Allegations mount against Lara
Last May, the Bay Area Reporter waxed lyrical in its endorsement of the state senator from the corrupt city of Bell for state insurance commissioner. It seems Ricardo Lara can do no wrong in the B.A.R.'s pages for having broken a "pink ceiling." Never mind that his sole, and only, qualification for office in the eyes of the B.A.R.'s editorial board seems to have been his sexual orientation. Even the paper's parroting of Lara's news releases regarding PrEP ring hollow as the state insurance commissioner has no authority over the Department of Managed Health Care-regulated plans where this has been an issue. But he's gay! Attention must be paid!
Now, Lara has found himself surrounded by three different corruption scandals, and he's not even a full year into his term. The insurance commissioner is supposed to prevent fraud, not be a fraud. Moreover, he refuses to release his calendar to watchdog organizations investigating further allegations of pay-to-play. One major newspaper has already proposed a recall. That's quite the pink ceiling.
Thomas J. Busse, Treasurer
Libertarian Party of San Francisco
San Francisco