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Councilwoman Diane Dixon has launched a Hitpiece against political opponent, Mike Glenn, which hit mailboxes throughout the city yesterday.
Dixon’s mailer contains an error, though: the entire mailer.
First, let’s start with the front of it where she proclaims herself to be something great for Newport. The photo she used? Know where that is? It’s Newport, Rhode Island. That’s the kind of localism ya get when you move here from Los Angeles just 6 months before filing to run for office, I suppose.
Second, her 21 Townhalls? Well, as Townhalls are campaining events and have nothing to do with government, those 21 campaign events she brags about? She didn’t pay for them out of her personal campaign account that she has to raise money for– she actually swindled the government for those funds. That’s right, taxdollars paid for each and every one of those campaign events. You can find her actual record at www.dumpdixon.com
Now let’s move on to analyze the back of the flyer.
Two Different Houses
First, it says I moved, and lists my mailing address. Yes, that is my actual address. Previously, Dixon had proclaimed that releasing the addresses of candidates was “immoral, reprehensible, and dangerous”. I don’t care about it one way or the other, but I do find it curious how her morality is so flexible.
Yes, I have a small guest house on Balboa Island. Yes, I have had it for years. Yes, my main residence is on Balboa Peninsula. Yes, it has been for years. There is about 60 feet of land separating the two of them. This is not new information, condemning information, or extreme information.
Ran Three times?
Second, it says I ran three times. This is not accurate. I ran twice– this time, and in 2016. I filed papers to consider running in 2014, but Dixon promised she was running for the same reasons I was– before getting in and voting to do the opposite. For that reason, I didn’t file to run for office in 2014, and Dixon ran unopposed. After all: Why would I try to do the job if someone else will do it for me?
After her voting history, I could not permit that to happen again, so this time, I filed to run against her.
Balboa Theater
Next, it says I had “sour grapes” over the Balboa Theater being sold to her friend for $1.1m when the city had active bids for $1.6m and $1.7m on the table. That’s not true. I’ve repeatedly said that the high bid (not mine) should have won. This is a case of cronyism, and she virtually admits to that on the flyer.
Dock Tax Repeal
This one might be the most hilarious of all. The Dock Tax was NOT repealed. The city still has a Dock Tax. I have been calling Dixon out for failing to “Stop The Dock Tax” (her slogan when she ran in 2014) repeatedly. She still needs to repeal the Dock Tax, it’s still a theft of property, and she actually voted to affirm the very Dock Tax that she claims is repealed. It ain’t.
Taxpayers Paying For Development
These claims get more ridiculous the further they go on. Development costs are borne by the developers, then passed on to home buyers. When Dixon passed Newport’s first Mello-Roos tax, she essentially allowed the developer to borrow taxpayer dollars and for the eventual-homebuyers to repay the city in the form of taxes– but taxes that are unlikely to ever end for the homebuyer. This has never been done in Newport ever before, but Dixon voted for it just 6 weeks ago, to help a developer friend escape millions of dollars in required costs for building developments.
That’s pretty much the entire flyer, in a nutshell. I do have to say, however, even though I filed last-minute, and even though I am running on a shoestring budget, these types of negative mailers don’t generally go out unless the incumbents are feeling particularly threatened. Now, I don’t have access to polling data, but my phone was ringing off the hook last weekend with calls from people that Dixon had a poll done and was showing me tied with her– even though she’s outspending me by literally about 100x. For this reason, I ask all of you– please vote. If you haven’t registered yet, you can register at www.savenewport.com/vote — this year, you can register up until the last day, but please don’t delay. If we are within striking distance here, I will need all the support I can get. I am asking for your vote. Please vote, and please make sure your friends vote– if we can fix Newport with a good voter turnout, we owe it to ourselves– and the next 4 years of our future– to get out and cast a vote.
