Marsha
Vas Dupre
|
Marsha
Vas Dupre
|
| Marsha Responds to Sawyer Smear Campaign |
John Sawyer's Hit
Piece
 |
|
Media Release October 28, 2002 Contact: Marsha Vas Dupre City Council candidate John Sawyer mailed a brochure this week to Santa Rosans accusing Marsha Vas Dupre of refusing to pledge her allegiance to the flag. In response, Marsha Vas Dupre called the mailer “an ugly lie and a stupid smear” and said, “I am deeply religious. I love my country. I have absolutely no problem whatsoever pledging my allegiance to the flag.” The Sawyer mailer makes issue of Vas Dupre walking out of a July city council meeting when Mayor Mike Martini declared that city council meetings would now start with the Pledge of Allegiance. “My actions were purely and simply a rejection of Mike Martini’s political grandstanding,” said Vas Dupre. “The Sawyer mailing suggestion that I do not support the Pledge of Allegiance is deeply offensive to me.” At the July 2nd Council meeting, Martini announced, without any discussion with his city council colleagues, that the pledge would now to be recited at the beginning of the each city council meeting. This was the first meeting after a Federal Judge’s ruling questioned the constitutionality of portions of the pledge. The uproar that resulted was heavily covered in the media.” “Mr. Martini has already declared he will run again against Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey. He was using the pledge to further his own personal political agenda. Last March, Martini received less than 20% of the vote in his failed attempt to unseat Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey. “The mayor's act was a blatant political stunt; I left the dais to protest Martini’s cynicism,” said Vas Dupre. "I will not go along with the manipulation of our citizens' patriotism or religious beliefs for his own political ends,” Vas Dupre continued. “This entire incident, Martini’s stunt and Sawyer’s mailer, suggests an orchestrated political ploy. I’m embarrassed for both of them and embarrassed for all the good citizens of Santa Rosa,” Vas Dupre stated. John Sawyer is using developers’ money to pay for negative “Push Poll” phone calls and a smear mailer that lies about my commitment as a City Councilwoman, a devoted citizen of the United States, and a lifelong Methodist who has attended church virtually every Sunday for 61 years.” “The voters are too smart to fall for these smear tactics.
When I am re-elected, I will continue my efforts to improve our
neighborhoods, stand up for our families’ needs in the community, and
protect our environment. As Shirley Chisholm, one of my role models, stated,
I am ‘Unbought and Unbossed’ and proud of it,” Vas Dupre concluded. |
Home |
Biography | Experience |
Issues | How to
Help |