A recent post here wrote about the Times’ Lisa Vorderbureggen depantsing Supervisor candidate (D-3) Steve Thomas for cutting and pasting his campaign literature. We noted how many mixed households (Dem+Rep) received ads from Mary Piepho’s campaign containing two versions of the same ad; one of Tom Torlakson and the other with erstwhile Republican leader, Lynne Leach. Most people agree this sounds like it qualifies for “cut and paste.” But no, Vorderbrueggen cried foul!
In a shameless attempt to boost her own blog’s readership and redact her original outburst with some actual journalism instead of relying on girlfriend gossip, Lisa gravely threatened to update her original post with quotes.
For a minute there I feared Lisa was going to tell on me and ask my mom what she thought or have her big brother stand in front of my house with a baseball bat. But it was worse! Vorderbrueggen asked Lynne Leach what she thought of my writing about having her mug cut and paste onto the same political ad for Mary Piepho that also featured Republican nemesis and Dick Rainey killer, Democrat demi-God, Senator Tom Torlakson.
Anyways, being the seasoned extemporaneous public speaker with or without a mike, Leach harrumphed that this author was a “front for Guy Houston” and that I should admit it.
Boy has Lynne Leach not been paying attention (see… I got there).
Apparently Leach can no longer tell the difference between a Republican and a Democrat. Nor has she read the memo about one of her favorites, Mary Piepho, having gone seriously native in Martinez.
If Lynne Leach had been paying attention, she would know from hundreds of posts and comments on this site, that I consistently OPPOSE those campaigns that benefit from independent expenditures (IEs) from special interests that aim to suborn our electoral system. Maybe if Lynne were paying more attention she would not so happily slip under those silky covers.
If Lynne Leach was paying any attention at all, she would know that this election is about the redevelopment crowd making sure there is no change from the status quo. Thus pliant electeds ready to play fast and loose with the Urban Limit Line in exchange for campaign cash are welcome to the trough, and to hell with Prop 98.
For example, instead of hammering on non-news two weeks in a row in her Sunday column, perhaps Lisa Vorderbrueggen could write a story about something that actually mattered. Maybe she could ask her girlfriends working for Mary some tough questions about how this “pay-to-play money” would no doubt affect some future Piepho votes on projects pushed forward by:
- Craig Andersen, and his East Bay Business Coalition. This is the same bully who threatened Times writer Ryan Huff with bodily harm.
- The Realtors PAC. If Lynne were paying attention, then she’d know that Bielle Moore, executive director of the non-profit, also controls the partisan PAC. Is this not the same conflict of interest she and her cohort whined about to the board of Coco Tax? Talk about those messy double standards.
- Does anyone doubt Tom Koch’s New Farm backers will not be heard from this political hunting season? How much will it cost to keep Mary Piepho in office so the Urban Limit Line can be pried open project by project?
As Luther quipped, “the big thieves hang the smaller thieves,” so don’t forget the little-fish, second-tier endorsements of the usual suspects listed as Piehpo endorsements including but not limited to the entire roster of local Democratic electeds and their sandbox Republican partners co-opted by the California League of Cities; not to mention faux-enviros Ron Brown, Save Mt Diablo, and the Sierra Club. This isn’t “community support.” It’s the get-along-gang that gives pro-(re)development Democratic candidates, hangers-on, and wannabes like Piepho the political cover for the back room deals that transform communities like Tassajara Valley into an LA freeway quicker than you can say Abram Wilson.
Yes I support Guy Houston. D’uh. But only because he is the best candidate with a chance to stand up and help correct the problems this county faces instead of being a sock puppet for special interests and their bid to stop any reform in Contra Costa County despite the findings of the Grand Jury.
Lynne Leach ought to pay more attention. That way, maybe, she could better see Republican from Democrat and the debilitating effect IEs have on our polity.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The beloved Lynne Leach is a figure of politics past. She has no influence except for the few far out zelots who hang out at the CCGOP. It is funny she has not run for anything since her failed attempt at trying to become state school mom. When the 15th Assembly goes democratic later this year the CCGOP should start a muesuem for all the old time conservatives who will be part of Contra Costa’s past. There won’t be any place else to put them.
I wonder if Lynne Leach has read the latest GJ report on the OPEB situation and the supervisor’s behavior. If she has, and if she believes the GJ, then her support of Mary Piepho should go right down the drain.
On Mary’s watch, according to the report, almost nothing has been done to address this serious issue. In addition, union contracts have been repeatedly re-negotiated with absolutly no change in the obsecene benefits given to employees.
The GJ says the BOS promises to do better better and that “they are on the road to fiscal sanity. Their record says otherwise”.
Lynne should wake up and smell the behavior of the board and of Mary. Sorry, Lynne, but it stinks. Time to wake up. Hopefully the voters have awakened and the odor in the board room will improve after the June 3 results are in.