Ballots hit mail as barbs fly in city campaign

Mar 09, 2013 (The Gazette (Colorado Springs - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- As Colorado Springs city election ballots hit the mail, candidates are complaining of attack advertising and campaign trickery.

Ballots for the April 2 election that will pick candidates in six City Council districts and decide a pair of local ballot questions were delivered to the post office Friday. And, in a sure sign that the campaign is in full swing, candidates started grumbling that yard signs have been swiped.

Joel Miller, a rookie candidate in District 2, reported dozens of his campaign signs stolen.

"I'm frustrated because people donated money for the purpose of getting signs," Miller said. "It's a First Amendment and a 'thou shalt not steal' thing, so it's frustrating." Miller ordered 300 signs for his campaign and has run out after replacing stolen signs.

Council candidates are being attacked from all angles with billboards and websites.

Political action group Citizens for a Sound Government has created websites taking on District 1 candidate Joe Barrera, District 3 candidate Brandy Williams and District 6 candidate Ed Bircham.

On one site, Williams, an incumbent, is called the "Queen of Indecision and Ineffectiveness," complete with an image of her wearing a tiara that appears to be electronically added. The site about Bircham claims he has a history of bigoted and extreme comments. Bircham said he had not seen the site and would not comment.

Citizens for a Sound Government claims Barrera's "far-left ideas are wrong for Colorado Springs," and he is criticized as a tool of President Barack Obama.

The group, which has also targeted Obama's position on health care policy, is headed by president Alan Philp. Philp said Friday he has been very involved in Colorado politics and the organization wanted to raise awareness about issues facing Colorado Springs.

"We wanted to provide educational information about certain candidates," he said. "We think there needs to be a pro-business, pro-jobs city council and we're trying to promote issues that will bring that to citizens." "It's a strange thing," Barrera said. "They do this from a left-wing perspective when they attacked Ed (Bircham) and they do this from a right-wing perspective when they attacked me. I don't think it's reputable, number one. I think it's just a provocative attempt by some people." Philp said the awareness campaign is more about containing government than partisan politics.

"It isn't about ideology so much as it is about big government," he said.

-- Gazette reporter Barbara Cotter contributed to this story.

As Colorado Springs city election ballots hit the mail, candidates are complaining of attack advertising and campaign trickery.

Ballots for the April 2 election that will pick candidates in six City Council districts and decide a pair of local ballot questions were delivered to the post office Friday. And, in a sure sign that the campaign is in full swing, candidates started grumbling that yard signs have been swiped.

Joel Miller, a rookie candidate in District 2, reported dozens of his campaign signs stolen.

"I'm frustrated because people donated money for the purpose of getting signs," Miller said. "It's a First Amendment and a 'thou shalt not steal' thing, so it's frustrating." Miller ordered 300 signs for his campaign and has run out after replacing stolen signs.

Council candidates are being attacked from all angles with billboards and websites.

Political action group Citizens for a Sound Government has created websites taking on District 1 candidate Joe Barrera, District 3 candidate Brandy Williams and District 6 candidate Ed Bircham.

On one site, Williams, an incumbent, is called the "Queen of Indecision and Ineffectiveness," complete with an image of her wearing a tiara that appears to be electronically added. The site about Bircham claims he has a history of bigoted and extreme comments. Bircham said he had not seen the site and would not comment.

Citizens for a Sound Government claims Barrera's "far-left ideas are wrong for Colorado Springs," and he is criticized as a tool of President Barack Obama.

The group, which has also targeted Obama's position on health care policy, is headed by president Alan Philp. Philp said Friday he has been very involved in Colorado politics and the organization wanted to raise awareness about issues facing Colorado Springs.

"We wanted to provide educational information about certain candidates," he said. "We think there needs to be a pro-business, pro-jobs city council and we're trying to promote issues that will bring that to citizens." "It's a strange thing," Barrera said. "They do this from a left-wing perspective when they attacked Ed (Bircham) and they do this from a right-wing perspective when they attacked me. I don't think it's reputable, number one. I think it's just a provocative attempt by some people." Philp said the awareness campaign is more about containing government than partisan politics.

"It isn't about ideology so much as it is about big government," he said.

-- Gazette reporter Barbara Cotter contributed to this story.

___ (c)2013 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Visit The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at www.gazette.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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