ODD RACE : No Choice Best Choice

The race for the 4th District seat on the state Board of Equalization is between a man who cannot serve and one who should not serve.

Incumbent Paul Carpenter, a former state senator who currently sits on the the board, was convicted last month on four felony counts, including extortion and conspiracy. If elected, he cannot serve. Inasmuch as America’s political system was not designed to fill public offices by default, we cannot make any recommendation in this race.

Carpenter was convicted by a federal jury in Sacramento on charges arising from a years-long FBI sting operation in which agents tried to buy votes of legislators. By the time the verdict was delivered, Carpenter’s name already was on the Nov. 6 ballot and could not be removed.

California law forbids felons from holding elective office. But Carpenter may win anyway; then the governor will have to appoint his replacement.

The Republican candidate is Joseph H. Adams, a senior tax auditor with 30 years of service with the board of equalization. Adams is a pleasant person, but does not have the broader background needed in effective public servants.

The Board of Equalization is responsible for assuring that taxes in various parts of the state are imposed equitably. Of its four elected members, two represent the Los Angeles area.

Ideally, an election matches the two best candidates. In the 4th District, that is not possible. Better perhaps to take the second-best way under the law than have the office filled by accident: Let the governor make an interim appointment.