Concerns raised about elected officials’ integrity

Of course, Dave Ellis’ fraudulent phone blast altered the outcome

of the Newport-Mesa elections. There can be little doubt that his

11th-hour attack messages defeated Linda Dixon in Costa Mesa and Rick

Taylor in Newport Beach.

Here’s why Ellis did it: He knew full well that attack ads

delivered via telephone in the final hours of any campaign will keep

the voters who support the candidate he’s attacking at home and away

from the polls. Ellis is a slick and underhanded politico. That’s how

he wins his elections. In the case of both the Dixon and Taylor

campaigns, he knew it. That’s why he designed it. Now he admits it.

Am I concerned that these dirty tactics altered the election? I

know they did. In the case of the Rick Taylor campaign, who knows how

many voters stayed at home?

I’d like to ask the Pilot: who do you think paid for the

scripting-recording-transmitting of those anti-Taylor phone calls?

Dave Ellis didn’t! Who benefited? I’d say Gary Adams did. Adams says

he didn’t know about it, didn’t pay for it, and is “angry.”

Councilman Adams, are you angry enough to do the right thing for your

city? You won a tainted contest. I call on you to follow through on

your statement: Call for another election. This time around, let the

best man win.

JUDITH FRUTIG

Costa Mesa

* Judith Frutig was a volunteer on Rick Taylor’s campaign.

J’accuse ... Ellisgate.

The facts revealed about the Dave Ellis “Ellisgate” plumbers’

intent to undermine our City Council election is both outrageous and

unfair. The plumbers have descended all the way down to the cesspool.

And we voters have been snookered. Ellis’ name should be mud in

Orange County.

The falsification of candidate Ron Winship’s affiliation with

Greenlight by Ellis is about as down and dirty as politics gets. The

fact that Ellis held this planned phony phone message to the voters

in abeyance until he could determine if he needed it to beat Rick

Taylor doesn’t make him any purer. And the fact that Ellis is angry

with Rick Taylor for accessing Ellis’ voice mailbox is positively

funny. Talk about misplaced self-righteousness.

So what do we do to make it right? Councilman Gary Adams, who

definitely should have known what his campaign manager was up to, has

it right. A falsified, rigged election should be subject to a re-run.

Let the voters decide who they really want to represent them. Do we

value accountability and honesty, or do we deserve the underhanded

skulduggery that we got? Let’s have an honest reelection.

MARTIN AND MILDRED LITKE

Newport Beach

Your article in the Daily Pilot was not new to me.

These tactics have been the same since time immemorial, except

they are using the current modes of modern communication to do their

devious schemes.

Thou protesteth too much, Councilman Gary Adams. “If you knew me

... .” Well, we have watched you on TV and we all know you too well.

The very idea that you were not aware of the methods used by your

associates is preposterous and downright insulting to the residents

of Newport Beach.

You who have an opinion on everything and your finger on the

switch that makes it all happen. Move on, please!

RICHARD A. HOUGHTON

Newport Beach

As far as I am concerned, the apparent lack of ethics

(politics/ethics oxymoron) shown by Mr. Ellis should entitle him to

be precluded from performing any work or entering into any contracts

with the city of Newport Beach.

DAVID MILLER

Balboa Peninsula

What I am concerned about is that three of our newly

reelected/elected City Council members used Dave Ellis to run their

campaigns. I am also very concerned that the city of Newport Beach

employs Ellis as a “consultant.” At the very least, there is an

appearance of a major conflict of interest.

I have always felt that the most important quality of a city

council was its integrity. If Councilman Adams says he had no

knowledge, I believe him. That leaves the other two candidates. What

do they say? Someone had to have approved that message.

BARBARA JOHNSON

Newport Coast

As a voter, the only thing we have is our own one vote. To have it

taken away from us by phony tactics should be illegal, and Dave Ellis

should be prosecuted. Gary Adams should forfeit his council position.

It’s totally unacceptable, this kind of phony stuff. It goes right to

the heart of our political system. It’s ruining democracy when they

do things like that. His answer that he just made it in case he

needed it and decided not to use it, and they would have won anyway,

is absolutely no answer at all.

FRED RAWLINS

Newport Beach

Yes, I am very concerned about the tactics used to alter

Newport-Mesa election results. And then you wonder how we can trust

our board.

SHIREEN DASTUR

Balboa Island