TO: Reporters Attending The Governor’s Yes on 93 Presser Today
FROM: Jon Fleischman
RE: The Big Lie — A Tale Of Three Mail Pieces
Today, Governor Schwarzenegger along with a number of other politicians will hold a press conference in Los Angeles — their last effort to push Proposition 93 to severely weaken California’s legislative term limits, and allow dozens of legislators that would have to retire at the end of this year to serve years longer in office (in the case of Fabian Nunez, he would be able to serve for six more years, until the end of the first term of the Governor to follow Schwarzenegger!).
Central to the campaign is what we call "The Big Lie" — which is simply this. Instead of presenting voters with an honest campaign, Fabian Nunez (and now Arnold Schwarzenegger) are lying about this measure.
Simply put, if Prop. 93 passes, term-limits are weakened, and the average length of time that a individual serves in the legislature will significantly increase. But Nunez and company aren’t willing to say, "We think term limits should be weakened, and this is why…" — they are using double-speak and subterfuge
Please ask the Governor why he is participating in lying to the voters.
On Saturday, some friends of mine received some mail on behalf of the Yes on 93 campaign. The husband is a Republican, and he received two pieces of mail, and the wife is a Democrat and she received a different piece of mail…
**There is more – click the link**
February 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
…of course the fact that lobbyists’ influence INCREASES in direct proportion to length-of-service by members never is mentioned; and is turned through the looking glass. The ‘merry-go-round’ ad is also flagrant
February 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Jon I got an email from Tom McClintock saying that if Prop 93 passes, he can serve another term in the state Senate. Don’t you want your political hero to serve another term in the Senate?
February 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Bob, I like Tom McClintock – a lot. In retrospect, I wished that I had voted for him for Governor in the recall. (I’ve already apologized to him.)
That said, Tom has been in the legislature too long, and it is time for him to go.
I think that there are many people out there who can ably fill his shoes and do a great job.
(I’m not sure whether anyone can fill Battin’s shoes — but, we’ll see!)
February 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I get my voter guide information in Spanish, when available,(I do Spanish media so it’s my business), and one of the “Yes on 93” mail pieces is a big red bilingual card, with a photo taken in the Capitol Chambers, of 18 Latino Legislators, on the inside flap of the card.
The slogan on the cover reads, “Our sons and daughters–Nuestros hijos e hijas” The text is a plead from their parents, telling us “it took many years, many sacrifices, many prayers. And now there are 26 Latinos leading California…Shouldn’t they have a chance to keep doing their jobs better? Yes!…Can we all help them? Yes we can!” “¡Sí se puede!”
It’s signed by three mothers of sitting Legislators. I hopr we have been able to adequately share with the same folks who received this political piece in Spanish, the facts about how many more Latino candidates are vying for an opportunity to serve in office, and how we wouldn’t have 26 Latinos in the Legislature, had it not been for term limits, initiated in 1990, in the first place. Before that, the most we’d had at any one time were 9 in both houses combined.
Family and prayers is a great appeal message to Latinos. Messages such as “term limits encourage fresh talent and innovation, and inhibit corruption and special interests’ power of influence.” also carry a lot of weight. So does telling Latino voters that term limits inhibit lobbyists’ influence, corruption, and legislators loosing touch with the people who elected them. Which reminds me, Fabian Nuñez is notably missing in the photo for the ¡Sí a la Proposición 93! warm and fuzzy mailer. The boy from Tijuana, and raised in and elected from East LA doesn’t really evoke those warm and fuzzy feelings of familia, sacrificio, communidad and prayers any longer. His lavish travel, dress, dining and gifts, and questionable payments by lobbyists to his wife, at the time he has presided over pending legislation for the same special interests, have caused many in his own district to abandon their hope in his commitment to their well being.
This mailer doesn’t bother to say what Prop 93 is or does. It is an appeal to give the 26 Latino Legislator now in office “the chance to keep doing their jobs to make our community better…” That’s all it says.
Hopefully, voters who receive Spanish language voter information will be curious enough to read the voter information pamphlet for more details (they get that in Spanish too), so that they won’t be taken by the warm charm of the plea from three mothers who signed the card, (mailer) asking voters to let their sons and daughters stay on.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Ms. Montelongo:
Thank you for taking the time to tell the rest of us what this mailing says!
A brilliant posting.