The Mailers of November
Besides the fact that today is Election Day, the buzz among City Council candidates during the past two days has been a series of mailers attacking candidates Jerry Bean, a newspaper executive and Nancy Ruth White, who is a retired teacher.
One mailer shows a person in bed, gripping the sheets as if one has recently awakened from a nightmare. Bean and White are shown in monochrome photographs with a red haze over the faces. The other depicts two cartoon torturers (one male, one female) stretching a victim on a rack. The male torturer taunts "Don't be such a baby, Redlands is rich."
Only one tax is on this year's ballot. The proposed Measure F would charge a business license tax on distribution centers, which currently only pay the city $24 each year to operate in Redlands. The tax has broad support in Redlands' political circles and is opposed by members of the distribution center industry.
A much-discussed proposal to hike the sales tax was kept off the November ballot. Bean opposed that tax and White has also said she does not support new taxes.
Neither mailer was funded by any of the five other candidates in this year's race. However, campaign finance records show the attack pieces were bankrolled by some of the same interests who have supported incumbents Pete Aguilar and Gilberto Gil.
Aguilar and Gil both distanced themselves from the mailers.
"It's awful. I don't like it," Aguilar said. He then addressed the fact that some of his supporters helped by for the mailers.
"That's unfortunate. It is what it is at this point."
A negative phone call targeted Aguilar earlier in the campaign.
The mailers were funded by a group called San Bernardino County Taxpayers Association (or Coalition on one piece). Records show the group received $2,500 from Jim Rissmiller, who last year retired as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection battalion chief in charge of fire protection in Highland.
Sun archives show the group had a big role to play in the 2004 recall of three Highland City Council members, an electoral coup that was supported by Rissmiller.
Rissmiller is intelligent and has a long record of service to Highland. His involvement in the recall proves that he knows how to play hardball. He did not return phone calls requesting an interview.
Groups funding the San Bernardino County Taxpayers Association include attorneys John Mirau ($1,500) and Mark C. Edwards ($5,000), Mentone Investments Advertising, LLC ($1,500), Matich Corp. ($10,000) and Majestic Realty ($5,000)
Mirau and Edwards' firm, Matich Corp. and Majestic Realty (the developers behind Citrus Plaza) all gave money to Aguilar's campaign.
Matich Corp. and Mentone Investments have supported Gil.
East Valley politicos also supported the mailers. Third District Supervisor Dennis Hansberger and Assemblyman Bill Emmerson also supported the Coalition. Business records filed with the California Secretary of State show James Foster, Hansberger's former chief of staff, is a contact person for Mentone Investments Advertising.
White interpreted the mailers as the acts of people who are worried the incumbents will be unseated.
"I think they are a little scared," she said. "It was real interesting to see the turn of the tide. We were having a real civil campaign and all of a sudden these three mailers come."
The other challengers in the race are Henry Nickel, Jeff Sceranka and Eddie Tejeda. The first round of semi-official election results should be released soon.