Ad in the Penny Power last week: "Vic Stevens reminds you that ethics in politics are directly reflected to how a candidate campaigns. If you allow someone else to do your dirty work for you, it still counts against you."
He might as well have been looking in the mirror. Stevens is the Democratic candidate for Richland supervisor. He knows plenty about "someone else to do your dirty work for you". Perhaps you have seen the red "Republicans for Stevens" signs. They even direct you to a website. People have been calling Republican party headquarters in Doylestown, and local Republican leaders, after being misled that Democrat Stevens is endorsed by the GOP.
Even Republican State Senator Rob Wonderling has been outraged at this latest Stevens deception, because "someone else" is trying to use him as part of it. The Big Lie Theory: If the lie is big enough, people will take it for the truth.
Republicans for Stevens still has not registered with the Board of Elections. Despite their homepage statement "We are Republicans endorsing Vic Stevens", the website is owned and operated by Green party member Marshall Linton of Perkasie. There are no names or contact information on the website except Stevens himself, and Linton refused to reveal the identity of any "members". He said that it was not "public information", and hung up.
Stevens denied any connection with those fake "Republicans". Yet there it is on his own website: "I am honored to have many Republican friends extend their hand in support by establishing a website entitled Republicans For Stevens."
Ad in the Penny Power October 12th: " Vic Stevens believes that leaders don't keep secrets from the public, tell them exactly what is going on if you want to get decisions made that are best for the community."
The website also has a page entitled "Republican Women for Stevens". No names, no identification. And the word "Democrat" doesn't appear once in the entire site. How embarrassing this must be to Richland and Bucks County Dems, when their candidate has to pretend to be a Republican, and quote Ronald Reagan. Adding to that false impression is the picture of Senator Wonderling on the page captioned "Republican Perspective". Wonderling is shown standing next to Stevens, as if lending support to his candidacy.
From the website: " Trust, yet verify. - Ronald Reagan".
Let's verify: Wonderling was speaking at the private, non-profit Richland Historical Society, of which Stevens is president. Wonderling never authorized the use of the picture. He certainly never intended either the appearance, or the picture, to be an endorsement of Stevens. And he was angry to learn that his community good deed was now being twisted by Stevens against the real endorsed Republican candidate, Craig Staats!
Wonderling even issued a press release clarifying that the senator did not in any way endorse Stevens, and did endorse Staats. He also demanded that the picture be removed at once. Stevens - and Linton - refused.
In fact, they also used a picture showing Stevens with Republican State Rep. Paul Clymer, and Republican supervisor Steve Tamburri, both of whom endorse Staats. Above the picture, it says "...we are offering him our endorsement." The "we" isn't named, but the impression is that it is Clymer and Tamburri. This is not the way an honest candidate campaigns .
Stevens' deceptive tactics could cost the Historical Society its tax exempt status. Under federal law, not-for-profits like this are prohibited from engaging in partisan politics. The blatant attempt by the president to use the Society's meeting, and pictures, to falsely portray a political endorsement, violates that law. Donors could lose their deductions. And, if Stevens is found to have misused Historical Society funds, he could go to jail.
But the fraud does not end there. Who is distributing the unsigned deceptive yard signs? And who are Stevens' "someone else" in this dirty work? Let's connect the dots...
There is a Republicans for Stevens sign on the lawn of Jane Steeley. And her mother. And Paul F.A. Maderson. Sue Cooke. Democrat Melissa Schnitzler. Democrat/Green Amy Zowniriw's car. Sound familiar? Why, it's the Radical Citizens Alliance - the RCA! The folks who "only want Richland to play by the rules". The experts on dirty work.
The deception over photographs even extends to Stevens supporters like Stew Schrauger, who is married to Mike Zowniriw's campaign treasurer. The Staats campaign used a color picture from the RCA website showing Stevens congratulating his buddy Z after the 2003 election. The RCA picture had no copyright notation, or photographer's name.
Schrauger called Staats, claimed that he owned the picture, and demanded $100, although records show that he only received $25 for the black-and-white version two years ago. Staats agreed, despite the lack of copyright protection.
Schrauger then sent letters to the editors of other newspapers claiming that his rights were infringed, but never mentioning the payment he demanded and agreed to. Dirty work, indeed.
If Vic Stevens has to resort to shenanigans like fake web sites, fraudulent endorsements, misuse of a community not-for-profit organization, and fooling the public as to which political party he really represents, something is drastically wrong. Is this what you want from an elected leader?
Quakertown Community School District refused to rehire Stevens in 1969, because, as his former supervisor, Esther Chilcote explained "Serious reservations. Will snow you with personality". Our own Bill Clinton!
People have again been snowed with Stevens' personality lately. And his greatest hope is that they just won't care about his dirty work.
Be a friend, call a friend, and warn about Republicans for Stevens. And about Vic Stevens. If Quakertown School District wouldn't trust him with our children, how can we trust him with our township?