--might be compromised. This is the most important piece of city business in years, and Simpson was prepared to render himself unfit to decide the fate of the project.

What good will Simpson be if he can’t evaluate and vote on proposals coming before the city? Not much. Clearly, Simpson must figure out whether he is fish or fowl, councilman or lobbyist. He can’t be both.

So he must decide whether he wants to represent the people of the city or the hotel and motel group. Part-time city council members, who make a nominal amount for their labors, obviously need other sources of income, but they must do things that do not pose a conflict. For Simpson to remain on the council while heading the industry group would be like representing the public with one hand tied behind his back. It would cheat the electorate.