In a recent campaign mailer, the Concord Police, thru its union, has smeared Council Candidate and well known community activist Edi Birsan. The ad impugns Birsan’s integrity by actionable defamation, then visits the outskirts of hate speech by calling into question Birsan’s ethnic origin and family name. This action brings nothing but shame to the City of Concord. This POA should be investigated by the District Attorney as a hate crime, and repudiated publicly by all Concord Council Candidates that signed the city’s Code of Conduct Agreement, including Dan Helix and Tim McGallian. The latter two candidates are backed by the Police, City Hall and its allies, and the garbage company which enjoys a no-bid monopoly; all eager to elect a council majority it controls.
The Concord Cops claim Birsan is not a Concord business owner. This is not true and is defamation: a malicious, false, written or printed declaration witnessed by many. See Birsan’s City of Concord Business License v. the “proof” the cops show which is Birsan’s business treasurer’s address in San Francisco.
Setting aside the genuine concern that Concord Cops employ the same flimsy examples of “evidence” when they pursue real criminals, there is also the hate speech issue. The Concord Cops warn voters of Birsan using a false name on the ballot. It calls into question Birsan’s integrity and ethnic origin and adds innuendo that Birsan’s family name from its immigration days (Ersalesi) should be viewed with suspicion and disdain.
It is an open secret that Birsan (and Harmesh Kumar) are just not “white” enough for the aging city fathers and their paunchy middle aged scions, proxies, hangers on, collaborators, grifters of good government, and the bags of money that control it all.
Every election Concord voters put up with the same sham. The garbage company and the POA make sure their interests are protected by backing malleable candidates that will play along when garbage rates or law enforcement contracts are negotiated.
Last cycle it was Ron Leone and Tim Grayson; this year it’s ‘Da General’ and newcomer Tim McGallian. Polling data is shared, the same campaign operative works for the candidates and the special interest organizations backing them. This cozy setup begs the question of brazen yet illegal cooperation between candidates and the PACs that support them, or, in this instance, seek to destroy whoever might get in the way.
But this time, the usual suspects are pouring more into the game. Maybe the poll numbers require this level of nastiness against Birsan, who has done nothing but work to make Concord a better place to live. My guess is Helix is a lock, but McGallian is trailing Birsan. Thus the shameful sleaze from the Concord Cops while Helix, McGallian, and the City of Concord hold the cloaks.
The take away for many is this: unless you are part of the “in crowd” or a suck up that strives to be, you’re a chump to run for Concord City Council; caused it’s fixed.
Forget about it Jake, it’s China Town.
Bill Gram-Reefer is Editor & Publisher of Halfway To Concord, founded in 2004. Halfway To Concord is the leading online source for community-driven political news, events, and opinion for Contra Costa County and the San Francisco East Bay.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Yet another reason why I have no respect for pigs (or hosers).
point of information, please: How long has this Tim McGallian even lived in Concord? And how/why did he get/hold the Seenos’, Garaventa’s, and POA’s attention?
Mr. McGallian has been placed by the powers that be on the fasttrack for Concord politics these past five or six years. As an inexperienced young man he was made the head of the Governmental affairs commitee of the Concord Chamber, has been active in service organizations and youth sports programs. Recently, he was placed on the city planning commission. Having a major push from the Garaventa family has not hurt as well
he is not a new kid on the politic scene, his family has history in San Leandro. Supposedly moved here to get away from that!
What has me soooo amazed with all of this is how dirty small time politics can be……………..Wow it’s not like Concord is a big player on the regional political front. That said the POA and their “partners in crime” the Seeno’s and Garaventa’s need to be stopped. This can be accomplished by picking off the Concord City Council one by one (or this year 2 by 2) and then move on to replace the entire County BOS as they to are controlled by Seeno, Garaventa and…………..CHEVRON. Get people in place that represent people, the real people that are the working people and not big, evil corportation………the time for revolution is NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t vote party vote person.
This is exactly why everyone needs to vote Yes on 32.
Millie
Excellent post, BGR, thank you! Hear hear! I have been really hoping that Dan Helix and Tim McGallian would come forward and make statements condemning what the Concord POA has done, but nothing so far. McGallian has said that he didn’t know about it and had nothing to do with it, but that is not satisfactory. If they don’t come out and say something, it will be seen as condoning it and that will be very disappointing to me.
I am certain that this horrible mailer is having the opposite effect that the POA intended.
He probably knew a mailer was going to drop and I bet he knew the gist of the content. Especially since the person he hired to run his campaign at the urging of the garbage company, most likely is the same person listed in the POA campaign finance records. There is also the bulk mailing number used for the mailing that can be traced, but is usually the print house. A sordid web they weave, indeed.
Sorry, Bill, but suggesting that political speech, no matter how over the top it might appear to some, falls into the category of “hate speech” as defined by law is, to say the least, hyperbolic. And, you can’t seriously be saying that this flyer would be grounds for a criminal investigation by the District Attorney, can you? Resources are limited enough without imagining the workload for DAs around the state if unpopular political speech were to be declared illegal. Good grief.
I meant every word. Yes I am serious. As a proxie for the city hall gang I can imagine your feigned dainty sensibilities would like to paint over clear defamation and the intent to intimidate. Your defense of the indefensible is despicable. Don’t respond unless you use your real identity so all can see what kind of effete snake you truly are.
Folks,
It is going to take about $11,000 to mail a flyer to the good voters of our city to set the accusations of the Police Union (POA) straight.
That namely my business location address is in Concord and that when it comes to my name…well …you got to be kidding me. Give me a break.
My name by the way is explained on my web site *(for the last two years about) under the ‘about Ed’ tab.
If you can donate to the fund to correct this then please send it to
Ed Birsan* for Concord City Council 2012
702 Windmill Court **
Concord, CA 94518
For State and Federal record keeping please note your employer and position or if retired then that.***
Notes:
* AKA Edi Ersalesi Birsan, Edi Birsan, Edi E. Birsan, Granddad
** This is the address of my campaign treasurer
***Middle names are not needed, the bank at least, can figure those things out.
Edi is the only candidate who has ever come to our house, and we’ve lived in Concord for nearly forty years. He was frank, personable, and interesting to talk to. I have a Vote for Ed Birsan sign in my front yard. When I got the shameful CPA flier in the mail this week, with the Bug Eyed Monster photo on the front and all the slanderous garbage about his name and one of his business addresses, I knew I’d only be casting one vote for city council this year: for Ed Birsan. Did you know that 60% of the Concord General Fund goes to the PoPo? SIXTY PERCENT!!! Five-0 must think Ed Birsan is going to Rock Their Boat. Concord Police: FOR SHAME!!!
I have respect for the CPD but the mailer that the POA sent out not only smears Edi but smears POA itself. POA in my opinion sucks big time and not worth the respect and suport. Very cowardly act. Pathetic.