{"id":1838,"date":"2018-04-25T14:40:25","date_gmt":"2018-04-25T19:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1838"},"modified":"2018-04-25T14:40:25","modified_gmt":"2018-04-25T19:40:25","slug":"dont-rely-on-last-minute-negative-spin","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1838","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Rely on Last Minute Negative Spin:"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t Rely on Last Minute Negative Spin:<\/strong>
\n\u00a0If Issues Are Legitimate, They Are Raised In Time<\/strong>
\nFor Open, Honest, and Thorough Debate<\/strong>
\nBy Susan M. Halpern<\/strong>
\nFormer Addison Councilmember (1992-1999)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For the third election in a row, the negative spinners have circulated inaccurate and misleading information on the eve of early voting. Their timing is unquestionably intentional.\u00a0 After all, these last-minute ambushes make it difficult to correct misstatements before votes are cast.\u00a0 I guess the negative spinners never lose hope that Addison voters will fall for such tactics, despite the fact that they have been repeatedly rejected.<\/p>\n

I believe that Addison voters are way smarter than the negative spinners think. Addison voters understand that legitimate issues are raised early on during any election season.\u00a0 That allows voters to be fully informed, and it allows candidates to have a full, honest and open debate about them.\u00a0 Elections should be decided by having a full understanding of where candidates stand on important issues.\u00a0 Nonetheless, the negative spinners persist, most recently attacking Councilmember Paul Walden and the Addison Police Association by circulating a purported \u201copen letter\u201d to the APA\u2019s President, Cameron Carter.\u00a0 I believe Addison voters are thoroughly skeptical and suspicious about these last-minute attack pieces, as well they should be.\u00a0 Let me show you why by addressing some of the many misstatements contained therein.<\/p>\n

First, the Addison Police Association does not give money to candidates. Neither does the Addison Firefighters Association.\u00a0 The veiled suggestion that the APA gave money to Councilmember Walden\u2019s campaign is false.\u00a0 Equally inaccurate are the suggestions that the APA is somehow subject to the Freedom of Information Act (it is not), or that the letter writer has any right or ability to demand information \u201cto be made available within 30 days\u201d (he has no such right or ability).\u00a0 As but one example of what the APA is really about, consider donating to help Santa\u2019s Heroes; it is a project funded jointly by the APA and AFA.<\/p>\n

Second, between 60 and 70 public safety personnel working in Addison have formed the Addison Public Safety Political Action Committee and make voluntary contributions thereto. By majority vote of these members, the PAC makes political contributions unrelated to the APA or the AFA.\u00a0 Perhaps it is with a full understanding of this PAC that the \u201copen letter\u201d misleadingly suggests that there is \u201cevidence\u201d that \u201cleads to the conclusion\u201d that Councilmember Walden received funds from the Addison Police Association, when this suggestion is simply false.\u00a0 It is the PAC that has made contributions to Councilmember Walden and other candidates, as is its legal right.<\/p>\n

Third, the Addison Police Association and the Addison Firefighters Association have endorsed candidates during Addison\u2019s three most recent elections. In Texas, police and fire personnel have a statutory right to participate in political activity when off-duty and out of uniform pursuant to the express terms of the Texas Local Government Code.\u00a0 Endorsing candidates is their statutorily protected right.\u00a0 Contrary to the claims made in the \u201copen letter,\u201d they are far from alone in endorsing candidates, as even a casual search reveals:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The Frisco Police Officers Association has endorsed a mayoral candidate.<\/li>\n
  • The Allen Police Association and the Allen Fire Association have endorsed at least one council candidate.<\/li>\n
  • The McKinney Police Association has endorsed a candidate for District Attorney.<\/li>\n
  • The Richardson Police Association has endorsed a candidate for State Representative.<\/li>\n
  • The Carrollton Police Officer\u2019s Association has endorsed a mayoral candidate and three council candidates.<\/li>\n
  • The Flower Mound Professional Firefighters Association and the Flower Mound Police Association have endorsed a council candidate.<\/li>\n
  • The Garland Police Association has endorsed a mayoral candidate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    I suppose I could keep going, but you get the idea. It is not unusual for fire and police associations to exercise their statutory rights in connection with elections.<\/p>\n

    Fourth, compensation for police and fire personnel was ignored by the ex-mayor and his cadre, to the point of becoming a critical issue for Addison. At various points in time, both police and fire were understaffed, with no list from which to draw and few qualified applicants seeking to undergo testing.\u00a0 In a 2017 survey comparing firefighter compensation in Addison to 13 neighboring communities, Addison finished 11th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the police side, Addison was paying to train officers who were leaving after three or four years because the compensation packages offered in competing communities were far more competitive.<\/p>\n

    Ignoring these problems was penny-wise and pound-foolish and the entire situation needed to be addressed. The current council, under the leadership of Mayor Joe Chow and Councilmember Paul Walden, took it on and worked to fix it.\u00a0 Having supported the prior administration\u2019s choice to ignore the issue, it is no surprise that the negative spinners are now attacking Councilmember Walden, without fairly explaining the underlying issues.<\/p>\n

    Fifth, the endorsement of the Addison Police Association and the Addison Firefighters Association is by majority vote of their respective members. The decisions are made based on questionnaires completed by some candidates, followed by interviews with the candidates.\u00a0 Those who conduct this process are the men and women who work hard and put their lives on the line to keep us safe on a daily basis.\u00a0 They have taken the time to investigate and evaluate the candidates, and they have a right to have a say in the process.<\/p>\n

    Sixth, the negative spinners seem to draw some measure of joy in continually referencing the embezzlement of money from the Addison Police Association, as did the toxic ex-mayor whose lead they seem to constantly follow. They bring it up every chance they get, trying to somehow connect it to their issue of the moment, even when no plausible connection exists.\u00a0 This is simply more of the same nonsense.\u00a0 So let\u2019s be clear: The fact that the APA was the victim of a criminal act is irrelevant to any issue in this or any other election.\u00a0 It happened years ago, the perpetrator was convicted and is now a felon, and he made full restitution to the APA.\u00a0 End of story.<\/p>\n

    The real story is the continuing hostility of the negative spinners to police and fire personnel. It\u2019s exactly what led Addison to the staffing crisis described above, which has finally been corrected by a courageous council that has spent the last year trying to clean up one mess after another.<\/p>\n

    Addison, we can\u2019t go back. Keep us moving forward.\u00a0 Ignore the negative spinners, and their efforts to mislead Addison voters just as they did during the last two elections.\u00a0 We have a solid council, with seven members who believe in our form of government.\u00a0 Keep Addison moving forward!<\/p>\n

    The Addison Way is finally back. Let\u2019s keep it that way!<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n