Investigations of council members seem petty

It appears the Porterville City Council continues to put itself in an embarrassing situation, the latest the tick for tack complaints filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

First came the complaint by citizen Brock Neeley against City Council member Greg Shelton. Neeley’s complaint pertains to Shelton’s support and use of free tickets for a race at Rocky Hill Speedway in April.

Neeley said he filed his complaint because he felt Shelton had violated the state political practices law by taking free tickets then handing them out, something that Shelton has not denied doing. However, Shelton said he did so with permission by race track promoters, who have denied giving that permission.

Suspiciously, a few weeks later, complaints were filed against Council member Cameron Hamilton and former Mayor Ron Irish. The complaint against Irish was filed by Shelton’s mother who happens to live in Paradise. The complaint against Hamilton was filed by a person who denied having ties to Shelton, but Hamilton said in his response to the FPPC that the person is a friend of Shelton’s.

It appears, the complaints against Irish and Hamilton are purely an example of getting even by Shelton. Both appear weak — Hamilton is accused of getting a meal that was provided by a man who donated his kidney for another person and Irish for providing free alarm service to the chamber — and both Shelton’s mother and the man who filed the complain against Hamilton stated they did so after they were angered by comments made by them regarding the issue of the free tickets.

Until this childish, petty behavior ends, the Porterville City Council will continue to look more like an embarrassment than a cohesive unit conducting business for the good of the community.

It is time to put the past in the rear view mirror and work as adults, not as children.