05/09/03 - Griffith Hires Vote Harvester and Joe Thug Ally

As much as I hate the pain, I love political activity because you meet interesting, caring, passionate people who get off their rears and do something, people with whom you might not otherwise ever cross paths.  Unfortunately, you also meet the Joe Thug's and Mad Max Aaronson's of the world, and the people around them.

This recent city council campaign gave me the chance to know Steve Salazar better.  On many issues, we agreed more often than not.  At the KHVN debate, we were talking off-mike about redistricting and he said "they should have never split up Pleasant Grove".  I almost kissed him right on the mouth.  If Pleasant Grove had been kept in tact in one district, it would have created the strongest Hispanic district in the city, where the Hispanic community owns businesses and homes and VOTE.  All the other district lines would have been much more logical and community friendly had those linear districts along the south not been drawn to slice up Pleasant Grove.  Of course, District 2 and District 14 should have been split down Central instead of the crescent shape monstrosities we have, and Oak Cliff should have been split more sensibly.  But, I digress.  I was thrilled to know that Steve "got it".

I became better acquainted with my neighbor, Linus Spiller, during the campaign, but the night of the election I really got to see what a classy guy he truly is.  After Roxan Staff gets elected, you will know in more detail why Linus Spiller is a man of honor and integrity.

I also had a chance to get better acquainted with Billy McLeod, David Morris and Cannon Flowers and Julia Cabrera.

Cannon and I had corresponded many times via e-mail and visited on the phone, but we had not met in person until this campaign.  We have several friends in common, and we have a common concern for the well being of this city.

Thursday night, we found we had one more thing in common.  We have both been threatened by a former friend and political ally to either endorse her candidate or she promised "to destroy you, personally and politically".  We were both assured that she is "brilliant".  My call came Thursday night, April 3rd.  Cannon got his call Thursday afternoon, May 8th. 

Considering what happened the last 2 days of the general election, she made good on part of her threat to me.  There really is nothing she can do to Cannon, but it is unsettling to hear that kind of threat, particularly when Cannon paid her quite a bit of money to assist his losing effort in the District 9 race.  

Why has Gary Griffith hired a Democrat operative to work in his campaign while he runs around with Pete Sessions promoting himself as a Republican?  That kind of  schizophrenic strategy did not work so well for Mary Poss.  

If you can explain the Griffith campaign to the rest of us, please get in touch with DallasArena.com.  With the skeletons in his closet from the Epic Insurance scandals, you would think Gary would want to keep the campaign on the high road.  His new campaign strategist does not follow that path.  

Threats and dirty tricks may work in a little race like District 6, but the people who live in District 9 vote.  

Gary Griffith has aligned himself with Joe Thug's gang.

Roxan Staff is aligned with Mayor Miller and two of her former opponents.   Albert Turner and Cannon Flowers endorsed Roxan Staff for District 9 because they got to know her during the campaign.