City Council Candidate Victor Spano Threatens Lawsuit Over Pacifica Tribune Letter to the Editor

By Ian Butler, Riptide Correspondent

Audio Recording

I just learned that City Council candidate Victor Spano left a message on BJ Nathanson's voicemail (above) threatening to sue her for slander for her letter to the editor in the October 22 Pacifica Tribune. This is highly inappropriate. You can't run for office and threaten to sue anyone who criticizes you. A lively, open debate on the candidates is the foundation of the democratic process. Here is BJ's letter; see if you can spot the slanderous part (hint: there isn't one):

Editor: Victor Spano's slogan is "Fix Pacifica." It's on his signs and his website. He was even handing out water bottles that said "Fix Pacifica" on them at the Fog Fest. For those unfamiliar with it, Fix Pacifica is a local blog that for years has spewed hateful attacks on anyone with whom they disagree, and no one has been a victim of those attacks more than the late Jim Vreeland. In the week after Jim passed away, while the rest of us were paying our respects, Fix Pacifica was posting dozens of inappropriately negative comments, denigrating Jim's name and legacy. Blog moderator Kathy Meeh not only allowed the comments to be posted, she herself made some of the worst ones, and then censored most of the comments that dared to call for restraint and civility. (In a tortuous twist of absurdity, she censored comments that rightly accused her of censoring comments, while allowing comments that accused rival blog Pacifica Riptide of censoring comments.) This is the same Kathy Meeh who is the second endorser listed on Victor Spano's website. It is one thing to be endorsed BY Fix Pacifica, but Victor's campaign appears to be an endorsement OF Fix Pacifica. He will not be getting my vote."

(BJ Nathanson, former Pacifica Planning Commissioner and Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commissioner)

Comments

[Larry Rosenstein]

Even if you give Victor Spano all benefit of the doubt about the Fix Pacifica blog, which I don't, the fact remains that his response was to call up the letter-writer and threaten a lawsuit. Someone like that doesn't belong on the city council.

[PB]

This town needs someone who can address the budget problems -- finding a $4 million deficit, and no financial professionals on staff -- it is not something you can b.s. your way through.

We need professionals who focus on solving real problems -- like a $4 million budget deficit that's "not there." http://www.pacificariptide.com/pacifica_riptide/2014/10/opinion-when-a-deficit-is-not-a-deficit.html

We need a City Council that will address the fiscal management of Pacifica's $47 million budget today. Not with platitudes or new taxes, but with hard, focused work and intelligent effort. We need a City Council we can trust.

[John Maybury]

Speaking of Fix Pacifica, we here on Pacifica Riptide are honored to be accused of "socialist censorship" by serial commenter Bob Hutchinson. As the American branch of Pravda, we are therefore happy to award Bob an all-expenses-paid, one-way trip to a gulag of his choice. Das vedanya, Comrade Hutchinson!

[A Smell Runs Through It]

I would be remiss if I didn't also include this recent statement by Kathy Meeh to her Fix Pacifica blog (Candidate Spano lists her as an endorsement on his official campaign literature):

"As for the phone call made from the candidate (Spano) to the LTE perpetrator (Nathanson), my immediate response was "brilliant", exactly the right thing to do. Hopefully the public will see this wicked or evil Gang of No charade, and vote for none of your NIMBY candidates. Time to improve this city, and Victor Spano intends to help do just that, he's our guy!"
--Kathy Meeh, Oct. 29, 2014
http://fixpacifica.blogspot.com/2014/10/victor-spano-understands-technical-city.html

[A Smell Runs Through It]

Let me see if I have this straight:

Victor Spano asked Fix Pacifica moderator Steve Sinai for permission to use the name of that blog as his campaign slogan, made several posts on his campaign's Facebook page noting the connection between the two, has posted to Fix Pacifica several times, lists the co-administrator of Fix Pacifica, Kathy Meeh, as an endorsement, BUT DESPITE ALL THIS, there's no affiliation? None whatsoever?

This is what Spano and his supporters are claiming. C'mon, man, I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid.

[ian butler]

An advertising executive knows that you can't pick and choose which definition of your slogan is the correct one; they all are! Slogans are carefully chosen and each possible interpretation is carefully weighed. I know that each time I see one of Spano's Fix Pacifica signs, I am reminded of the Fix Pacifica blog, and I'm not the only one.

At best, Spano failed to properly vet the Fix Pacifica blog before asking to use it as his slogan. More important, he chose to threaten legal action for a relatively tame letter compared to the vitriol commonly expressed on Fix Pacifica.

The issue isn't whether he agrees with everything said on Fix Pacifica, but why any reasonable politician would allow even the most tenuous association with it.

[todd bray]

Victor took the time to ask Fix Pacifica Blog Master Steve Sinai if he could use the FixPacifica title. There is no mistake, no innocent oops. Candidate Spano wanted the association, and if he thinks he can act like he wasn't trying to associate with that blog, he should have known better. The final nail in his coffin is his backpedaling away from directly asking the blog to use its title. We don't need that sort of politician. We already have a couple of them.

[PB]

It seems that Mr. Spano did ask permission to use the "Fix Pacifica" logo.

[Rob Wullenjohn]

I feel it distasteful to associate Mr. Spano with statements that he neither said nor wrote just because of the similarity of his campaign slogan.

[Peter Loeb]

Victor Spano has a letter in today's Tribune that is a reply to BJ Nathanson's letter. Apparently his objection to BJ's letter is that it claimed he was affiliated with a certain local blog. I think most people would assume that if a candidate adopts the name of a local blog as a campaign slogan, the intent is that voters associate the candidate with that blog. Now it appears that Mr. Spano wants to distance himself from that blog. In his letter, he says he is not affiliated with any blog. But it's too late. A candidate must live with the consequences of decisions made earlier in the campaign.

[PB]

If a candidate's first point of action is to threaten a voter for voicing civil opinion -- it's a good heads-up.

Instead, elect people who care about Pacifica, elect candidates who support alternatives to widening the 1.3-mile segment of Highway 1.

[todd bray]

Kathy does great, as do the Public Works crews because they come to work EVERY DAY knowing they are walking into a blitz. And to be honest, I got to give the fire department crews their due; they saved my life back in July. It was a crazy day, but they kept me alive.

[big banker]

Actually our City Clerk Kathy O'Connell does an awesome job.

Those packages for City Council are huge, considering that she sees almost every document that comes into City Hall!

Good job, Kathy.

(Editor's Note: We agree!)

[big banker]

Todd: Talk to other cities about Pacifica. Even East Palo Alto knew it needed to wipe out Whiskey Gulch for the city to survive. Pacifica is the only beach town on the West Coast that doesn't take advantage of being a beach town! Think about it.

[PB]

Yeah -- it's clear that Public Works "works" -- a real team that does a wonderful job.

[Peter Loeb]

The Pacifica public works crew are some of my most favorite people.

[John Maybury]

Dear Sweet Todd, Lover of All Things Municipal: Much as I appreciate your spirited defense of the City of Pacifica, I have to say that a government entity is not the same as a person. Our city may have some great individuals working for it (my favorites, like yours, are the hardworking street crews), and we both seem to like our bright new city manager Lori Tinfow, but let's allow the pseudonymous Big Banker his rant against Pacifica, since he didn't name names. And besides, despite his sad lack of liberalism (which I have advised him to seek counseling for), he contributes a number of useful features to Riptide, including photography, weather reports, business insider intelligence, and human intel on "the other side of the aisle." So we will tolerate his little outburst. Tough love, Todd.

[todd bray]

John, dear sweet John, I would venture that no personal insults by anonymous posters be allowed, even if the insult is directed at our town. I proudly call my city Pacifica and enthusiastically talk her up to visiting friends and new neighbors. I guess the difference is I don't expect to cleaver a living from the land of our town, but the various "clever" nicknames by those in the real estate/business community remind me of the type of attitude slave owners had toward their property. Could we not have anonymous insults flung at us on Riptide whether toward individuals or our town?

[big banker]

The city as a whole is an embarrassment.

That is why everyone calls it "Dysfunction Junction."

[Bill Collins]

Tonight at City Council, Therese Dyer couldn't resist continuing her jihad against Jim Vreeland, repeating her old gripes.

Someone so devoid of class would be an embarrassment to the city. In fact, she already is.

[alan wald]

Some Pacifica palindrome lovers allege that "Spano naps!" and add, "Sue us!"

[Jeri Flinn]

I guess he didn't know that B.J. works at a law firm. I hope if he is elected for some crazy reason, he does better homework.

[Linty Marr]

"Pacifica does not need a candidate who phones in a threat to a voter."

If he gets elected and continues this behavior, the city will be sued and the taxpayers will be saddled with the burden.

[big banker]

Steve Sinai said: "Just to be clear, the blog doesn't endorse anybody. There's no editorial board, and Kathy and I disagree too often on candidates anyway. Victor asked if he could use 'Fix Pacifica' because he thought it was a catchy, meaningful phrase. (And as the person who came up with it, I agree!) Nothing more."

(October 25, 2014 at 12:53 PM)

Rocky & Suzan named the blog long before Steve came aboard. Not that the truth has anything to do with anything around town!!

[big banker]

Pacifica needs a guy like Ray Donovan.

Think Showtime series.