Social Media Is Likely To Play a Role in the  Upcoming Municipal Election

By Pauline Masson – 

A candidate seeking a seat on the board of aldermen in the April 6, municipal election has posted a piece on her personal Facebook page titled Believe in a Better Pacific that claims to give some background on the board of aldermen, city hall and the good ol (sic) boys network.

This is possibly the first social media shot across the bow of voters and candidates alike in the season leading up to the April municipal election.

Karla Stewart, owner and writer on this Facebook page is candidate for the Ward one 1 seat on the board of aldermen (BOA). She is trying to unseat Alderman Rick Presley who is also on the ballot, seeking re-election.

In the post she says two aldermen and fellow candidates, James Cleeve and Scott Lesh have tried to work with Alderman Presley, “even though since he has been elected, he has shown a hostility to the two.”  

The impetus for this post appeared to be a Jan. 30 article on Hometown Matters recognizing Alderman Presley for comments he made when the administrative committee asked the BOA to approve a job description and an ad posting the job in the city administrator search without providing basic information a candidate would need, such as pay, residency requirements and moving expenses.

The administrative committee, under the chairmanship of Alderman James Cleeve, corrected the oversight, discussed the items requested by Alderman Presley at its Jan. 29 meeting and agreed to language that will be brought to the full BOA for approval on Feb. 6.

In yesterday’s post Ms. Stewart said Chairman Cleeve had been asking aldermen for input for six months and Scott Lesh had been the only alderman who responded.

“Mr Presley hadn’t suggested any of the details in the last 6 months of meetings,” Ms. Stewart said.

Mayby so. But Mr. Presley made the comments at the Jan. 16 BOA meeting and Chairman Cleeve followed suit at his Jan. 29 administrative committee meeting.

Ms. Stewart also said in her post, “He (Mr.Presley) has never mentioned the people that voted him into office.” That is far from the truth.

Mr. Presley frequently mentions call from constituents. In the discussion last year of putting a $6 million bond issue on the ballot, Mr. Presley made the most compelling reason for caution, citing the comments several of his constiuents had made about not being able to afford higher real estate taxes, even to the point of possibly having to give up their homes.

In her final thought on Tuesday, Ms. Stewart used a bit of slight of hand to ask readers for their vote. 

“Final thought,” she said, “when choosing who to vote for, don’t let it go back to the special interest “good ol (sic) boys club,” which, in her un-subtle style included replacing Mr. Presley with her.

I have to tell you . . . it is my firm belief that there would be nothing wrong with Ms. Stewart addressing voters on her social media page and asking them to elect her to the Ward 1 seat. She has the absolute right to ask voters for their vote. She is free to say, “Vote for me,”  on any platform she chooses.

But that is not what happened on Tuesday’s post. 

In the guise of giving background she applauded her friends and fellow candidates James Cleeve and Scott Lesh, who she has the desire to join on the BOA, where, “there could be some changes and some sense of working together.”

What she did here was intentionally deceptive, pretending to give background to help readers be better informed on city government. In fact she was making a political statement in favor of James Cleeve, Scott Lesh and herself – and against Mr. Prelsey.

As an unreconstructed 50-year advocate of free speech, I recognize Ms. Stewart’s right to post her opinions on her social media page. But she needs to call a political statement a political statement.

In the interest of full disclosure I should say that I am not claiming to be home free here.

The reason I am responding to Ms. Stewart’s post is because my earlier post is what triggered her comments. I stand by my report that the administrative committee discussion to flesh out needed details in the city administrator search was a result of Mr. Presley’s comments.

As a retired journalist, I publish Hometown Matters with the mission of informing the public on issues involving the community: important people, public events, history, city government, and elections. 

After a lifetime as a professioal reporter covering primarily city government, my approach to stories and my writing may tend toward a journalistic style, but my views on events are strictly my own.