At a November 2nd council meeting, a resident of Tustin expressed great disappointment in a mailer that was distributed to voters during the height of the campaign season because he felt the piece was slanderous and dishonest for the way it characterized a candidate for council named David Waldram. The upset resident called the mailer pathetic and noted that Councilman Doug Davert should not have signed his name to it. He went on to say the word “Honorable” before Davert’s name on the flier is undeserving. Mayor Jerry Amante then proceeded to defend Davert and his availability and called the facts of the mailer “undisputed” and backed with plenty of sources. The mayor also noted that the piece is entirely accurate and that it was Waldram’s claims to begin with that gave rise to the mailer, noting that it was important to keep in mind the context because the piece was intended as a response to what he called many false claims. As an update, during this week’s council meeting, around 18 residents showed up to discuss the comments that were made by Mayor Amante. Also, before the council session, around 50 residents gathered for a rally called, “Rally to Restore Civility,” as many felt that the mayor acted like a bully in his remarks to the citizen who voiced his concerns. You can view Amante’s comments here:
You be the judge: Should the mayor have responded differently? According to the resident who brought up the mailer, the answer is yes. The OC Register reports he said the following:
“(Amante) could have just said 'Thank you for your time, Mr. Horvath.' And instead of doing the smart thing, he went off on me in a way I haven't been talked to in all my life. I'm just an average guy, a citizen of this city more than half my life.”
Residents and supporters of Waldram who attended the rally said they felt Amante and Davert were disrespectful. For more, see here.
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