58 Political Manipulation?
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Dynamic Chiropractic – May 7, 2001, Vol. 19, Issue 10

Political Manipulation?

By Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher
"All policy's allowed in war and love," noted Susannah Centlivre in 1706, the precursor to Smedley's 1850 proclamation: "All's fair in love and war." Does that also go for politics, too? Is it ethical for a chiropractic organization to try to control the elections of another chiropractic organization it is "at war" with?

Consider this paragraph, an email that was reportedly sent by World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) president Terry Rondberg,DC:

"I even rejoined the ICA (for one quarter) this past weekend at the WCA Summit just to cast my vote for you and Maxine, and encouraged everyone in the audience to do the same. We handed out hundreds of ICA applications at the Summit, and Bobby Braile joined the WCA in exchange for my application to join the ICA."
The same person who resigned from the ICA late last year with a flurry of public comments openly criticizing the ICA in his column.1

Now the WCA members are being asked by their fearless leader to join the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) to try and manipulate the ICA elections. This is exquisite irony, given that the WCA bylaws specify that WCA members have no voting rights!

"Members shall not have any right to vote under section 10-1015 of the Arizona Revised States."2 (Emphasis added.)

So now the thousands of ICA members who have been loyally working for the betterment of chiropractic through the ICA may well have their leaders chosen for them through guerilla politics. Do Dr. Rondberg and his followers intend to skew the votes, let their memberships expire and then walk away laughing, leaving the ICA members with leaders that most of them voted against?

As you read the braggadocio of Rondberg, an obvious question comes to mind: What was the deal? Gary Pomeroy, president of ChiroUSA, will tell you that working with Terry Rondberg has a price. In his case, it was one percent of his monthly gross income to write articles in the WCA Journal.3 What is the price tag for manipulating an election? Will every ICA member be "encouraged" to join the WCA in return? If so, this would make the WCA the dominant conservative chiropractic association, placing the ICA in the number three position nationally and internationally.

For those that find this activity reprehensible, I agree. For those that think it's new, you've forgotten some history. It wasn't that long ago that Dr. Rondberg was caught violating Arizona campaign contribution laws by authorizing someone "to make political campaign contributions under his (Rondberg's) name and that of his wife, using funds not supplied by Terry Rondberg or his wife." (Per an agreement with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Rondberg ultimately pled guilty and agreed to pay a civil penalty of $9,840. Under the agreement, "no criminal charges or further civil penalties or proceedings" were brought against him "concerning the illegal campaign contributions."4-6)

Rondberg was caught as part of an undercover investigation that became known as AzScam. The investigation ultimately caught a number of crooked politicians and other individuals. Rondberg's role in AzScam was significant enough to gain him a degree of notoriety, or was it infamy? Rondberg's involvement earned him his own reference in the index of What's in It for Me?, a book that detailed AzScam.7-9

Unfortunately, due to Rondberg's involvement, the book included a number of derogatory references to the chiropractic profession in Arizona. It was years before the DCs in Arizona could do anything politically without AzScam hanging over their heads.

In a few days, the ICA members will be getting their ballots, along with "previous nonmembers" that wish to control the election results. Each ICA member should make voting in this election a top priority. Don't let that ballot sit on your desk. Fill it out now and send it back. This is your only chance to determine the future of your organization!

For those WCA members, and any others who have joined the ICA just to sway the election: You should be ashamed. Do the honest, ethical thing and throw your ballot away. Let the legitimate ICA members elect their own leaders. If you really want to do something positive, convince the WCA leadership that you, as a responsible DC and member of the WCA, should be allowed to have a vote and a voice in your own organization.

References

  1. Do you share the WFC's vision of chiropractic? The Chiropractic Journal July 2000.
  2. Bylaws of the World Chiropractic Alliance, an Arizona Nonprofit Corporation. Article III Membership.
  3. From the bully pulpit. Dynamic Chiropractic March 26, 2001. www.chiroweb.com/archives/19/07/15.html.
  4. WCA president admits to violating Arizona campaign contribution laws. Dynamic Chiropractic November 22, 1991. www.chiroweb.com/archives/09/24/07.html.
  5. Maricopa County Attorney's Office agreement, signed on October 25, 1991.
  6. Arizona leaders fined. Chiropractic Journal November 1991.
  7. New book further reveals Drs. Rondberg and Immerman's involvement in AzScam. Dynamic Chiropractic October 9, 1992. www.chiroweb.com/archives/10/21/13.html.
  8. What's in It for Me? Drs. Rondberg and Immerman respond. Dynamic Chiropractic November 20, 1992. www.chiroweb.com/archives/10/24/15.html.
  9. Stedino J. What's in It for Me? Harper Collins Publishers, New York. 1992.

Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD (hc), FICC(h)
Editor / Publisher of Dynamic Chiropractic

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