Background: Shortly before Election Day we reported on a series of slate mailers that had recently appeared in local mailboxes. Of the various endorsements printed on these mailers, the name of Rex Bohn was about the only constant.
One flier looked über-lefty; another looked gun-nut conservative; and there appeared no rhyme or reason to the suggestions on ballot measures. Was this a deliberate attempt from Bohn to mislead voters?
We tried and failed to get an informed response from him before Election Day. (In case you missed it, the Eureka businessman community organizer/dirt scout wound up winning the 1st District seat on the county’s board of supervisors by a comfortable margin.)
In the meantime, we (okay, I) learned a bit more about the for-profit companies that put out these mailers. Bottom line: They’re not to be trusted. The Chronicle explains that these mailers “may be nothing more than a collection of endorsements sold to the highest bidder and packaged to look as if they represent a particular political philosophy.”
Several political historians reminded us in our comments section that Bohn certainly wasn’t the first local candidate to employ these suckers. (We’re looking at you, District Attorney Gallegos.)
The latest: When we finally connected with Bohn this afternoon he said that it took him a while to track down just what we were asking about but that, yes, his campaign paid to be listed on the mailers. He said the companies behind them offered a pitch: For two-and-a-half to three cents per word, they’d spread the message of his choice (up to 25 words) to both Democrats and Republicans in his district. Upon request they listed the names of previous candidates who’d used their services, and they gave their FPPC bona fides.
“It sounded like a very economical way to get my message across,” Bohn said, adding that he has yet to see any of these mailers himself. (Note: In our original post, the mailer that read “Republicans are voting for Rex” was not a slate mailer; that one was produced by Bohn’s campaign.)
Bohn said he didn’t know what messages would appear beside his own and he apologized if anyone was confused by them (a prospect he found doubtful, since no one but the Journal has mentioned the mailers to him, he added).
At any rate, he said, “I hope it was more successful than confusing.”
This article appears in Tsunami Boats.
Pull the other leg. It has bells attached.
In fact, Colleen Hedrick pointed out the problems with these slate mailers in a letter to the editor in May 2010. her comment read in part: Recent mailings of misleading fliers to Republican voters is something of a puzzler. Three local candidates paid to present themselves on advertising that claimed to be an advisory to Republicans on who and what to support. Many of the recipients believed these false tracts offered information sent by local Republican organizations (Humboldt County Republican Central Committee and the Humboldt Republican Women Federated.) These voters were for the most part dumbfounded as to why their organizations would be advocating for Democrats: Bonnie Neely, Paul Gallegos and Patrick Cleary.
Those running for office too often overreach in strange ways. But if it’s so great to be a Democrat, and so worthwhile to vote for a Democratic candidate, why oh why would you present yourself as a Republican?…
Sometime around January 2011, The Sacramento Bee reported that the FPPC strengthened the rules for slate mailers. Just fyi.
Candidates DO use them because they are cheap and reach a ton of people, and they often don’t realize how deceptive it is going to appear when it comes out. (It is a favorite tool of Salzman, however, who snaps them up because they are a bargain, HE does know.)
Thank you Rose Welsh, career blogger
Today’s headline on Rose’s blog:
Feinstein just another “worthless partisan”
http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.net/2012/06/sometimes-dianne-feinstein-is-just.html
She is a complete nut.
You can smell the money, cologne, perfume and booze breath in the picture.
“Who’s fooling who, I didn’t care how I got the job, I just paid to get the job! Six thousand dollars in the bank every month, suckaz!!! Government money, bennies, retirement, I’m in like Flynn!!!!”
Is that john chiv on the left? How many letters to the editor has he written and had somebody sign off?
jnoky nne yrgzzs ojmfm
sqivg qoov
requin tn pas cherugg shoesbottes timberland hommecheap baseball jerseysfrance air maxair max classic
rkh oqtm kejbk
fagbay
cxgws
buy ultram ultram gi side effects – where can i buy ultram online
buy carisoprodol online carisoprodol normal dosage – do drug tests test carisoprodol
http://chopcare.com/#usa buy ultram overnight delivery – ultram eq side effects