UPDATE: Robert Gammon digs deep into this issue at the East Bay Express.
14 Responses to “Which campaign is this mailer for?”
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Living in the O 
Got that one. This did get me to look at it. Usually I toss these mailers right out.
In a word: Pathetic
Like Andy, I stopped to read it. My first thought Big Don had some thoughts about running Oakland. Then I saw “Cancer.”
I love taxing a pck of smokes as much as the next guy, but I honestly have no idea if this is for lung cancer, any cancer, kids, prevention programs, etc.
I just don’t get why people can ask for money without at least telling the voters how we intend to spend it. Anyday now, I suspect someone in Alameda County will send me a request to support the $10 fee that counties can charge residents to support “transportation programs.”
This is clearly from the mayoral campaign of Don Perata, if not actually, then in spirit. Its got his picture and name all over it. I don’t understand how he thinks people aren’t going to notice such a transparent attempt to move his mayoral campaign forward.
I wonder whether the same mailer was sent out across the entire state.
Hasn’t Perata been supporting this since before he started talking about running for Mayor?
I also think it’s important to note the counter-argument for this ballot measure is insane.
The opposition doesn’t like this tax because they think it will make fewer people smoke. The fewer people smoke, the less money we raise total. But they seem to forget that if fewer people smoke, FEWER PEOPLE SMOKE. How is this objectionable?
Yes, Perata has been supporting this since before he was running for Mayor and I have no doubt that he seriously believes in the initiative and wants it to pass. It’s just interesting that it seems to have only been sent to Oakland voters.
I get it. I just don’t get how it’s unethical or illegal. He’s exploiting a tactical advantage, yes. Is it ploy to use non-campaign funds for Oakland exposure? Probably.
But I wonder how you could ever author a campaign reform law that could bar this sort of crossover expenditure. We can’t control unrestricted PAC funds in any meaningful way. Nor does Oakland have any real control over in-kind donations (Aimee Allison received in-kind donations from Allen Michan that totaled over 7 times the limit, and wasn’t punished).
We need electoral form, for sure, but now that we’re in a cycle, the only tactics that are bad tactics are the ones that are illegal or which create image liabilities.
If you’re going to use this to create an image liability for Perata, I suppose that’s as fair game as his using a peripheral campaign to get exposure in the Mayor’s race. So OK, have at it.
I never said it was illegal (clearly not) or unethical (that’s for everyone to decide on their own, but I think not).
I just thought it was interesting and worth sharing. I think it could be a savvy campaign tactic, considering he has less cash on hand than Quan and needs to see this campaign through to November and hadn’t expected that.
Would I have made the same move? Probably not. But I can’t blame him for doing it either.
This is why grassroots candidates are often more limited by campaign-finance regulations than establishment politicians. Long-time officeholders have access to multiple campaign accounts, and establishment politicians are by definition aligned with interest groups capable of running independent-expenditure campaigns.
This mailer doesn’t count toward Don Perata’s mayoral campaign spending limit, so candidates without access to independent expenditures or issue committees are at a disadvantage if the spending limit is low.
Mailers are a specialty for Larry Tramutola, Perata’s campaign manager. In 2002, Tramutola used mailers in the last week before the election that included Measure DD. Tramutola put Measure DD on the same mailer with a controversial ‘Just Cause’ issue, clearly implying they were related.
Two council members denounced the mailers. Nancy Nadel’s picture appeared on the flyer without her permission. The suggestion made by this was that she supported both measures – she did not. Danny Wan, District 2 councilmember at the time, denounced the flyer as inaccurate and misleading.
The “Cancer’ mailer is another unhappy use of campaign flyers by Mr. Tramutola.
So, at this early date in the campaign season, we’ve already seen Mr. Perata involved in a number of questionable campaign tactics: his appearance at a City-sponsored meeting for campaign purposes. That netted him an ethics complaint. Then, we have Mr. Perata’s attempt to scuttle IRV implementation, with the help of council member De la Fuente, a paid consultant of Mr. Perata. Now we have Mr. Perata issuing this flyer as a means of maintaining visibility during his concurrent mayor campaign.
Larry likes scary. My favorite Tramutola mailer was a piece that threatened that if a renters’ measure passed we would all be threatened by VISCOUS dogs! My favorite typo ever! (With photo of pitbull, of course. But pitbulls are not really that viscous. They are more . . . kind of solid.)
I guess I’d rather have a pitbull than cancer. Just imagine Don’s bewildered opponents, having to run against cancer prevention when they thought they were running for mayor.
Bob Gammon digs deep into this mailer and the campaign at the East Bay Express: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/gyrobase/the-cancer-in-the-oakland-mayors-race/Content?oid=1600133&showFullText=true
This is only the beginning — clearly Perata is going to become mayor By Any Means Necessary, and he’s got a big, proven bag of tricks and the money to deploy them.
Gavin could learn a useful thing or two about political ruthlessness from The Don, instead of playing Hamlet by the Bay.
I got that crap too.
I’d rather the green party mayor win than the establishment.
No, no, bush clinton obama were all successes so let’s just vote party line
Political hokey-pokey time voters!
I’m mulling a governor run now…