It was wrong to link forum access to cash
Editorial
Des Moines Register
March 19, 2009
The White House selected Iowa as one of only five states to host a regional forum on reforming health care, a top priority for President Barack Obama. On Monday, hundreds of people will gather at the Polk County Convention Center in Des Moines. Such a gathering offers “an opportunity for Americans from all over the country to voice their concerns and ideas about reforming our health-care system,” according to the White House’s health-reform Web site.
Iowa had a different plan, offering tickets and recognition to those willing to pay thousands of dollars to be a sponsor. Up until yesterday anyway - when the Register started asking questions. The episode offers a peek at the cozy relationship between government and powerbrokers - and how that typically ensures the powerful will get their seat at the table, while ordinary Americans may get sidelined.
Last week, Gov. Chet Culver’s office announced that tickets were to be distributed by a lottery. Tickets were expected to be hard to come by, and some health-care advocates voiced concerns that they wouldn’t get to attend. With the sponsorship plan, that wasn’t going to be a worry for those forking over big bucks.
In an e-mail obtained by the Register, Kate Walton, Culver’s top health-care adviser, offered a “sponsorship opportunity” to recipients including AARP, the Federation of Iowa Insurers and the Iowa Hospital Association to “help defray the cost of the event.”
“We are hoping sponsors could participate at the $5,000 level, but are certainly open to discussion if that amount is in excess of what you are able to do, but you would still like to be included as a sponsor. Event sponsors will be visibly acknowledged at the event, so we would appreciate you sharing your organization’s logo if you choose to participate,” according to the e-mail.
The message: Pay up and you can have a space at the table and special recognition at the event. If you can’t pay $5,000, maybe we can negotiate.
Phil Roeder, Culver’s communications director, told the Register the White House had said the governor’s office could use sponsorships to defray expenses. But when initially contacted Wednesday morning, a White House spokeswoman said she didn’t know about the plan. By noon, she had released a brief statement that there would be “no outside sponsorship of the event.”
It’s no secret wealthy and powerful special interests dominate health-care discussions in this country. But the governor’s office essentially extended an invitation for them to do so - and to send their logo for a little extra publicity. Iowa Health System, the state’s largest hospital system, told the Register it had paid the state $5,000 to be a sponsor.
Now Iowa Health and any other takers will be getting refunds. And any tickets that had been reserved for donors should be distributed through the lottery.
It shouldn’t take the White House - or the newspaper - to point out what a bad idea this was. Essentially selling tickets and recognition for such a forum undermines the very intent of the gathering. Obama has said he wants everyone bringing ideas - not just those who can afford to buy a seat.
Additional Facts
A reminder about ethics
The e-mail from state government asking for donations in exchange for tickets and recognition also included an attachment.
It begins: “The Iowa White House Forum on Health Reform is made possible by generous donations from people like you. It is especially important for individuals and corporations to show their commitment to health-care reform through a monetary gift.”
What?
Donations from “people like you” (aka those who can give thousands of dollars) didn’t make the forum possible. President Barack Obama did, by saying the forums would be conducted. Monday’s gathering was going to happen with or without such donations.
The rest of the attachment reminded recipients that state law requires public disclosure of such donations to an ethics and campaign disclosure board.
Perhaps some staffers in state government need a refresher course in the ethic that money shouldn’t buy special access to public-policy discussions.