The lies of Greg Giles

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The Venice Gondolier admitted that they are scared of me in a recent editorial, a line so wonderful that I am using it in political ads. This, however, has led the newspaper to go beyond stating their opinions. So disturbed at my candidacy, the paper is now actively in the game of trying to affect political outcome by peddling fictions, this through the work of their star ace cub reporter (and Alaskan ex-pat) Greg Giles, who has been inventing an alternate universe and, in issue after issue, reporting this set of fictions as fact.

Sounds like a paranoid delusion, right? Because the next question you would have is: Why would the Gondo do that?

One doesn't need to look too far into the organization to understand how truly scared the newspaper is of me. Giles' immediate supervisor is Bob Mudge, an ex-attorney who, prior to working for the Gondolier, was an in-house attorney with the Boone law firm.

For those of you who are new in town, Boone, Boone, Boone, Hines, & Koda is the local law firm that has financially supported the campaigns of the current majority of city council and who also represent any land developer who wants to get anything built in Venice or annexed into Venice. Attorney Jeff Boone is currently the chair of the Charter Review Board, which has been tasked with reviewing council members' benefits.

Below is a slightly modified version of an email that was sent to Gondo editor Bob Mudge on November 2, detailing some of the many recent fictions that Giles has invented.

BTW: Online campaign reports, to verify statements below, can be found at http://www.venicegov.com/Municipal_links/City_Clerk/election.htm

Nonpartisanship questioned by dummies who don't understand campaign laws

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The following is a Letter to the Editor at the Gondolier, which I guarantee you that they won't publish as they are not in the habit of correcting their errors. This is in response to a recent article that stated that myself and Don Anderson had violated campaign laws by working at the fair booths of national political parties during the recent Sun Fiesta. In reality, Dave Sherman and Gondo reporter Greg Giles invented a non-existent law and then chastised us for breaking it. Proofreaders and fact-checkers at the Gondo let it slide into print without verifying the accuracy of the story.

Contrary to what you might have read or written, there is no prohibition against political parties getting involved in non-partisan elections. Quite the opposite is true and always has been. To write that partisanship has been "happening subtly for years" indicates that the writer has either been sleeping for a few decades or is writing about a land I know not where.

Patten's platform -- a self-serving bit of self-promotion

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Venice United had me fill out a questionnaire, and I'm proud of what I wrote, so here it is, below, in full. They never did endorse anyone. Seems that in the end, they wanted someone who looked distinguished like Sherman, but that thought like me.

Go figure.

Anyway, this pretty much spells out my platform and how I think for those that are unfamiliar with my writing over the years.

"Democracy doesn't work unless you participate." -- Frank Zappa

Sherman given permission to pad his resume by Circus Arts Foundation

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On Dave Sherman's campaign literature, he states he is on the Board of Directors of the Venice Circus Arts Foundation. Not true, says member Rosemary Vauzanges in a reader posting on Ed Martin's blog.

I confronted Sherman at Saturday's candidate forum at East Gate Homeowner's Association. Sherman stated that he had since resigned from the board even though he technically was never an actual board member, but he had acted as though he was a board member and was given permission to state he was a board member by Orlando Bevington, the non-profit organization's Exec Director.

If that doesn't make sense, don't feel alone. I had to play it back several times in my head before I could begin to figure out what Sherman wasn't saying.

The literature for the Venice Circus Arts Foundation, which can be found on their web site, shows three board members through the non-profit's history: Tito Gaona (founder), Armando Gaona, and Larry Ryan. Additionally, Orlando Bevington is listed as Exec Director and Debbie French as Office Manager (http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs068/1103530896159/archive/1107911428260.html).

Curiously, not mentioned is the name Dave Sherman.

Sherman's campaign treasurer is CQG's blogger, Wick Headed Woman

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Listed on Dave Sherman's campaign treasury reports as treasurer is Andrea Cooper. You might also know her as Wick Headed Woman, the woman who ran Winston Wilmore's attack site against the Venice Taxpayers League candidates of Martin, Zavodnyik, Lang, McKeon and Bennett, even going so far as to give ex-mayor Martin the nickname of Mayor Martini. Cooper referred in print to the prior administration repeatedly, usually in conjunction with articles by Cooper and Wilmore or linked to from her site that supported airport growth, as the Slang Gang.

After Wilmore retired from the site, Cooper continued on with her politics page as Wick Headed Woman supporting Mayor Holic, and council members Gates, Daniels and Carlesimo. Cooper hasn't been active on the site since last April, but on her politics page are past slams against Golden Beach residents over airport issues and the like.