Pappas Ad - Truth In Advertising?

Well, with June 3rd coming upon us very quickly, I better get this off my chest now.

When the Pappas television ad first came out, I just sat there and shook my head. Then I couldn’t help but giggle a little. The first vision that came to my head was of Steve Pappas standing on a hill overlooking Los Olivos…. A big “S” emblazoned on his chest standing for “Super Saver!!!” … wait a minute,, that’s a grocery store chain or something… how about “Super Citizen !!!" … his green cape billowing out behind him, hair blowing in the breeze with his arms crossed across his chest. He had just saved the community from another eminent disaster. Well done Steve!

His TV ad states that” When the local community’s plea to stop casino expansion was ignored, Steve went to Washington D.C. to prevent it”, and then on the screen you see this bold text” STOPPED CASINO EXPANSION”. Wow, whatta guy!

The “local community” the narrator refers to is basically the small elitist group called POLO and their brothers and sisters in arms, POSY. It makes for good sound bites though.

And the alleged casino expansion that Steve stopped dead in its tracks for all of us ???

Is it the 5000 slot campaign that we all witnessed early last year? The alarmist propaganda that POLO/POSY spewed that went down in a little puff of smoke because there actually were no plans by the Chumash to add a single more slot than they were allowed under their current compact let alone 5000 more? You remember don’t you?

The ads proclaiming that “we only have a few more weeks until it is a reality” Wow, those ads probably scared the bejezzus out a some poor folks.

Or is it the lawsuit POLO/POSY filed against the BIA to be “part of the consideration process” concerning the application by the Chumash to annex 6.9 acres across the street from the reservation where they plan to build a cultural center and a museum along with a park and retail shops? Doesn’t sound like a lot of casino expansion there.

As far as the other great accomplishments Pappas’ TV ad claims, this letter by Lansing Duncan in the about a week ago lays out more details.

http://www.independent.com/news/2008/may/22/pappas-ads-bunk/

The whole TV ad is an overblown, hyped up spin on a few issues to make Pappas look like a super hero.

Look, I’ve never met Mr. Pappas, but I am sure he is a great guy. From what I know, he and his fellow board members have done an outstanding job at Los Olivos Elementary School. I don’t believe he is racist and I do believe he has good intensions.

It’s just that electing Pappas as 3rd District Supervisor is basically electing POLO/POSY, the elitist group described above, to the BOS.

And among these members of POLO/POSY are people who have attacked the very existence of the Chumash Tribe along with the legitimacy of their reservation. They say DNA testing should be applied to see if they are really Chumash or not. That’s pure bigotry.

Pappas claims he is not racist and I believe him, but he is affiliated with a group whose members time and again attack the Chumash racially. It’s like he just got mixed up with the wrong crowd. Of course they have all the money so I guess he had no choice.

Last night in an article in the SYVN I saw a list of endorsements reported by candidates.

You don’t believe that a vote for Pappas is a vote for POLO/POSY ? Check this.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24811420

Besides Pointer who didn’t report any, the other three had a variety of endorsements ranging from former district supervisor’s, current district supervisors, various city council members, recreation directors, state representatives, current and former mayors, school board members, assemblymen, planning commissioners and so on. A wide variety of different people representing a wide variety of public interests.

Farr had about 30, Smyser had about 25, and Bearman had about 10.

Pappas reported 6 endorsements. Out of those, four of them, Nancy Crawford-Hall, Doug Herthel, Jon Bowen, and Kathy Cleary, are, in fact, POLO/POSY members who have been longtime opponents of the Chumash. If I were a betting man, which I’m not, I would bet the other two listed are also members. Don’t know for sure though. But there is no doubt it is a very close knit, specific minded group with a very specific personal agenda.

Pappas' most generous campaign contributors are Herthel ($27,500) and Crawford-Hall ($20,000), but Pappas has said his politics would be in no way influenced by the source of his contributions. “I continue to be beholden to nobody,” Pappas said. “The money [from donations] comes with no strings attached.”

Uh huh… and if you believe that then I guess you would probably believe that Mars could be as big as the Moon in our night sky.