The five individuals criticized the pro-Wesley Turnbow ad that was mailed to 8th District residents as being “racially charged,” “divisive” and seeking to “play on negative stereotypes.”
The material in question, which is marked “Paid for by Long Beach Citizens for Good Government” and “not authorized by the candidate or a committee controlled by the candidate,” shows a dark, hooded figure next to the words “Long Beach crime statistics 2015.” Without citing a source for the statistics and without indicating to which time period the 2015 stats are being compared, the mailer states that violent crime is up more than 20 percent, auto thefts are up more than 35 percent and murders are up more than 50 percent.
On the reverse side of the cardstock ad is a better lit photo— one of Turnbow smiling. Above the image is a quote attributed to him: “Clearly our streets are not as safe as they were.”
The March 25 statement against the piece was attributed to 9th District Councilmember Rex Richardson, 1st District Long Beach School Boardmember Megan Kerr, former 8th District Councilmember Rae Gabelich, former 9th District Councilmember Val Lerch and former 9th District Councilmember Steve Neal.
Richardson shared the emailed letter with the Signal Tribune from his personal email address.
“This type of fear mongering is unwarranted and completely out of touch with the north Long Beach community,” the statement reads. “Elections are about debating ideas and visions for the future of Long Beach. Differences of opinion among candidates are expected and a natural part of the political process. However, professionalism, respect and proper decorum are always encouraged in Long Beach elections and help to bring our communities together— regardless of the outcome of these elections.”
The statement continues by indicating that images of young people of color wearing “hoodies” have been used to spread unwarranted fear and division in communities across the country.
“In 2012, a 17-year-old boy named Trayvon Martin was walking down a street in Sanford, Florida with nothing more than a bag of Skittles in his hand and a bottle of fruit juice in his pocket,” the statement reads. “Tragically, a local man called the police to report a ‘suspicious person’ in the neighborhood and ultimately confronted this unarmed minor, shooting him in cold blood. Trayvon’s only ‘crime’ was wearing a hoodie and walking down the street to visit his father’s fiancée, who lived in the neighborhood.”
The statement further suggests that leaders and donors of Long Beach Citizens for Good Government should be ashamed of themselves and that Turnbow should “denounce this type of dirty campaigning.”
Although the north Long Beach leaders’ letter referred to Long Beach Citizens for Good Government as “an anonymous PAC [political action committee],” the address attributed to the group— 5100 E. Anaheim Rd.— is also listed as an office address for Gary DeLong, former councilmember for the 3rd District.
An email the Signal Tribune sent to DeLong on March 26 requesting a comment has gone unanswered. The Signal Tribune also went to that address to speak to a Long Beach Citizens for Good Government representative in person, but the door of the organization was locked, and no one answered knocks on the door. Furthermore, the Signal Tribune left a handwritten note requesting a call back or emailed response, but no replies had been received by press time.
In an emailed response to the Signal Tribune, School Boardmember Kerr said that, although she was out of town, she was alerted immediately of the mailer.
“I felt compelled to respond and was grateful for the opportunity to do so in a collaborative and unified way,” Kerr wrote. “The statement captures my concerns quite accurately.”
In a phone interview with the Signal Tribune Thursday, incumbent 8th District Councilmember Al Austin called the mailer unfortunate and insensitive.
“I think it was grossly inaccurate in terms of crime stats in my district,” Austin said. “It certainly doesn’t reflect the crime stats in Mr. Turnbow’s neighborhood and much of the 8th District, and I think it is an unfortunate play on statistics, considering that in 2014 our crime was at a 40-year low in the city of Long Beach.”
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Screen-Shot-2016-04-01-at-10.10.14-AM.png” credit=”Cory Bilicko | Signal Tribune” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”A statement released by five elected officials criticized a pro-Wesley Turnbow mailer for being a form of “dirty campaigning” and referred to the group behind the material in question as being anonymous. However, the group who distributed it is known as Long Beach Citizens of Good Government, and its address is listed as 5100 E. Anaheim Rd. Pictured is the building at that address, which is attributed to Gary DeLong, former 3rd District Long Beach councilmember.” captionposition=”right”] Although Austin and his fellow north Long Beach leaders clearly view the mailer as one that exploits race for political gain, some others in that area see it slightly differently.
Laurie Angel, who is also running for 8th District Long Beach Council, spoke to the Signal Tribune Tuesday and said the problem with the mailer is that it is stereotypical and many people are taking exception.
“I don’t understand the people that did the mailer. I don’t know if they understand nor appreciate the sensitivities,” Angel said. “I don’t know that it was meant to be vicious as much as it was supposed to be foreboding. And I’m not standing up for them. I just don’t know if it was out of lack of knowledge.”
She acknowledged that the criticism that it uses fear mongering is a valid one, but she cannot speak to the intent behind the piece. She added that, when she first got the mailer, she noted the fear-mongering aspect of it but didn’t view it in a racial context until others pointed it out as being about race.
Another active north Long Beach community member, Dan Pressburg, who has hosted candidate events in his home, agreed that the mailed piece is an act of fear-mongering, but he didn’t think it was necessarily about race.
“Anybody could be wearing a hoodie and covering his face— me, you, anybody,” Pressburg said, adding that he saw it as more a matter of poor taste.
He said he had spoken to Turnbow, who had claimed he had no knowledge of the piece.
“In one respect, that’s hard to believe,” Pressburg said. “And in another respect, I don’t know if his parents may have given to the group. I have no idea what they’ve done.”
In fact, one Randall Turnbow donated $5,000 and one Brenda Turnbow donated $4,900 to the Long Beach Citizens for Good Government, according to California Form 460 filed with the Long Beach City Clerk’s office on March 29. Long Beach Citizens for Good Government has made public its support of Wesley Turnbow, as well as 2nd District candidate Joen Garnica.
Shortly before press time on Thursday, Turnbow returned a phone call from the Signal Tribune. He did not want to comment on the mailer, but he characterized the overall campaign for the 8th District council seat as being a positive one. He also confirmed that Randall and Brenda Turnbow are indeed his parents.
Signal Hill has seen its own share of controversial campaign tactics from seemingly anonymous sources, but two years ago its elected officials addressed the issue head-on.
At its March 4, 2014 meeting, the Signal Hill City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance amendment that mandates that any person, organization, nonprofit or political action committee that makes an independent expenditure of $100 or more in support of or in opposition to any measure or candidate report that contribution to the city clerk within 24 hours and 40 days prior to an election.
PACs and independent expenditure committees had already been required to disclose financial records with the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters, however disclosure wasn’t required until months after an election had passed, leaving the door open for such groups to influence elections anonymously before voters go to the polls. City officials said that Signal Hill’s new requirements would provide more transparency and better inform voters during election cycles by requiring that such groups disclose their financial backers before elections.
In an interview with the Signal Tribune Tuesday, Charlie Honeycutt, city manager for Signal Hill, explained the events leading up to the city council’s action.
“We had outside groups— or one in particular— that had decided to get involved with our local election, and the council just felt that anybody who wants to put out information related to our local election should have to be identified and should identify themselves,” Honeycutt said.
Then-Mayor Michael Noll first requested during a council meeting in May of 2013 that the City draft an ordinance amendment after he was targeted along with then-Vice Mayor Ed Wilson and then-councilmember Ellen Ward in a flier campaign before the March 5 election. In 2011, the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters sent out mailers that criticized incumbent Councilmember Larry Forester’s environmental record, depicting a cartoon figure of the councilmember with a sign that read, “I Protect Polluters.”
On Wednesday, 8th District residents received a different mailer in support of Turnbow, courtesy of the Long Beach Citizens for Good Government. This one, touting Turnbow’s involvement with coaching soccer, clearly featured a black male youth, along with other kids of various races. However, there were no dark hoodies on mysterious figures. The youth were smiling and playing soccer in a sun-drenched field of grass.
