Monday, December 03, 2012

You Willing to Tell People They Love Encinitas?


There is a difference between enacting positive policies and speaking happy talk. The later is easier and gets in the way of the former.


From CNC:

Information comes to light
It was also discovered that Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar’s husband, Paul Gaspar, was the registered agent for the group. Political blog Encinitas Undercover publicized the information in a Nov. 21 post.
 ...
“Technically, nonprofits can send out mailers to educate people about issues. Had it not been an election season, those mailers could be qualified as nonprofit education, but their timing and substance (was) sketchy,” Gonzalez said.
“They attempted to put Mark Muir and Jerome Stocks in a favorable light in a time when running for office,” he added.

Stocks and Muir denied to the North County Times in mid-October having any connection to We Love Encinitas and knowing who was behind it.

That's almost as credible as aliens stealing signs from Tony's garage. Good thing Tony's story was corroborated by someone with known connections to the opposition campaign (note that Jim has not been willing to state the full extent of his political activities, to date).


Paul Gaspar responds
In an email exchange with a North Coast Current writer, Paul Gaspar said that “We Love Encinitas activities have never been political or a secret.”

Oh boy, Paul is going to be busy running a nonprofit and paying for lots of mailers outside of the election season to make it look like the mailers were just a coincidence. 
“As one does not have to be secret about disseminating good news – unlike the multiple anonymous negative groups and blogs that have infected Encinitas,” Gaspar wrote.

Like the ones calling for fiscal sanity or transparent government that does lie to public (resulting in positive public opinion, when it was not deserved)? Like that, or the ones that ooze hatred for Jerome. Can't pretend those don't exist.
...

Along with his responses to questions, Gaspar forwarded a news release dated Oct. 17 that identifies him as a founding member and introduces the organization as “a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization committed to a positive voice for informing the Encinitas community through: community outreach, multimedia, direct mail, social media, and the sale of promotional items.”

Gaspar said he sent the news release to now-jointly owned daily newspapers U-T San Diego and North County Times.

U-T San Diego did not respond to an inquiry regarding whether the publication received it. However, an Oct. 23 report from U-T Campaign Watch still questioned who was behind We Love Encinitas.

Seems contradictory, no?  The LB didn't get the press release either.  It would have been easy to disclose all this on the organization's website for easy access or to post a comment on the UT. The Gaspars read articles about the city and Paul's organization, right?

...

Kristin Gaspar declined to comment for this story, saying her husband was best to direct questions to as she is not an officer of the organization.
...
She didn't even do homework on her husband's activities, related to such a good cause, and the nucleus of political intrigue? Was she not allowed to ask questions of her husband? There has been speculation that Paul is really in charge and he is the one who is the man who makes the political decisions. 

In most modern families, especially political families, spouses are consulted before a husband starts a political campaign. Spouses should be allowed to be part of the decision making. 

It is sad that in this day and age spouses aren't even adequately briefed on the other 's activities. They should be treated as a partners. Kristin should be allowed to know enough to field questions, and should feel integrated enough that she has some ownership of the decisions her husband makes. She is the elected official.

Paul being dominant seems unlikely. Maybe Kristin was briefed and was part of the decision making. Then she was just dodging the questions. Why?

...

The allegations from city activists have not fazed Paul Gaspar and the organization. He said the group will continue to “execute its mission for the benefit of the citizens of Encinitas.”

What exactly is the mission? Tell people what they already know? They already know that Encinitas is bad ass. Why else would they be so dedicated to keeping poor leaders from deflating its future? 

...
[Gaspar said:] “(We Love Encinitas) will not engage in this political banter any further.”

Translation = We know this looks bad and we know the more we talk the more our story will look like a poorly thought out phony cover story. It looks bad. The use of nonprofits for stuff like this has been disdained by the LB before this story broke.  

The Leucadia Blog has championed many things which have and would have made Encinitas and Leucadia a better place to live.  The LB loves Encinitas, and is willing to be called names by those in power in order to fight for it. What are you willing to do?

(Read the full article at the Coast News Current)

11 comments:

  1. Dump crooked gaspar!!!! Your nose is growing,!!!!!!

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  3. Kevin Cumming weren't you a leader in the Encinitas Taxpayer Association, which is a 501.3c non-profit? Does the ETA do non-political, charity work within the city?

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  4. Really, Mr. "Jones"?

    The ETA operated as a Political Action Committee and made all its legally required disclosures about contributions and expenditures. When I was involved, the PAC filed disclosures which exceeded the legal requirements. You can find the filings on the city's website (thanks to Harry Eiler and myself all filings are now online).

    I have not seen any PAC filings for Encinitas Neighbors or We Love Encinitas.

    The ETA did investigations, public policy and election activity during my tenure. It did not do "charity" work and contributions to the org were not tax-deductible. The organization was not used to hide disclosure of who was contributing to the efforts to influence elections.

    Mr Jones, do you think a 501.3c should be used to circumvent disclosure?

    Can you explain why Gaspar's story doesn't require some more explanation? Do you agree that there appears to be some inconsistencies?

    Finally, do you think Gaspar wasn't trying to influence the election?


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  5. Gaspars - the next corruption to be extracted from city politics.

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  6. That "quality of life" thing was funny... the only rating that was less than perfect was relating to city council!

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  7. The Gaspars have got themselves in hot water. Paul's disingenuousness and Kristin evasiveness will not dispel the doubts about their motives. The mailers were campaign literature in disguise. They thought they could get away with it and influence the elections results. They did, but it only made Jerome's defeat more ignominious.

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  8. This is going to be a learning experience for Barbie. Now she will not be the most popular girl in the circle. She will hear the snarks of all the people who know she chummed up to the devil to taste the glory. Sad, but I hope she and her little spoiled husband learn something from the experience. First lesson, when someone seems like a total asshole when you meet them, they usually are.

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  11. What are the specific's of Tim Baird's life Insurance policy. Tim Baird will not let his staff release the details of the policy. Seems criminal to me. Doesn't the public have a right to know?

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