Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu, who is running for the 33rd Senate District, is busted! His Republican opponent, Mimi Walters, recently mailed an embarrassing hit piece on Sidhu that revealed that he has accepted one thousand, two hundred and fifty two tickets to events in Anaheim – and he did not report the value of these tickets on his tax returns or campaign finance forms. Not good!
The mailer states that Sidhu, as an Anaheim Councilman, is supposed to oversee the promoters and management at the Anaheim Pond/Honda Center, in order to protect taxpayers. But Sidhu has accepted over $100,000 worth of three tickets in just three years from the very promoters he is supposed to be regulating. Shame on you Sidhu!
This story reminds me of the recent outcry over the hundreds of thousands of dollars of Orange County Fair concert tickets that politicians from both the OC GOP and the DPOC took. The current State Senator in the 33rd State Senate District, Dick Ackerman, took some of those OC Fair tickets, ripping off the taxpayers in the process.
For the record, I am not supporting Sidhu or Walters as they both are engaging in rabid anti-Mexican attacks in their mailers. I have endorsed Gary Pritchard, their Democratic opponent. You can read more about Gary at this link.
Art, I found the mailer to be offensive though. Walters could have addressed the issue without using Hindu artwork. It’s just in bad taste. It is a subtle stab at Sidhu being Indian.
But Walters doesn’t strike me as someone who is very culturally sensitive.
Two months ago, I was saying either candidate would be a good representative. Since then, Mimi has engaged in one of the dirtiest campaigns I have seen. If she truly was the champion and Harry was no real threat, why is she rolling around in the mud? Each picture she sends of Harry shows him with darker and darker skin. I am no longer open-minded about her, and I have made this judgment on what she sends.
The only “hit” against Mimi I have seen by Harry’s campaign is a claim that she missed more than 100 important votes. Her “answer” to that charge was a big SPLAT of mud against Harry.
If Mimi has not accepted any “FREE” tickets to anything, and “FREE” meals or any other favors, she should win this point. What I didn’t see on her mailer was a statement that she has never accepted anything “FREE.”
What is sad is that in past elections we would receive a majority of favorable mailers directly from the candidates with an ocassional third party IE attacking the opposition. Sadly candidates are forced to go on the attack to defend their records or psitions. In Mission Viejo we are getting bonbarded by “he” said “she” said literature in two races. To replace Assemblyman Todd Spitzer and Senator Dick Ackerman.
When this is all over the tab for this overwhelming onslaught will set new records for an OC election.
We will probably receive almost as many negative emails and mailers than positive pieces. What voters are telling me is that they cannot discern who is telling the truth. As such they are simply throwing them all in the trash.
Heather,
You’re right! One more reason to vote for your hubby.
Art, it happens from time to time. We won’t have enough money but for a couple of mailers, we would rather they be positive and about why people should vote for Gary.
Thankfully, I’ve been told that Walters won’t even pay any attention to us, but I have a feeling that may not actually be the case.