Novice Activists Pay Dearly for Their Ignorance

America may be the land of the free, but two Port Hueneme women have discovered democracy can cost you more than a few bucks.

The political neophytes--a short-order cook and a homemaker--ran a grass-roots campaign to save the city’s Police Department--and ran afoul of state bureaucracy when they failed to file the proper papers.

The state Fair Political Practices Commission sent them a letter in April informing them they would be fined $10,000 for five election law violations.

Valorie Morrison, 54, and Jill Taylor, 53, were aghast, embarrassed and a little bit scared. Then they got mad.

True, they had been the prime movers behind Save Our Port Hueneme Police Department, which was formed to push for passage of a property tax in 1994 that, had it passed, would have provided the small city south of Oxnard with money for its police force.

True, they readily admitted failing to file timely campaign statements.

But the pair say they committed the violations out of ignorance, no harm was done and they weren’t out to dupe anyone. Besides, they didn’t have $10,000.

The duo contacted an attorney, made a trip to Sacramento and pleaded for leniency.

No matter. Rules are rules, the commission said.

“There was reluctance by the commission and staff to punish this particular group,” commission spokesman Gary Huckaby acknowledged. But, he added, “By bowing to sentiment it would set a precedent that might be used against our enforcement division in the future.”

The commission did agree to reduce the fines at a Wednesday afternoon hearing to $2,250, but the experience has soured the women on politics.

“Jill is a housewife, I fry hamburgers for heaven’s sake,” said Morrison, a two-time City Council candidate who also runs the snack shop at the municipal pier. “This is government run amok. We’re saying, yes, we did this, but it was not our intent [to do wrong]. . . . People are not going to become involved if they may be fined for doing good work.”

Taylor certainly won’t.

“I won’t ever get involved again, believe me,” she said. “It’s been quite an emotional ordeal. I don’t think it was worth it now. I thought we were doing a good thing and look how it turned out.”

Dick Velthoen, Port Hueneme city manager, is similarly dismayed by their treatment.

“This was two nice people trying to do a community service who had no knowledge of the law,” he said. “They failed to file a few papers. Give me a break. It’s outrageous.”

In retrospect, Morrison and Taylor cringe at their naivete. Simply put, no one ever told them to file the required paperwork. Their innocence will cost them $2,000 to $3,000 apiece when you add in travel and attorneys’ fees, Morrison estimates.

Still, Morrison figures her experience will be a lesson for other budding activists. And since police funding is again in jeopardy--the council was expected Wednesday night to place a utility tax on the fall ballot--she will be ready to jump into the fray again.

“I just figure what the heck,” she said. “I just believe in volunteer work and helping the community and doing whatever you can do. This has been a learning experience, a humbling experience.”