The online edition of the Desert Sun at mydesert.com reported today that one of the Candidates for Palm Springs City Council has been attempting to deceive the public for at least two months by setting up an account under a fictitious name for the purpose of undermining the candidacies of her opponents.  This will clearly be a focus of the Republican dirty tricks in the current election cycle.

Roxann Ploss, by her own admission once a Republican but now a Decline to State, has apparently been posing as a 70-year-old man named John Morris for two months on mydesert.com.  Under the alias, Ploss attempted to denigrate the candidacy of John Williams as well as others.  (Truth be told, BlueBeaumontBoyz is a financial supporter to the Williams’ campaign.)

Ploss denies that she meant to be “deceptive.”  But she posted over two dozen times as Morris just what did she intend by hiding behind a pen name and slinging mud about her Democratic opponents?  She must have had Blogging Tourette’s Syndrome!  This is too ridiculous.  One only has to Hahahahahahahahlolololol.

The Desert Sun will have details on the deceptive campaign practices in their Sunday edition.

Although the mydesert.com site indicates that ‘National media and public policy experts’ term the use of nom de plumes for such a purpose “deceptive,” the so-called newspaper does not identify those “experts.”  Given the standing of the Desert Sun in the Coachella Valley, the lack of journalistic expertise (i.e., answer the questions “Who?” “What?” “Where?” “When?” “Why?” and “How?” in the narative.  I learned that as the Fourth Page Editor of my high school newspaper in Altoona, PA!

John Williams has announced receiving another major endorsement. 

John Williams, Candidate for Palm Springs City Council, has been endorsed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Healthcare Workers West and Local 721.  SEIU represents hard working men and women in the healthcare field.

Re full disclosure, bluebeaumontboyz is a financial supporter of the John Williams for Palm Springs City Council campaign.

Endorsements below the flipper.

The following is the text of the SEIU United Healthcare Workers West and Local 721 endorsement:

“Your dedication to the concerns of our members and working families throughout the Coachella Valley makes us proud to support your candidacy for Palm Springs City Council,” states Juan Carlos Sanchez, Regional Political Organizer for SEIU – United healthcare Workers – West.

“I am sincerely honored to receive this endorsement,” states Williams. “I started my hotel career in a union position as a bellman.  I understand the challenges faced by working men and women, and the value of union representation.  That’s why in my hotel business I provide fully paid medical and dental insurance coverage to my staff.  It’s the right thing to do.”  Williams adds that he hopes other small business owners and managers are also providing paid healthcare to employees.

Williams is a twelve year resident of Palm Springs and owner of a boutique 24 room hotel.  He has provided employment for over 50 persons in his hotel business, and has contributed almost $1,000,000 in hotel taxes directly to the City of Palm Springs.

Next year, half of San Diego’s eight city council members will be termed out, leaving open seats across town after what has been a tumultuous several years of city government.  Bribery, pension crises, “strong mayor” government, death, shady fundraising, service cuts, union strife, budget shortfalls and oh yeah- a city to run.  As the city council and the mayor continue to battle over just how much power a “strong mayor” should have, the shape of the city council is about to change in a major way.  The ramifications could dictate the fundamental course of San Diego government for quite some time.

Mayor Sanders was elected into office on a platform which called for much more power to be given to the mayor and, by extention, removed from the city council.  In the wake of the City Council missing the pension crisis and the resignations of Acting Mayor Michael Zucchet and Councilman Ralph Inzunza because of federal corruption charges, this was perhaps a natural reaction the failures of the City Council.  But in a micro version of the Bush power grab, Mayor Sanders has done everything he can to give himself complete control over the city’s budget and operation.

The city council, until recently, has been generally willing to acquiesce on these power grabs, but has begun to show some life recently.  It’s fought back over pay raises for police and fire personnel and on cuts to civic services.  It’s a toe in the water, and hopefully the beginning of better progress.  So why is this important?  Well, San Diego is the second-largest city in California, and it’s on the verge of becoming effectively autocratic.  With half the city council coming open, this is the opportunity for San Diego to decide what direction it will send its government.  For those of us who would like checks, balances, and some form of representative government, the stakes are high.  We need a city council that will keep the Mayor in control and a city council that will get San Diego on track (it is most certainly NOT currently on track).

Earlier this week, Voice of San Diego ran a great roundup of the candidates declared or mulling runs for city council districts 1 (Scott Peters), 3 (Toni Atkins), 5 (Brian Maienschein), and 7 (Jim Madaffer).  These races have already added more candidates since Monday, and the first candidate forums will be coming up later in the month.  I strongly encourage San Diegans to check the candidates and keep an eye on this.  The stakes are high and there’s tremendous opportunity to have an impact in this election for both sides.  Make sure good government wins out.