Editor's note: Desi Kiss is running for Mission Viejo City Council.
The MV Dispatch Blog recently published an article "Candidate Kissed Off"
Subsequently, the readers voiced their opinions about the article and these comments were placed on the blog. When Mrs. Felicia Golemo and Mrs Patti Bout appeared to disagree with the Editor's position, both these comments (please see below) were deleted and replaced with other comments from readers.
I was wondering if the Mission Viejo Dispatch blog stands for censorship and suppression and against freedom of speech?
I strongly believe that the Dispatch simply lost my trust and the credibility that they are fair and balanced.
Sincerely,
Desi Kiss
City Council Candidate
Deleted comments:
Felicia Golemo August 15, 2012 at 5:00 pm
I have to reiterate that the Editor is missing the point. Mr. Kiss has more than enough viable experience to be able to be on a city council…just look at the people on there now. Usually the city council seat is the first order of experience before moving on to higher posts such as governor and/or congressman or senator or am I mistaken? A person who was PTA President won a council member position…right? Obama had only 2 years as a senator before becoming President….right? You know I am not a brain surgeon or rocket scientist, but I get the jist of things by reading and listening. If someone freely admits to not being a career politician but is passionate about holding people accountable and serving the community, I am willing to give that person a chance. To Mr. Kiss, thank you for your desire to want to try to make changes to a city with tunnel vision disorder, and thank you for being a long term educator. You have as much or possibly more experience than the people on the city council at this time… i.e. you are just as good as they are. I don’t care if you spell correctly all of the time because the content is more important to me and I can see beyond the visible to the vision that lies within. (Reader’s Note: I do have to let you know that those who don’t read the Dispatch will be reading the Voter Pamphlet and without a statement there, people will be less likely to vote for you….been there, done that and the Editor is correct but I would contest the word “fatal”. Winning could be possible depending on how many people you know that help you get the word out, i.e. people you work with, neighbors, the board of educators! etc.) To Mr. Sandore: people who are in the field of education and are well-read might be long winded while writing, but may not like to speak as much. I prefer to write while being the “listener” in a crowd so Mr. Kiss may be less of a talker than you think. In other words, give the guy a break on the spelling critique. That should not be the important point here. Do you know what he said at all? This guy comes from humble stock fully admitting his lack of political background but willing to give it a go. Desire to do what is possible creates a fulfillment of expectation (Golemo)
[(MV Dispatch) Editor's Note: A MV grassroots group has helped overcome the odds and elect a number of MV councilmembers, but all had Statements of Qualifications in the Voters Guide. It's getting more difficult for grassroots candidates, because special interest money and voter apathy are increasing.]
Patti Bout August 15, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Editor: Why do you say “The failure to submit and pay for a Candidate’s Statement of Qualification in the official Voter’s Guide is fatal. It indicates there is not sufficient knowledge and money for a competitive campaign.” ??
Just because he doesn’t want to spend the money on something that MAYBE 100 people will read? I don’t read candidate statements ‘cuz I figure it’s all a bunch of hooie anyway. I also don’t vote for people who put campaign signs all over the city. Maybe not the best reasons, but it seems to work for me.
[(MV Dispatch) Editor's Note: The Voters Guide is mailed to all 60,000+ MV voters and large numbers rely on it. The Voter's Guide provides the most exposure for the dollar. No knowledgeable candidate would disregard it. This observation is made after experience with the last 8 MV council races and studying elections in many other cities. The Dispatch doesn't discount Mr. Kiss's intelligence or background, but passive candidates cheat voters who otherwise might cast their votes for candidates who have the potential to successfully challenge special interests and the status quo. It's regrettable good people can't win on a 'soap box', but that's the reality in a city the size of MV. The Dispatch exists to help balance this unfairness and overcome apathy, but there are certain basics to running a viable campaign.]
