Letter to the Editor: Not Alone in Supporting Abel Maldonado

» Wireless on 05.30.12 @ 12:08 AM

Mr. Gilbert.  Most of us aren’t that impressed with endorsements of other politicians.  Particularly given the arm-twisting Abel is known for.

Abel is not a business owner, his father is. 

Regarding his political career, politicians like Abel are the reason we are in trouble now.  Perhaps you aren’t aware that Abel was the Republican vote that enabled the largest tax increase in CA history.  A tax increase that did not do anything they promised.  In fact, our fiscal situation in CA has deteriorated since he shafted his constituents.  He voted for this tax increase for his own crass political purposes:  so that the open primary would be put on the ballot.  That is all it took to buy his unprincipled vote.  Not long after he was rewarded by the disastrous Arnold as fill-in Lt. Gov.  Likely as a reward for selling us out on the tax increase.

Abel is the embodiment of everything wrong with our political system, he is a self-serving.  Votes to raise all of our taxes yet he seems to have trouble paying his own.

At least Lois is an honest liberal, for all her many faults.  Abel has proven he will sell us out if it suits his purposes.  He is unprincipled.  Capps will crush him in the general if he’s the nominee because many educated Republicans won’t vote for Abel—ever.  I suggest you take a look at Mitchum.  At least he’s honest.

» citizenSB on 05.30.12 @ 01:40 PM

I am voting for Abel.  He will do a much better job representing us than Lois. 
With Lois we should save our tax money and just send Lois’s rubber stamp to Nancy!

» Wireless on 05.30.12 @ 03:54 PM

I would never vote for Lois, she’s a joke.  However, I would not vote for Abel either.  Just because he puts an R after his name does not make him a conservative, he may as well be a Democrat as far as I’m concerned.  I don’t want another big spending, tax raising Republican in congress.  He opposes oil drilling and doesn’t want to deal with the illegal immigration issues we have.  He doesn’t even pay his own taxes for crying out loud while voting to raise ours.  You have to be kidding me.

Abel will not beat Lois, too many Republicans won’t vote for him under any circumstance meaning the numbers don’t work.  He keeps trying to build the case because he’s Hispanic he’ll get more votes but the history doesn’t bear that out.  Carly Fiorina, who last I checked was not Hispanic, got more votes in SB County than Abel did in the 2010 election.  Hispanics register as Republicans at the same rate the rest of the population does.  They are just as pissed at Abel as the rest of us.

Mitchum is a much better candidate and can actually beat Capps in this new district.  Abel will be a bloody pulp when the Democrats go after his many personal issues and political vulnerabilities.

» someguyinsb on 05.31.12 @ 11:42 AM

Wow, I actually agree with Petry (Wireless) on his Able assessment. 

What amazes me is how many voters are woefully ignorant on the workings of Congress.  There is a tremendous advantage to seniority in the house.  So while you may not agree with Capps on specific issues, her seniority gets far more funds and attention to SB than any freshman ever could.  And that is the way Washington works -  like it or not. 

And for the record:  I dislike Capps but she is effective and rather tame.

» lou segal on 05.31.12 @ 03:09 PM

Wireless,

I agree with much of what you are saying; however, I somewhat conflicted about the tax problems Maldonado is experiencing. I think if you shine a bright light on many small businesses in this country, they might have similar problems. Their tax problems are probably a greater reflection of the absolute disaster of a tax code we now have to live under rather than any personal failings of Maldonado. It also strikes me as very suspicious why he was targeted for an audit and the LA Times now sees fit to report on it a few days before an election.

Having said this, I prefer Mitchum. I wish there were published polls to see how either of them would run against Capps. Because in the final analysis, I will vote for almost anybody who has a chance to dispose of Capps.

» dogsandsand on 05.31.12 @ 05:25 PM

With a district that is 38% Dem, and 35% Republican, the old 2 party political slant is irrelevant. It really doesn’t matter if Mitchum can pull the entire Republican vote or Capps all the Dems. That would just leave them in a dead heat. It’s Indies (27% of the new district) that will decide this. Indies like moderates, and tend to be anti-incumbent. There’s no way Tea-Party Mitchum can win a dominant set of the Indies here, but Maldonado could. It’s time for both camps to start thinking differently about how to win in this new landscape.

» lou segal on 05.31.12 @ 06:54 PM

I have to admit I have the same concern as dogsandsand about the Independent vote. Wireless, what makes you so confident Mitchum can do as well as Maldonaldo with these voters?

» Wireless on 05.31.12 @ 11:04 PM

Here is another couple things that people should educate themselves about Abel:

http://www.flashreport.org/featured-columns-library0b.php?faID=2012053110405033

Listen to this message from Tom McClintock who served with Abel in Sacramento:

http://www.chrismitchumforcongress.com/userfiles/McClintock.wav

Ask yourself, is this really who you want to send to Congress?

» Wireless on 06.02.12 @ 11:56 PM

dogs,

I do know a lot about this stuff and have a lot of experience with it.  I follow it closely.  Abel will lose more Republicans than he will gain DTS or Hispanic voters just based on his record in office. 

Abel’s office is on Milpas, that is why the signs are out there.

Secondly, you apparently did not read the LA Times article regarding Abel’s tax problems.  These “issues” are toxic and very likely fatal electoral baggage.  He tried to deduct as business expenses country club memberships, work on a second home in Palm Springs, horses, work on his home, catering for probable political events etc.  When you have a report in the public record that says:

“The taxpayer has demonstrated a pattern of deducting expenses … which have no business purpose whatsoever,”

You have a major problem if you are running for office.  This is purposely evasive behavior and will be easily painted as such.  If you don’t think this will become hung around his neck like an anchor you’re kidding yourself.  This is not all either.  He has been fined for campaign finance violations and has a number of personal skeletons you are likely to hear about as well.  Abel is ethically challenged shall we say.

This story has made the national press now and the national party will think twice about expending resources on a badly wounded candidate.  Abel can’t raise enough himself to fend off the Dems, he’ll be overwhelmed with negative ads. This story is like cheating on your wife, you only have tell it one time and the voters won’t forget.

The Democrats will fight like hell to keep this seat and they will destroy Abel with all this stuff.  “Abel raised your taxes and won’t pay his own”.  How exactly does he get out from under that?  How does he attract moderates or anyone else with this baggage?  This has been polled and it costs Abel dearly.  Game over.

If you don’t think that is going to hurt him badly you are sadly mistaken.  Even if they pay up and settle with the IRS this is out there now and there is no taking it back and the Dems won’t let him.  They will bury him in negative advertising while Lois does her typical bobble-head imitation sipping tea with rich Montecito women while the unions drag out the drones to vote.

It is no surprise that the SB County GOP endorsed Mitchum (2/3rds majority required) and SLO County GOP nearly did, only 2 votes shy of a 2/3rds majority.  They know him better than anyone.  The more people know about Abel the less they like him and they will know everything (bad) about him by the time Nov. rolls around.

We’ll see what happens Tuesday.  I’m guessing a low turnout which will help Mitchum.  I would not be surprised to see Mitchum pull it out despite a lackluster campaign so far.