Did the OC Register attempt to undermine MV council challengers?

Who screwed up?

Was it a mistake? I don’t think so!

On page 17 of our Saddleback Valley News/OC Register on Friday there was a paid ad whose headline read “YOU BE THE JUDGE!”

If you do not receive this newspaper or the Register let me share the text.

“Taxpayers in Mission Viejo.
Stop wasteful and out of control spending and remove failed career politicians for the City Council.
Voted to double their salary/lifetime Medical Benefits
Enhanced Employees Contracts/Vote for Highest Bidder on trash contract/Voted to triple budget on Community Center
Filed Lawsuits against two school districts.
Remove Incumbent Council Members & Vote for:
Candidates for Integrity in Government
Rhonda Reardon/Brian Skalsky/Neil Lonsinger
In fine print at the bottom it reads:

Paid for by the Citizens to Protect Mission Viejo”

What follows raises some serious questions for someone in the Register ad department or elsewhere. The bottom line of the two color ad contains a web site of an individual or group opposing the very same candidates while supporting the incumbent slate. Who added that reference?

I have a copy of the order number and the ad number.

When contacted by the person who placed this ad on Saturday I was told that the Register apologized and promised to run a corrected copy in the Local Section of today’s edition at no charge.
You can find the corrected black and white copy below the weather forecast on page 6 of today’s newspaper.

Who was responsible for that bogus web site on the original ad?

 Either it was added intentionally to smear the challengers or someone accepting the ad failed to “trust, but verify” that it was not a conflicting web site. There is no FPPC ID on the advertisement. However, as this is a one time ad and is below $1000 it is not a requirement.

Yes, “the silly season” is about to come to a close.


About Larry Gilbert