Posted by: thepinetree on 06/02/2014 05:38 PM
Updated by: thepinetree on 06/02/2014 05:38 PM
Expires: 01/01/2019 12:00 AM
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Beware the Misleading Candidate Slate Mailers ~ By Cory Burnell
Valley Springs, CA...You’ve probably received a number of cards in the mail, if you’re a registered voter, with titles like “Conservative” or “Republican” Voters Guide, and they’ve even had legitimate conservative Republicans on them like Tim Donnelly. BUT they’ve also included liberals and/or Democrats who’ve paid to be on the card. Don’t be duped! Listen, if you were a liberal and/or a Democrat running for office in Calaveras County, which is a 2 to 1 conservative county, you’d be tempted to stoop to low tactics like falsely presenting yourself as conservative or Republican. It’s morally reprehensible and certainly disingenuous. Of course, I’m sure Republicans buy their way onto Democrat-portrayed cards in liberal counties, so I’m not suggesting they occupy higher moral ground on the subject, but we voters need to be aware of this underhanded practice...
In our current local elections, there are only two Republicans running for Judge: Dana Pfeil for Department 1 and Tim Healy for Department 2. Yet, Hugh Swift, a Democrat appointed to the bench by ultra liberal Jerry Brown, is on a slate mailer to Republicans presenting himself as a Republican. I don’t know Judge Swift or his personal character, but such a ploy does not demonstrate the level of integrity we should desire in a judge. I’ll be voting for Tim Healy instead, a man who’s said, “As a prosecutor it’s not my job to win convictions, but rather to seek justice.” Now that’s the type of man we should elect judge.
Commissioner Grant Barrett is also showing up in mailboxes on the same “Republican Voter Guide” slate card despite not being registered a Republican. I have no idea whether he’s a liberal or conservative, but voters should know that his party affiliation is not Republican. Dana Pfeil is the only Republican running for Department 1 Judge and has the endorsement of the Calaveras Republican Party and former state Senator Rico Oller. Note that Tim Healy also has these same endorsements.
I received a call today from a confused voter wondering why he received a “Republican” mailer with supervisor candidate Marty Crane on it. I explained that Ms. Crane paid to be on the mailer and, though a very nice, kind and enjoyable person, she holds political views anathema to Republicans and all small government conservatives. Conservative voters must choose someone other than Ms. Crane if they’d like a Supervisor who reflects their views on the purpose and proper role of government. It was his confusion that led me to write this column condemning these dishonest campaign tactics.
A truly “conservative” slate of candidates for local office could look like this: Tim Healy (Judge), Dana Pfeil (Judge), Gary Kuntz (Sheriff) and Darren Spellman (Supervisor). I leave it to you to do your own homework whether or not these are the right conservatives for you, but they’ll be my selections on Tuesday. In any event, now you know better than to be fooled by phony slate mailers, and hopefully no one using such despicable tactics will hold positions of public authority in our community.
More info about sleazy slate mailers can be found in the following L.A. Times article: http://www.laweekly.com/2013-02-14/news/slate-mailers-los-angeles-phony-endorsements-paid-ads-politicians/
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