District 5 city council candidate Aaron Resendez has just released an open letter to Nora Campos, demanding an apology from the councilmember and her Chief of Staff Ryan Ford.
Last Friday, following a press conference at City Hall denouncing the malicious mailers sent out against fellow candidate Magdalena Carrasco, Resendez says Ford approached him for what can only be described as a public badmouthing. Campos’ brother, Xavier Campos, is also running against Resendez for the East Side seat.
“I am writing this open letter to you and the community to bring attention to Mr. Ford’s insulting and disrespectful behavior,” the letter reads. “Behavior that seeks to intimidate, to disrespect and to threaten has no place in political life and I demand a public apology….As a District 5 resident and community leader for the past 17 years, I have never been attacked in such an unprovoked manner. Mr. Ford’s speech and decorum in front of City Hall was disrespectful to me and my wife Lucy.”
Apparently, Ford’s tirade was a response to one of Resendez’ campaign mailers, which listed the “Exceptional Leadership Award” he received from Campos’ office back in 2002.
“Your Chief of Staff Ryan Ford approached me and denounced my ethics. He accused me of being unethical because I quoted the language of an award I had received from you on my campaign mailer. He stated that this implied that you had endorsed me,” says the letter.
Resendez’ campaign mailer also lists various community leadership awards he received from former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales in 2002 and 2003.
“The voters of District 5 deserve better than this type of insulting and disrespectful behavior. Intimidation and innuendos are part of the politics of the past. We need to focus on the politics of the future to better serve the residents of District 5,” the letter ends.
There is, as yet, no response from camp Campos.
I think Aaron is owed an apology. This behavior is unprofessional.
This looks like the same thing that happened to Martin Monica. During the DSA forum at the County, Sheriff Smith hassled Martin for putting out a job recommendation letter she gave him. If these people don’t want their praise of these candidates used during campaigns, then they shouldn’t be handing out awards or letters in the first place.
What is going on here? Have these candidates all lost their minds?
We’ve all seen this before – it’s the old bait and switch. Instead of talking about anything substantive, Renendez wants us to talk about this BS.
“What, there’s a $118 million deficit?! Let’s change the subject by talking about nonsense. Brilliant!!”
Let’s start talking about what’s important – the $118 million deficit, the pension crisis, or how to fill the gap for closed libraries. Or how to help boost our local economy where our unemployment sits at around 11.7%. Or how to help our struggling school districts – all 19 of them. Or how to make our streets safer. These are difficult questions that require difficult choices (for the record – complaining about your feelings is NOT one of those choices).
If this is the leadership we can expect from Mr. Renendez, then San Jose is in even deeper trouble if he wins…
This is just the typical mean intimidation tactics that the labor camp has practiced for years and years. It is now beginning to come out publicly because they are all desperate and believe they are losing too many local races, which they are. Voters should vote against Campos because of this.
Sorry for the misspelling of Resendez (I shouldn’t comment with no caffeine in my system). Please don’t write a public letter demanding an apology!
Doesn’t this guy have better things to do than cry about how some Council aide talked to him? What a wimp.
Maybe the Chamber of Commerce should put up a $5,000 reward to find this guy’s backbone.
Cindy, is that you?
Is Phil Bump back in town?
It sounds like Mr. Resendez is desperately trying to get news at any cost. If Mr. Resendez was sincere in his desire to elevate the political discourse in the district 5 race, he would have sent out a press release offering solutions to the City’s budget deficit, not a cheap gimmick.
15 days to go before election day!!! Let’s see how many other candidates start using cheap gimmicks to move from last place in the polls.
Robert Cortese, the second cousin of County Supervisor Dave Cortese is a nationwide star.
Known near and far He is quoted in the New York Times
his proudest achievements was a balanced, mathematical approach to represent District 9.
cousin Dave has already publicity endorsed Bob and Rep. Mike Honda.
Oh see? Metro Endorses me too! They called me “King!”
I had taken bits out of this article
http://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/entries/03_16_10_karaoke_king_of_d9/
In fact, that sounds so good I think I am going to print what I just quoted from the article on all my campaign flyers and say that “The metro wrote it”
Anything can be misconstrued and misquoted out of context.
Puh-leeze – Really and Wannhhh.
You think it is ok for the staff member of a public servant to berate a constituent – indeed, a constituent the public servant honored publicly for their service to the community? Team Campos is filled with bullies who have nothing better to do than offend and insult everyone who with an opinion different than their own.
Here’s hoping Team (Offensive/Insulting/Stupid) Campos takes a licking for bad behavior if not for being lousy at their jobs and civility.
Get over it Ryan, you behaved badly, apologize and get on with your job.
The typical last gasp of desperate politicians, political candidates and losing labor unions when they see defeat at polls is to attack, send out false accusations, use dirty tricks, make threats and intimidate opponents and supporters as we have seen in Council District 5 race
Votes are being cast, polls will open soon and taxpayers will have their say on disaster we call California state and local governments
Vote all incompetent incumbents, their staffs and who they endorse out of office if you want change, if not you deserve more of what we have – high cost political special interest incompetent government
Don’t forget the other Campos who is running for higher office. If folks in her district promote her to that job they have no one to blame but themselves. Unfortunately the rest of us also suffer as another unqualified person gets sent to the State legislature.
All of these people are a joke! Civil servants my a$$! Instead of thinking about the community, these idiots are making a career for themselves at the expense of us all.
How typical of Nora Campos to use dirty tactics and why is her chief of staff at a press conference during work hours?
Maybe because he held the press conference at City Hall…
The location doesn’t make it OK. Doing political work while on City time is illegal.
The very idea that it was “unethical” for Mr. Resendez to note he had received an award from NORA Campos, in an election battle with XAVIER Campos, is patently absurd. Yet another in a seemingly long list of reasons to vote for Anyone-But-Xavier-Campos in the District 5 Council Race in twelve days (and presumably for Magdalena Carrasco in the November run-off).