Who's Behind the Hit Pieces?

Via Councilwoman Teresa Barth's Newsletter today:

As predicted, the smear campaign rolled into high gear this past week. 

First there was a mailer in support of Stocks & Muir and 

blasting Shaffer and Kranz 

Return Address: 

North County Taxpayers for Responsible Government 

330 Encinitas Blvd #101 

Encinitas, CA 

Treasurer: Nancy Haley 

She is also the treasurer for Stocks & Muir 

Then there was the 

"Don't let Shaffer and Kranz Occupy Encinitas" 

Sent out by the San Diego County Republican Party 

who endorsed Forrester, Muir and Stocks 

Followed by a vicious character assignation against Tony Kranz. 

 Sent out by San Diego County Voters for Progress and Reform 

 7185 Navajo Rd, Suite P San Diego, CA

Treasure: C. April Boling 

She is also the Treasurer of the Lincoln Club 

 Muir, Forrester and Stocks were endorsed by the Club. 

 Who's the Lincoln Club? 

 Who supports Prop K - Elected Mayor? 

Bond, Muir & Stocks

Editor: Thank you Councilwoman Barth for a thorough summary that is well documented.  We appreciate this as we appreciate the kind of thoroughness you devote to your service on the city council.  My wish is this. You will be joined on the dais with two equally competent council members like Shaffer and Kranz to get real work done - rather than special interest empire building. And I would also wish that paid journalists would present vital summaries like this to the public, rather than waiting for information from elected officials to be handed to them. 

Our Publisher Brings Balance Against Tiny Minority

Thank you so much Jim Kydd for what you do for this community as one of the few independent newspaper publishers left in the whole country.  This year was a game changer for us all in feeling serious forward movement, a waking community and united sentiment in all 5 communities that is is time to Dump Stocks. Coast News was at the center of our local storm.  It takes a storm to unseat embedded, professional political players.

The fact that you chose to exercise your right to dissent as a public citizen via your election website and taking out ads, is legal.  It is democratic.  We more than trust your ability to get all of the rules and paperwork reporting done, made public or whatever is necessary (rather than just a response to odious threats).

It is regrettable that the bad guys used your right to dissent to smear the candidates that you and thousands of us all support.  Then again, we knew the cronies have done many such things in the past and the incumbents have always denied everything at all times.  No surprises. Discussing Doug Manchester sucking up all newspapers is just a local version of the graphic at the top. Nothing to see here folks.

We all have suggestions for better ways you could have done things, Jim Kydd.  We have dozens of people anxious to critique each other at the drop of the hat. Right now we want you to have all your proper paperwork filed.  We all have to say that putting stickers on things without permission isn't right.  Done.

No doubt you and the people behind the Dump Stocks efforts never intended to hurt Lisa Shaffer or Tony Kranz whose campaigns have stayed far away from this effort.  But, diversity is the heart of civic engagement and in no way means choices are always binary.  Not all choices are yes / no, black / white, off / on, us / them . . . you get it.

The good news is the community has hit the tipping point.   And, Jim, it is worth the 10 coins each month to buy a subscription to the Coast News.

Keeping their Heads and Hearts above the Pond Scum

"One you would consider a very primitive life form. A person without principles or morals. 

By [his] recent official actions one might conclude that [he] is only slightly better than pond scum." urban dictionary

In the "new normal" that a council with open minds and sunshine can bring, even pond scum could make useful contributions.  Turns out that algae (pond scum) is an excellent source of vegetable oil, which can be turned into bio-diesel and used in place of petroleum based diesel fuel.

Anyways . . . Despite initial oral communications speakers' attacks, mud slinging and outright lies (presumably supporting Stocks and Muir), both Tony Kranz and Lisa Shaffer were able to speak about campaigns they are both proud of leading.