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SLO County dirty politics déjà vu

January 17, 2012

Ed Waage

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County has had its share of dirty politics including slate mailers used in a 2010 sheriff campaign and the impersonating of opponents by a 1998 assemblyman’s campaign committee, both of which led to Fair Political Practice Commission investigations.

Aside from focusing on the issues, this years District 3 supervisor race already includes allegations of an imposter phone call to a resident and letters to the editor of the local daily taking aim at a candidate from authors who may not be who they say they are.

A few weeks ago, a District 3 resident sent a letter to the editor of the San Luis Obispo Tribune. The day it ran, the resident received a voice message from a caller illicitly claiming to be District 3 supervisor candidate Ed Waage.

Listen: Download Mp3

“Hi, (name redacted by request) I read your letter in the Tribune, are you a communist, or a socialist, or both or maybe a Marxist, this is Ed Waage. Just wanted to let you know what I thought,” the message says.

The opinion writer is a friend of Waage and knew it was not his voice on the recording.

SLO County politics have a history of dirty tricks that include stolen yard sign campaigns and untraceable authors of letters to the editor of the local paper spreading one-sided rumors. During the past few months, the true identities of the authors of several letters to the editor posted in the Tribune and one in the New Times that bash Waage appear unascertainable.

For example, a letter was posted in the New Times on Nov. 22 which said it was from Jan Woern of Arroyo Grande. The letter slammed Waage saying that the public needed to be protected from Waage and his views.

Another letter allegedly from the same person appeared in the Tribune on Dec. 12. This time the writer of the letter claimed to be a resident of Pismo Beach while demeaning Waage saying that he “will launch another campaign of deception.” However, searches of several data bases and phone logs by CalCoastNews and a local private detective show no one by that name appears to be living in the area.

That same day, another letter was posted in the Tribune bashing Waage, this time from Troy Johnson, also allegedly a Pismo Beach resident.

Efforts by CalCoastNews’ staff and a private investigator attempting to locate anyone in Pismo Beach named “Troy Johnson,” also bore no fruit.

District 3 includes a large portion of San Luis Obispo, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, and Grover Beach. Adam Hill, a former Cal Poly English instructor, defeated incumbent Jerry Lenthall in 2008 to claim the seat.


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So disappointing. But also not surprising. This is underhanded and just plain mean. Intimidation of citizens by elected representatives should in no way be tolerated. Way past time for Adam Hill to go.


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“Are you a communist”


Isn’t calling people “communist” one of Adam Hills top 10 MO’s?


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The “communist” thing is so McCarthyesque. It’s like calling someone “precambrian.” Sheesh, politics has moved on since the commie boogey-man was used as a cudgel to keep political opponents in line….except for the most easily-led political neophytes, or those who are manipulating the easily-led political neophytes.


The “communist” accusation had largely stopped being used by the time of the early ’60s. But then Richard Mellon Scaife got his underdrawers all in a knot over Bill Clinton, he started providing more funding to his groups that saw a commie behind every tree, and the easily-led, not-so-bright rightwingers started using it again.


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Oh PICKLE SMOKE ! No way to tell who that is.

Blind speculation…that’s all.


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Familiarity, prosody, intonation, nasal consonants, lexical choice, past conduct, arrogance and motive. 100% Adam Hill.


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My first thought was that this is Adam Hill’s voice. I see I’m not alone. Is he really this stupid? It’s time for him to go and save us more embarrassment. Mr. Waage is smart, honest and treats people with respect. It’s hard to beat an incumbant and I’ll help Mr. Waage any way I can.


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REALLY ? A fireman that’s a SPEECH EXPERT, TOO ?


Give me a break !


It makes as much sense ( in an entirely conjecture way ) that someone that knows so much about another individuals voice and speaking patterns to mimic that person, and then leave a message on an answering machine in order to taint the person impersonated.


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It doesn’t take an expert to recognizes a voice you’ve heard 100 times. Give ME a break!


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I make no such claim. Even a dog knows his master’s voice.


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Sorry. I was not taking into account that you could also be a dog.


I was not aware that dogs could be so pedantic.


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Just curious, is the BOS in session right now? They’re not on TV……


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Do you know the voice of Adam Hill ? Then how are you an expert on whether or not this is Adam Hill? Why do you think you can tell other people that they know or don’t know Adam Hill’s voice? Why don’t you just butt out of the conversation?


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To Citizen …Who appointed YOU dictator ?


There are Very good reasons why taped conversations ( not including court ordered and sanctioned ones ) are impermissable as evidence in court.

They can and have been manipulated…spliced and diced to make it sound as if someone said something they never said.


I am no expert on Adam Hill, but the examples of fascistic anti-democrats here who post against him are evidence of his enemies convince me to be an advocate for him.


BTW, I don’t ‘butt out’ of anything. You right-wng bullies never have scared me.


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Messages on a phone answering machine are indeed allowed in court. Whoever leaves a message on an answering machine knows that they are being recorded. That knowledge makes it admissible. Again, I’d like to see someone do a voice analysis on Adam Hill at the Supervisor meetings vs. this tape. If I were Ed Waage, I’d have people doing it right now.


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So you are no expert on Adam Hill, but all the people who post against him are fascistic anti-democrats?


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Citizen: ” …examples of fascistic anti-democrats here who post against him …” indicates SOME, not ALL.


Your reply is a succinct demonstration of illogic:

[ All adult men have facial hair. Aristotle has facial hair. Therefore, Aristotle is an adult man.


We don’t know that, for sure. Aristotle could be a chimpanzee.


Here is the logic equation:


All adult men have facial hair . Aristotle is an adult man. Therefore, Aristotle has facial hair.]


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It’s enough to send one to The Word Book: “Idiotic, scatterbrained, nonsensical, senseless, unthinking, ill-advised, ill-considered, unwise, injudicious; inane, absurd, ludicrous, ridiculous, laughable, risible, fatuous, asinine, mad, insane, lunatic; crazy, dopey, cracked, half-baked, dimwitted, cockeyed, harebrained, lame-brained, nutty, batty, cuckoo, loony, loopy.”


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insipid, obtuse, torpid… and a nod to Princess Bride: INCONCEIVABLE!!!


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um…don’t you mean IN-CON-THEEEV-ABLE? lol :)


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You left out the one word that describes the whole situation on Adam Hill’s part: arrogant.


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Absolutely Adam Hill. 100% without a shadow of a doubt. I’ve spent hours in Supe and APCD meetings and I know that voice.


What do you bet Adam or his campaign manager Cory Black is behind the bogus letters as well? Cory was behind the illegal slate mailers in 2010:

http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/4491/mailer-riles-dems/


Cory Black brought us Lou Ferrigno:

http://www.newtimesslo.com/shredder/5113/shredder-smash-raaawr/


Cory Black brought back Gail Wilcox:

http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/4288/shes-baaack/

http://www.newtimesslo.com/shredder/4284/im-with-stupid/


Cory Black plagiarized from a competitor’s website:

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/08/02/1704591.html


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Concerning those nasty slate mailers: Cory Black, on his resume, claims to be a member of the American Association of Political Consultants.


From their website:


The AAPC Code of Ethics


All AAPC members are required to sign the Code of Ethics annually, and to live and work by the standards it sets, as a condition of membership in the organization


AAPC Code of Professional Ethics


As a member of the American Association of Political Consultants, I believe there are certain standards of practice which I must maintain. I, therefore, pledge to adhere to the following Code of Professional Ethics:


I will not indulge in any activity which would corrupt or degrade the practice of political consulting.


I will treat my colleagues and clients with respect and never intentionally injure their professional or personal reputations.


I will respect the confidence of my clients and not reveal confidential or privileged information obtained during our professional relationship.


I will use no appeal to voters which is based on racism, sexism, religious intolerance or any form of unlawful discrimination and will condemn those who use such practices. In turn, I will work for equal voting rights and privileges for all citizens.


I will refrain from false or misleading attacks on an opponent or member of his or her family and will do everything in my power to prevent others from using such tactics.


I will document accurately and fully any criticism of an opponent or his or her record.


I will be honest in my relationship with the news media and candidly answer questions when I have the authority to do so.


I will use any funds I receive from my clients, or on behalf of my clients, only for those purposes invoiced in writing.


I will not support any individual or organization which resorts to practices forbidden by this code.

______________________________________ _________________________________


Signature Date


AAPC | The American Association of Political Consultants | 8400 Westpark Drive, 2nd Floor, Mclean VA 22102 | P: (703) 245-8020


Home | Contact Us


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If you listen very closely at the beginning there’s something that sounds like water running.


I think that’s the sound of the Hill campaign swirling down the toilet.


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Funniest comment EVER!


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It’s either Adam Hill or Rich Little. Is there any way to do a voice comparison on this recording and compare it against his voice at the Board of Supervisor’s meeting?


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Maybe somebody at today’s BOS meeting will use their 3 minutes to play the audio and ask if anybody knows who it is?


I bet, if they are really fast, they can get a few seconds played before the mic is cut off.


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There seems to be an similarity between the voice on the tape and the voice of Adam Hill. He can’t be *that* stupid, can he?


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I thought the same thing … It sounds like Adam.


He sure has turned out to be a rotten apple.


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“SLO County politics have a history of dirty tricks that include stolen yard sign campaigns and untraceable authors of letters to the editor of the local paper spreading one-sided rumors.”


That never happens here, does it. Either way, folks that are influenced by these tactics hopefully stay home on ecection day.


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