Subject: Money and Advertising
Date: 2007-11-02
Read the letter below by retired school administrator Jerry Page about what money and advertizing can produce in this campaign. Jerry's letter mentions David Brower who many may not remember now. David Brower was a mighty champion of the environment and founded the Friends of the Earth organization because he felt the Sierra Club was, well, too clubby and not active enough. He fought for special places in the United States and worked tirelessly until his death. I was at Pasadena City College when he came to speak to a large class on what one person could do to help the environment. I was invited to lunch with him (as a student representative) and for one of the rare times in my life was speechless. Literally. I listened and was inspired and set my course for what I wanted to do with my career and life. I have many miles to go yet to begin to fulfill David's challenge. (By the way, later on we, David and I, met on issues or at conferences and I was not tongue tied).
Letter to the Editor
Benicia Herald
November 2, 2007
Dear Editor:
Bill Whitney, one of the councilmen who has been pushing the Seeno Project, has sent out a fascinating mailer. In a remarkable display of what money and advertizing can produce, Mr. Whitney is portrayed as Benicia’s stalwart rendition of a Sierra Club’s David Brower, a bulwark against the environmental excesses and potentially unfortunate impacts of, well, gosh, of the Seeno Project! That it was his vote that moved that flawed draft environmental impact report and the project ahead, over the strong objection of his opponent for mayor, Elizabeth Patterson, is a reality that the designer was unable to fit into that mailer. A Benician awash in outside campaign propaganda can be forgiven for confusion. But a Benicia that succombs to that engineered confusion and fails to recognize and suppport Elizabeth Patterson in her long-standing battle for development that enhances our lovely town could awake after the election to great regret.
Jerome Page
Benicia
(Letter also attached in PDF format) |
