Mayor’s Race: Political double-speak

With his eye on succeeding the current mayor, Brad Hawn managed to get three advisory measures on pension reform on last November's ballot. This was of course merely a ploy to gain name recognition, portray himself as champion of the taxpayer, and to vilify Garrad Marsh who he knew would vote against putting the costly, unnecessary measures on the ballot.

Now, in an untruthful and misleading political ad, Hawn accuses Marsh of being against pension reform even though he knows their voting records on the matter are almost identical. And he boldly states that he will not accept "any campaign donations from special interest government employee unions."

Ah, but what about donations from special interests in the private sector? It is well known that Hawn is a favorite of the powerful pro-development interests that have dominated Modesto politics for years. Yet he has the temerity to accuse Marsh, the only candidate who champions smart growth, of being a real estate profiteer.

Even George Orwell would blanch at such double speak. Whereas Marsh has pledged to restore trust in government, Hawn seems only to pledge business as usual.

WILLIAM J. GIBBONS

Modesto