Foes criticize mailers sent by L.A. council candidate Galatzan
They say the pieces, which were sent in her role as a L.A. school board member and concern school issues, actually promote her bid for the 2nd District seat.
By Maeve Reston
Galatzan's lawyer, Stephen Kaufman [who has worked with Villaragiosa, Greuel, Yes on B losing argument against Noel Weiss in court and Martin Ludlow and now is working for Tamar], said there was nothing improper about the mailers, which do not mention Galatzan's council candidacy. He said she was merely trying to communicate with her constituents about school issues. [YEAH, RIGHT. THE SAME WEEKEND ABSENTEE BALLOT WERE IN THE MAILBOX IN HOPES OF HER STEPPING DOWN! HAS A FLIER LIKE THIS EVER BEEN SENT OUT BEFORE?]
The three mailers, which Kaufman said were paid for with money from Galatzan's school board campaign committee [NO, it came out of her "Officeholder's Account, which is MUCH worse, because she left $60,000 in her campaign fund that was transferred into her officeholder's account...WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR THE CLASSROOM OR KIDS OR PROGRAMS...NOT SELF-PROMOTION], began arriving just before voters began casting mail-in ballots for the 2nd Council District special election, which will be held Sept. 22.
[SIDEBAR ON KAUFMAN FROM LA DAILY BLOG READER: Kaufman is involved with a who's who of sleazy L.A. Politics. He represents the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa regarding ethical violations and other dubious campaign activities. He represents Rocky Delgadillo, Martin Ludlow, Kelly Cadenale's ethics problem, Measure B, and Kaufman was the architect of the implosion of the non-profit Public Interest Pictures.]
"In the less than three years I have been on the Board, we're starting to see Valley schools turn the corner. There is much, much more to do, but we're making progress," Galatzan writes in the mailer. "
[ZD: So she is sending out a mailer saying, "much, much more to do" while she is running for City Council in hopes of walking away from that "much, much more to do." Remember, City Council is MUCH more money than LAUSD school board member.]
The mailer immediately prompted criticism by the campaigns of several of Galatzan's council opponents, who initially questioned whether the mailing and postage were paid for by the school board office -- which Kaufman dismissed as "absolutely false."
Candidate Frank Sheftel said the mailer was "suspiciously timed to when the absentee ballots come out." Candidate David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg called the flier "purposely deceitful."
John Shallman, a consultant to former Paramount Pictures Corp. executive and candidate Christine Essel, accused Galatzan of "raising unlimited and undisclosed special interest money through one of her political committees to promote her candidacy for city council."
"It's corruption plain and simple -- and just another example of her singular focus on her political career and not the children of the LAUSD," Shallman said.
Eric Hacopian, a consultant to council candidate and state Assemblyman Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank), "The city is well known for having some of the strictest laws for what you can and can't do," Hacopian said. "When you are obviously spending money for an account that is not intended for the purpose of this campaign then you are playing fast and loose with the rules."
"Tamar continues to take her duties and responsibilities as school board member very seriously [as she is campaigning to hopefully walk away] and this was one way she sought to communicate with her constituents about issues of importance to the school district," Kaufman said.
[ZD: YEAH, RIGHT TAMAR. HOW DUMB DO YOU THINK THE VOTERS ARE WHEN YOU TRY AND SPIN THEM WITH THAT?]
Here's an email I just got from someone:
I am sure by now you have seen the mailers from Tamar Galatzan on behalf of the LAUSD.
Full color brochures that look oddly enough like campaign mailers paid for by the school district?? As if there is money to spare to send out two mailers in three days asking for your opinion on how the LAUSD is performing.In 20 years I never received ONE flyer...now two in three days with a candidate's color photo, signature and quote?? This stinks!
[LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE NOT BUYING IT, TEAM GALTZAN! Or at least won't be voting for it.]
[LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE NOT BUYING IT, TEAM GALTZAN! Or at least won't be voting for it.]
Click here for full Maeve Reston LA Times story
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