… the Dead Fish Society can’t figure out whether Dave Pratt or Clair (no e) McNeal is their Choice.
Dave Pratt sits on the El Dorado County Planning Commission. Pratt was appointed to said board by none other than Ray Nutting. The question this blogger has is will that association prevent the godfathers of the Dead Fish Society from anointing him as the next Dead Fish?
Vern Pierson may choose to lay low coming off of yet another embarrassing shellacking in an appellate court. Apparently, Pierson went on a publicity-whoring rampage against a local restaurant owner and got all but the disturbing the peace conviction tossed… the reason, WITHHELD EVIDENCE.
I am not sure Pratt or Clair (no e) McNeal want that sort of “endorsement”.
Another “Endorsement” that Dave Pratt claims to not publicly want is developer money. There is a problem – one, Pratt is rumored to be in the running if not already on retainer for an 1800 house development called Marble Valley. Second, the rumor mill also is suggesting that left-wing gazillionaire developer Angelo Tskapolos is also eyeing a large development and is looking to bankroll Pratt.
The alleged Tskapolos bankrolling is supposed to work as a Pratt loan to himself, then after he wins, “fundraisers” to retire the debt. I’ve seen this before in other races (and while not illegal, smells like dead fish), so this rumor is plausible. Please also note that Tskapolos is an extreme leftist and helped fund every loser in California Politics even Phil Angeledes over Arnold! (Apparently Arnold wasn’t far enough left for him)
Speaking of “endorsements”, did Clair (no e) McNeal rent out her train-wreck to the local Red Cross? According to accounts, her “campaign manager” was “helping” the local relief efforts and managed to get his sunken face on TV. I am not sure if this was the aforementioned Stanhope attempting to crank up McNeal’s campaign with some goodwill and service – or if it was the latest in a 12 year pattern of self-serving attention whoring. (I’ve only known Stanhope for 12 years, so I can’t speak for his pattern before 2002)
Accounts on the ground in the Sand Fire operation indicated that Mr. Stanhope attempted to assume control of the operation, claimed that he got people kicked out of the operation, claimed to know several higher-ups in the area in an attempt to curry influence, called several people involved in the relief operation several times, appeared to be intoxicated and/or under the influence of narcotics, made liberal use of the F-Bomb everywhere and anywhere, alienated several people and was finally asked to leave altogether.
My sources tell me that Clair (no e) McNeal has hired a young man who is part of a prominent local family for her campaign as well, it is unclear when and it is unclear if she has separated from the train-wreck or not.
While Clair (no e) McNeal ruminates on her campaign staff and Pratt decides who his political daddy will be… Jennifer Nutting got a nice, fat, above-the-fold article in the Sacramento Bee.
You see, the El Dorado Mountain Democrat have proven to be whores for Vern Pierson – they smeared Dan Dellinger in their paper numerous times and gave a story as limp-wristed as any of Harn or Pierson’s handshakes when Dellinger beat Pierson’s ass to a pulp. The El Dorado Paper dutifully smeared the above mentioned Restaraunteur and of course gave scant coverage to the epic beat-down by the appeals court when Pierson’s felony rampage was completely gutted. This time, Pierson won’t be able to shop for a judge to throw the Restaranteur out of office over the remaining misdemeanor conviction. (as I believe he did regarding Nutting)
I am wondering if the editor of that rag will be remanded to suicide watch when either Ray Nutting is restored to office on appeal or Jennifer Nutting beats the field.
The Bee on the other hand chose life instead of doing their usual journalistic abortions.
For the record – I like Ray Nutting and I have been clear about how I believe that his lack of attention to detail and his devil-may-care attitude toward his personal finances and paperwork allowed the Psychotic DA to get him. I don’t know Jennifer Nutting. I am rooting for her simply because the people that have abused their offices (and people) deserve to suffer by seeing the name Nutting in office another seven years.
Pratt? I don’t know him from adam – I am sincerely hopeful that his “connections” to both developers are not true, or that he will come clean and take a couple of fat checks from them! IF not, he deserves to be beaten up bad politically for attempting to deceive voters.
Regarding the actual issues in this tilt:
While I am not anti-growth at all… I read the questionnaire from the “Keep Shingle Springs in the Stone Age” group and was aghast at the tenor and the scope of the questions. I’d probably be labeled public enemy number one if I attempted to answer that questionniare. (Start with my desire to see US-50 be 6-8 lanes thru Pollock Pines and 4 lanes thru South Lake Tahoe.. and of course my desire to see massive traffic improvements for Apple Hill).
I will be interested to see if the Shingle Springs anti-growth group endorses Shiva Frentzen as many are speculating. If that happens, this disqualifies her from serious consideration. I’ve been told that Frentzen is a great person, good businesswoman and the like. I am not sure if that translates in to good government if a group of BANANA’s whose stated purpose is to keep Shingle Springs in the Stone Age endorses you. (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) If Frentzen proves that she is legitimately approachable on growth issues and can demonstrate sincere conviction on the issues vexing El Dorado County, she could be a surprise come election day.
IMO, Pratt disqualifies himself if A) the allegation of him being a consultant on the Marble Valley project is true and/or B) he has been working with Tskapolos behind the scenes on creative financing. You don’t tell people you are not taking developer money while doing either of the above. That is called lying and unless you’re President Clinton (with a bigger band of media whores than the el dorado paper) you don’t get away with lying. I do believe that Pratt will be funded and will end up in the fish wrapper. In my mind’s eye, I just can not see the good ‘ol boys associating with…
Clair (no e) McNeal, who disqualified herself with her attitude and the abusive manner with which she treats people she perceives to be lesser than her (which is most people). She makes it easy for me to criticize her since she hired the trainwreck for her campaign and also supported him for Vice Chairman of the State GOP.
The Above leaves us with loveable loser George Turnboo. Turnboo is just misunderstood, which also disqualifies him from consideration.
This leaves me rooting for Jennifer Nutting for even more reasons than just to rub the face of the psychotic Vern Pierson in political dog doo. However, if Jennifer Nutting wasn’t compelling in her own right – just being able to rip on Vern Pierson would be enough.
El Dorado County Politics are a colossal mess. Unbelievable.