To the Good People of Dixon,

A few weeks ago we held a meeting in my office with Loran Hoffman, Shirley Humphrey and Debra Minnema-Dingman to discuss offering the voters of Dixon an opportunity to get to know the candidates for the current election through a series of questions and answers to be published in the newspaper.

The intent was to have a group of taxpayers come up with the questions that are front and center in importance to the City of Dixon. Loran and Shirley would organize the questions on a weekly basis and present them to each of the candidates through email and gather and organize their responses so they would be submitted for publication well before our deadlines so they could be produced in a timely manner.

At that time I stated that we do not endorse any candidate through the newspaper. We would provide information and let the voters decide. I stated that we would not edit their material, no matter how badly written. The general public had to see how they present their thoughts on paper and how they articulated the questions.

The rules were set that no candidate, or our city editor, would be allowed to see the questions in advance. The questions were not sent to me in advance either. There was planned autonomy for the taxpayers to generate the questions and compile the responses. They knew the deadlines and the space requirements for each candidate weekly. The word count was set at a maximum of 200 words per answer so that each candidate would have to be succinct.

Good luck with all that good intention. The first responses from most of the candidates were not timely, they exceeded the word count (by hundreds of words), were sent in the wrong format, were sent via unreadable email sources, and it was a mess. Loran and Shirley were having problems trying to get everything processed by deadline. The natural thing to do was to ask the newspaper employee for help in getting things in by deadline. That employee, the city editor, was to get the content to us in time for publication so that we could best serve the reading public.

Some candidates cried foul. They questioned the process and that there was a conflict of interest by having the city editor assist them in getting their responses into the newspaper when her son was running for one of the positions. Granted, if the city editor had written the questions, or provided them to her son in advance, or had any control over the process I would agree.

A conflict of interest is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another.

However, that city editor was actually working to get all responses into the newspaper, even those running against her son. There was an email paper trail of the responses and the oversight of the process was by the two people who created the questions and gathered the responses. Without the help of the city editor no responses would have been published.

Some candidates chose to withdraw from the process. Some claimed an unprofessional process, a lack of credibility, altered statements (due to one candidate trying to get free advertising of their website to attract donations in their response – they call that cheating), while another presented mainly repeated vile comments and is hereby disqualified from participating.

There was nothing wrong with the first publication of the candidate’s comments. It was just a lot more work to herd the political cats than it was worth. The public should know, not one candidate paid any funds in any way for the free publication of their responses. I paid all costs as a service to the community.

This week we are holding a place for the individuals who chose not to participate for one more week so the public can see who made the choice to drop out of our forum. After this week we will determine if the process will continue and be a free service to the community.

As the owner of eight community newspapers and a long-time veteran of the newspaper business, I want to express to the good people of Dixon to become very educated on the choices for your local offices this election. Never, in any other election process in any of the other communities we serve have there been such unprofessional responses from candidates. We will retain their comments and be sure to hold them accountable to the same standards they claim while they serve in public office.

We hereby publish the responses from the candidates after week one so the general voting public can read for themselves after knowing the story of what happened in trying to get the forum up and running.

 

Candidate Emails Concerning Forum Rules

Steve Bird’s response to Shirley on Thursday, August 27 at 2:48 pm:

Shirley,

You also stated that what was submitted would be printed in its entirety as long as the text was kept to 200 words of less. I rview3ed the IV just now. You did NOT print the entire text I submitted. I included my website at the end  (BirdforDixon.com) and the paper did not include this. You are breaking the terms of what you assured us would or would not happen. That was edited out.

Disappointed, Steve

 

Jerry Castanon’s response to Shirley on Thursday, August 27 at 3:02 pm:

Shirley,

I feel that one of the women on your panel should recuse herself and as much as she is the mother of one of the candidates. I will email only to you through this conflict of interest.

Jerry Castañon Sr.

 

Don Hendershot’s response to all on the email chain on Thursday, August 27 at 4:34 pm:

I concur with both Steve and Jerry. Thanks-Don

 

Ted Hickman’s response to Loran and Shirley on Sunday, August 30^, at 2:56pm:

“I with draw my statement for this week DO NOT publish it. 

Please delete it and  return the copy I sent  to you. 

I will replace it with one more  appropriate for your next go around ok?”

 

Jerry Castanon’s response to Shirley on Sunday, August 30 at 6:00 pm:

This letter is to inform you that I will not be participating in your candidate weekly questions from the independent voice. All candidates were provided with rules via email. First, all candidates were to submit a 200 word statement with picture and due Sunday evening at 6:00pm. deadlines were moved, to accommodate certain candidates who did not submit their statement on time, along with errors from the IV. Second, wrong email was given to us to submit. Third, statements altered. Forth, we have a serious conflict of interest with Debra Minnema-Dingman editor of the Independent Voice, the fact that her son is a candidate for mayor, yet having access to all candidates answers. I feel she needs to recuse herself completely in this election cycle. The IV has failed the candidates of Dixon California by not adhering to standard ethical practices. 

 

Steve Bird’s edited (for public release to other news outlets) response to Shirley Humphrey, Loren Hoffman Sunday, August 30 at 5:47 pm:

It is with a heavy heart and great disappointment that I will not be participating any further with the IV 2020 Candidate Question Series for the following reasons.

1. When I was initially contacted by Ms. Humphrey for the series, I was instructed to send an email with my response to question # 1 of the series to her and Ms. Hoffman. I did so and was told by Ms. Hoffman that my materials did not come through.  She later advised me that she had been "hacked" and to send it to another email address she provided.  I did so, and again was told that my materials failed to come through.  She then instructed me to send my email to Ms. Hoffman and later Ms. Debra Minnema-Dingman. I found this extremely troubling that it took me a minimum of four attempts to get my materials to the IV staff. This is neither professional nor appropriate for a publication of any credibility.

2. In relation the above comments, I also found it extremely unethical for a publisher to expect any candidate to send their platform material to the mother (Ms. Dingmans') of a candidate in the same 2020 election race (Devon Minnema). What precludes Ms. Dingman from sharing the questions with her son (my opponent) prior to the deadline of the article? Ethics you would think, however if ethics were truly a part of this, Ms. Dingman would have to recuse herself before the series was ever presented to the candidates.  Additionally, Ms. Humphrey and Ms. Hoffman are also vocal supporters of Mayoral Candidate Devon Minnema, which further raises concerns.

3. When I was initially contacted by Ms. Humphrey, I was informed that all questions would be sent to the candidates on the Tuesday prior to the following week's publication, with the Sunday before (at 6pm) being the deadline for that week's article.  The articles would be limited to 200 words or less, with no editing and printed as received. I did so with my first article. To my dismay two things happened. First, the second question was not sent to me until the following Wednesday afternoon, almost an entire day and a half later than the previous request and instruction.  Additionally, when I reviewed the article I had submitted, it did not include the complete text I had sent, specifically my web site information at the end of the article, still within the 200 word limit. When I inquired about this I received a general email to all candidates (not to me personally), that unfortunately my web site information had been at the end and was "accidently" cut off.   

In summary, I find these matters inexcusable and extremely suspect for any publication that seeks serious participation from candidates in this local race.  The lack integrity and professionalism demonstrated by the IV staff in this circumstance is extremely suspect.    

Very Disappointed, Steven C. Bird, Vice Mayor, Dixon

It should be noted that this letter has been provided to other sources to include media outlets to ensure your response(s) is on point.

 

Kevin Johnson’s response emailed to Shirley and Loran on Sunday, August 30 at 7:37 pm:

It is with regret that “at this time” I have decided to not participate going forward as planned with the City Election 2020 / Candidates Q & A weekly to the Independent Voice.

Your email requested my response to be EMAILED to Shirley Humphrey & Debra Dingman.

After much thought and consideration, I need to express my concerns related to Debra Dingman being a part of this process.  This is not intended to be directed at Debra personally.  This is a sincere concern that I express with a serious conflict of interest with Debra being involved (with her Son being a participant in this Candidates Q & A and running for Mayor).  There should have been much more thought and preparation given to involving Mrs. Dingman and, knowing of the significant participation by Mrs. Dingman with both the Independent Voice and Devon’s Campaign – how could you not recognize this conflict and how this might impact other Mayoral Candidates.  It is also not a  secret the Mr. Logan Legg, running for District 4 City Council, is running side by side with Devon.  Therefore, there is a conflict of interest that could be inferred directed to other District 4 City Council candidates as well.

I would very much like to participate in the IV Q & A process.  However, at this time and until sufficient modifications to the process have been address – I will not be participating.

Suggested sufficient modifications…

1. Debra Dingman formally recuse herself from the City of Dixon Election 2020 Q & A process.
2. IV City of Dixon Election 2020 Q & A process Organizers to create an environment of trust and transparency sufficient to allow all Candidates to feel safe, secure related to the purity of the process (Protocols).

Couple parting comments…

1. This Thursday, Sept 3 – after 4pm, before 9pm…  I will POST my answer to THIS Week’s Question to FACEBOOK:  Dixon 411 – Political.  I want to communicate with the Public.  I want to answer your question this week and through to the end.  I just feel it correct and appropriate do so in a manner that is pure from any possible advanced information to other Candidates.
2. I want to make it perfectly clear that under no circumstances am I saying the any improper, advanced information IS IN FACT being provided to other candidates.  For me this is all about it looks and feels to me BUT also to other Candidates running against Mr. Minnema and Mr. Legg.

I will be next available beginning Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

Respectfully, Kevin Johnson

City of Dixon, City Council Candidate, District 3

 

Ted Hickman sends another inappropriate and totally unprofessional email out to everyone on Monday, August 31 at 11:58 am.