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Monday, October 24, 2011

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.

Monday, October 17, 2011

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.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

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.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Ed Martin: short-term rentals are all Patten's fault so vote for Sherman

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NOTE: In politically supporting Dave Sherman, former mayor Ed Martin is blaming me for my stance on short-term rentals, implying that I am in favor of not regulating them.

That would be not true. I live next to some nuisance long-term rentals that are nightmarish at best, so I'm more than sympathetic to people who find themselves living next to an ongoing and never-ending Spring Break party.

So I sent the following to Martin and to Marshall Happer, who seems to partially agree with Martin on this point.

Hold on here, buddy. This short-term rental fiasco is your mess, Ed. You created it, you perpetuated it, and you needlessly cost us a couple of million dollars in legal fees and judgments only to end up right back where we started.

If elected, I get a shot at helping to clean it up. Trust me when I say that it is not something I look forward to, and the cruelest thing you might do to me is actually put me in office.

First off, I am NOT ARGUING FOR short term rentals. I am arguing against the continual legal stupidity as perpetuated by our city's legal department to take us down the wrong roads in nearly every legal adventure we find ourselves in. I'm sorry if this seems nasty again, but I am out to win an election and you appear to be trying to make me look bad by saying that you were right all along.
You weren't and you still aren't.