Signs Of Trouble in Stanton
Posted by: Jubal | 10/09/2008 8:18 AM
This just came over the transom:
The Assault On Free Speech Continues In Stanton
Candidates Al Ethans And Carol Warren's Campaign Chairman, Councilman David Shawver Caught Playing Code Enforcement Officer For The City.
(STAN TON) - Though the political signs have gone out and the candidate forums have begun, the real action in the Stanton City Council race has been behind the scenes.
Stanton City Council candidates, Councilman David Cadena and Stanton small businessman Alex Lam have joined together in an effort to reform Stanton's city government, demand accountability and to make city hall more open to a healthy exchange of ideas.
But their opponents seem to think that enforcing the law in Stanton is up to them personally and their supporters. Al Ethans and Carol Warren even sent out intimidating emails falsely claiming that nearly every business in the city had agreed to support them and display only their political signs.
If that is not enough, this past Saturday, Stanton city council candidate Alex Lam claims to have personally caught Councilman David Shawver acting as a code enforcement officer, pulling Lam/Cadena signs from public medians and from private property.
Councilman Cadena and his wife drove down to join Alex Lam in confronting Councilman Shawver and discovered up to 7 Lam/Cadena signs that Shawver had pulled down and was in the process of hiding in a local business.Is it just me, or is this sort thing more endemic to small cities like Stanton?
A copy of the audio taped confrontation with Councilman Shawver and emails from Council candidates Al Ethans and Carol Warren will be made available to interested local media today at the Stanton Chamber of Commerce candidate forum luncheon.
"The events of this past weekend in Stanton are a perfect reminder why it is so crucial to elect Councilman David Cadena and I to city council," said long-time Stanton businessman Alex Lam. "The heavy handed tactics and opposition to healthy debate has to stop. People deserve a local government that is open and accountable, not one that takes the law into their own hands."
The intimidating emails from Al Ethans and Carol Warren, Councilman Shawver illegally removing signs and acting as local code enforcement all comes on the heals of a Shawver lead council vote to remove David Cadena as Mayor.
Councilman Cadena's offense was simply asking that the council have a brief invocation before the meeting.
"Stanton residents deserve a city where they are free to ask questions and propose new ideas - and even disagree with the city council from time to time," said Councilman David Cadena. "The taxpayers of Stanton are not going to get the results they deserve if our opponent's assault on free speech is rewarded on Election Day."
"Let's instead elect a council that will encourage a healthy exchange of ideas so that the best ideas are put to use for our community."
For interested local media who would like copies of the audio taped confrontation with Councilman Shawver and emails from council candidates Al Ethans and Carol Warren, please email SaferStanton@gmail.com.
Anonymous, you have an excellent point. Sometimes people become annoyed by a person or event, to the extent...
Possibly....I've had several of my signs removed. I have had two giant banners removed from the corner of Springdale and Westminster Blvd. in Westminster. I have had several of my smaller signs "disappear". So apparently someone thinks I'll get too many votes if my signs are left up.
It's okay, I ordered new signs to go up this weekend. These will have local businesspersons and residents on the "watch" for sign theifs.
"Vote for Vivian" for the Midway City Sanitary District will be appearing soon on a corner near you in Westminster...
It get’s worse than that. David Cadena - Alex Lam’s running mate listed in his 460 filings that David Everett Assemblyman Van Tran’s District Director is his campaign consultant and the address listed was Van Tran’s district office. Where is the Orange County District Attorney?
Freedom Writer, how about some punctuation and clarification? Dave Everett's address as a campaign consultant was the same as Van Tran's district office?
Dave Shawver and Al Ethans together lack the backbone Dave Cadena showed when he asked for an invocation inviting God into City Council meetings. Their intimidating e-mails and pulling of campaign signs are imature bully moves and they should admit them as such and apologize to the City of Stanton.
I love how Councilman Shawver ("Freedom Writer")acts like an accounting error (Cadena listing the wrong address for his campaign consultant on a form)is going to distract from his breaking the law, deputizing himself as code enforcement and punishing people for wanting to pray.
And why are he and Ethans helping propping up liberal Democrat Carol Warren for City Council.
Time for Republicans to stand up for our values in Stanton and demand some accountability from city hall.
Political thuggery and bullying is unacceptable from any city official. What are you afaid of "Freedom Writer"(David Shawver)? A true leader has Integrity, Faith and Courage; a poor leader resorts to intimidation as they have nothing else. Vote for real leaders, vote for Councilman David Cadena and Candidate Alex Lam for Stanton City Council.