Mayor Pougnet takes job with film festival
Palm Springs, California. Local political power player Harold Matzner has hired Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet as his assistant at the Palm Springs International Film Festival where Matzner serves as chairman. Pougnet plans to remain in office as the city's mayor (annual salary $40,000) while working full time for Matzner at the festival.
Harold Matzner chairs the Palm Springs International Film Festival. It's sort of his baby - a personal pet project. One important goal his festival has is more theater screens and a permanent home. Fortunately plans for the city-funded Desert Fashion Plaza just happen to include a brand new theater complex which should certainly solve that festival need.
Matzner was the second largest contributor to the Yes on Measure J campaign that will provide city subsidized funding for the new theater. And when the theater is built it may come to pass that additional city funding will be found for this community activity. Mayor Steve Pougnet was a key player in making Measure J happen and in the negotiations that specified a theater would be part of the new Desert Fashion Plaza.
Harold Matzner and his Spencer's Restaurant were major contributors to Mayor Steve Pougnet's re-election campaign. The Mayor's starting and ending campaign party events were sponsored by Matzner and held at Spencer's. The Yes on Measure J election victory party was folded into the Mayor's ending campaign event, as well.
Matzner has now employed Mayor Steve Pougnet to work for him as a part of the festival staff (City Manager David Ready is already in the loop for he sits on the festival's Board of Directors).
Is it fair to ask whether money in politics buys anything other than elections (and access to taxpayer funds)? Does money in politics buy people?
Is any of this illegal? That's a question best addressed by legal minds or those with expertise in the fields of ethics, government and law.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
The following comment was posted on MyDesert.com by Ethan Davis - Associate Counsel at Baker & McKenzie, in response to the online copy of the story.
"I agree with Steve Grasha, this has more than just a wiff of impropriety and should be looked in to by criminal justice authority's. If there are Federal dollars involved, I would encourage Representative Bono-Mack to request that The Department of Justice conduct a probe of what is going on in regard to this."
Money Buys Elections - Does It Buy People?
"Mayor Pougnet takes job with film festival" headlines a front-page story in today's The Desert Sun. Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) chairman Harold Matzner hired him as an assistant to "Help relieve the stress". Matzner said "...the mayor came to mind for the fundraising position after Mayor Pro Tem Ginny Foat was hired in April as executive director of Mizell Senior Center..".Harold Matzner chairs the Palm Springs International Film Festival. It's sort of his baby - a personal pet project. One important goal his festival has is more theater screens and a permanent home. Fortunately plans for the city-funded Desert Fashion Plaza just happen to include a brand new theater complex which should certainly solve that festival need.
Matzner was the second largest contributor to the Yes on Measure J campaign that will provide city subsidized funding for the new theater. And when the theater is built it may come to pass that additional city funding will be found for this community activity. Mayor Steve Pougnet was a key player in making Measure J happen and in the negotiations that specified a theater would be part of the new Desert Fashion Plaza.
Harold Matzner and his Spencer's Restaurant were major contributors to Mayor Steve Pougnet's re-election campaign. The Mayor's starting and ending campaign party events were sponsored by Matzner and held at Spencer's. The Yes on Measure J election victory party was folded into the Mayor's ending campaign event, as well.
Matzner has now employed Mayor Steve Pougnet to work for him as a part of the festival staff (City Manager David Ready is already in the loop for he sits on the festival's Board of Directors).
Is it fair to ask whether money in politics buys anything other than elections (and access to taxpayer funds)? Does money in politics buy people?
Is any of this illegal? That's a question best addressed by legal minds or those with expertise in the fields of ethics, government and law.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
The following comment was posted on MyDesert.com by Ethan Davis - Associate Counsel at Baker & McKenzie, in response to the online copy of the story.
"I agree with Steve Grasha, this has more than just a wiff of impropriety and should be looked in to by criminal justice authority's. If there are Federal dollars involved, I would encourage Representative Bono-Mack to request that The Department of Justice conduct a probe of what is going on in regard to this."
Click Here or use the following to locate the film festival story on MyDesert.com
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120218/LIFESTYLES010201/202180315/Steve-Pougnet-job-with-Palm-Springs-film-festival
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120218/LIFESTYLES010201/202180315/Steve-Pougnet-job-with-Palm-Springs-film-festival
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Posted by Desert Observer at 2/18/2012 2:42 PM 
Categories: Politics, City Council
Tags: Mayor Steve Pougnet Harold Matzner Palm Springs International Film Festival
Categories: Politics, City Council
Tags: Mayor Steve Pougnet Harold Matzner Palm Springs International Film Festival
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