Land Trust says: "They Have Ability to Divide the Community"

The Land Trust doesn't have any written minutes of its meetings, because they never got around to reducing the audio recordings of its meetings to paper. However, the audio tapes still exist, and some portions are rather disturbing.

During September 2008, then-President of the Land Trust - now Commissioner Lopez's opponent - authorized the purchase of a full page newspaper ad attacking the Commissioner for not abiding by their wishes.

We'll just skip-over for another time, the whole concept of a non-profit organization spending its public monies for full-page political ads, and get straight to the disturbing words spoken.

After the attack ad ran in the newspaper, during its next Board of Directors meeting (Oct. 10, 2008), they're talking about how cooperative Commissioner Lopez has become.

Then-President/Now-Candidate James Marquardt, goes on to say Lopez was only cooperative because of the Land Trust's recent full-page newspaper attack ad, which was the Land Trust "Flexing its muscle," as Marquardt described it during that meeting.

One man at the Board meeting then goes on to say: That Lopez realizes that this organization [Land Trust] has the ability to divide the community, and given that this community is where Commissioner Lopez's votes are coming from, Lopez doesn't want the community divided.

Then-President/Now-Candidate Marquardt adds, "Right, and to rally the troops."

Here's that excerpt from the recording of this meeting:

Did you hear what they were saying.

Play it again... play it a couple of times, until you get the true essence of what they're saying.

Now, let's take a moment to comprehend what we just heard...

They'll try to bully a City Commissioner into submission by threatening to divide our community?

This from a candidate who claims he'll 'restore' trust, 'restore' integrity and serve to 'unite' the community?

This from a candidate who says he deplores dirty politics?

Who the hell does this past-president/now-candidate think he is? That he can scheme to drive wedges between the community to achieve his political goals.

Suddenly it's become clear why he's been whispering one thing on one side of the district, and another on the other side. This is how he operates. He doesn't unite - he strives to divide and conquer.

"He cares about the people..." - Hogwash!

He only cares about using people for his own political gains. Remember... early on, Marquardt said he was only using this race as stepping-stone for a future run for the State Legislature.

• Do we really want a non-profit organization - especially one dependent upon our tax dollars - led by people who scheme of ways to divide the community as a means of achieving its goals?

• Do we really want this organization having exclusive control over 6.6 acres of prime waterfront City property & the multi-million-dollar development project that accompanies it?

• Do we really want the guy who led this scheme sitting on our City Commission?

• Do we really want this Land Trust puppet as a City Commissioner for any district?

Clearly, the answer is "No!"

Nobody, with an ounce of integrity, would suggest that Clayton Lopez is anything other than a honest, heartfelt person who cares deeply about our community. This is why so many people support Clayton.

Above all, the foremost traits I look for in our leaders are honesty & caring. Once they have that, everything else will naturally fall into place.

To learn more about Clayton, visit his web site: http://www.reelectclayton.com/