Fitzpatrick Judgment In Question
I had intended to let my last post percolate over the weekend, but this issue came up and needs to be addressed.
ALLEGED CRIMINAL RECORD
It has come to my attention that the Costa Mesa Taxpayers Association, under the leadership of President Jim Fitzpatrick, has chosen to publish what they present as the official record of a criminal offense by the person they identified as the man captured on film destroying $5.00 worth of campaign signs a couple weeks ago. Here's what their post looks like:
CROSSES THE LINE
This is troublesome from many standpoints. First, I think it crosses a line that should not be even approached. The man in question has NOT been charged by the District Attorney on the "sign" issue. His privacy has been violated several times by this group and the issue has been mishandled by city officials, who announced they had a personnel/administrative investigation going on prematurely.
A TROUBLING PRECEDENT
The Costa Mesa Taxpayers Association, particularly since Fitzpatrick took the helm, has been a venue for vicious attacks on individuals, purveyors of half-truths and flat out lies, some perpetuated by their former president, Colin McCarthy, in his campaign literature. Some of their attacks have skirted the edges of libel. I'm concerned that folks might view this kind of behavior as acceptable and utilize the same techniques to make public similar records or others for members of CM TAX and their supporters. In my opinion, this is unacceptable behavior and should not be tolerated.
EXAMPLE OF BAD JUDGMENT
In my view, this is just another example of terrible judgment by Fitzpatrick, and others within the Costa Mesa Taxpayers Association by extension. It should make the voters take pause as they consider the people involved and the issues they support.
Labels: Colin McCarthy, Costa Mesa Taxpayers Association, Jim Fitzpatrick