PPCC Elections Fall Into the Mud

By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA | Reporter

The Pacific Palisades Community Council held a candidates forum on Thursday, Aug. 9, where election candidates were given an opportunity to introduce themselves and answer questions from prospective voters.

The forum was poised to be a quiet and quickly forgotten discussion, as the same answers of “caring for the community” and listing off local affiliations took the majority of the candidates’ time.

But outside of the Palisades Branch Library where the meeting was held, candidates fighting for a seat at the table were dodging political mud being thrown on social media.

At-large candidate Alan Goldsmith found himself under fire on social media for screwing campaign signs to several trees throughout the Palisades, drawing intense criticism from many upset neighbors.

“Nails have been known to kill trees! Outrageous and thoughtlessly destructive!” said one comment. “Plus who thought putting such ugly signage was appropriate in a town that has strict sign ordinances!”

After many outraged posts on the thread, which were sent to the Post, an “embarrassed” Goldsmith responded with an apology and a promise to remove the three signs he had posted on trees.

“All of my other signs were attached to telephone poles, lawn stakes or something else that doesn’t grow,” Goldsmith said. “As for my tree sensitivities, I would like to mention a few things to give you a better idea about myself.

“I’m not the local Scott Pruitt,” Goldsmith said, referring to the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency who resigned after many ethical controversies. He went on to list his affiliations in the community in hopes of reinforcing the idea that he was not a serial tree killer.

Meanwhile, Highlands residents were up in arms after an account registered to the name “Joey Mudd” tried to cast a negative light on Area 2 candidate Steve Cron, accusing him of dodging homeowners association fees while still receiving the benefits during his time on the Highlands HOA.

“How well can this fellow represent Area 2 when he as president of his own HOA [has] been cheating our Highlands area private security fund?” Mudd posted. “The lack of integrity, no backbone and lacking in character just is not the person that one wishes to represent our Area 2 on the PPCC.”

Mudd never called Cron out by name, but the message was clear for the podcast host who is running against Adam Handler, a 28-year Highlands resident who is the vice president of The Summit at Palisades Highlands.

“If you want to hold the policies of my HOA against me, that is your right, but if you want to attack me, please get your facts right,” replied Cron, who clarified that he has never served as president of his HOA and even invited Mudd to sit down for further dialogue.

Some called foul play on the exchange as the address registered to the account was the same address as former Area 2 Rep and current PPCC Vice Chair Peter Culhane, who denied he was behind the suspicious account. Culhane works alongside Handler as president of The Summit.

“I don’t know anything about this ‘phishing’ or even stealing my email account with my name or etc., certainly without my consent or approval,” Culhane said in a statement to the Palisadian-Post, adding that he does not do social media. “I have always been very careful of security and been a bit fearful of people stealing one’s identity, etc, could this be a case of that—I truly do not know how that works.”

Regardless of who the so-called “Joey Mudd” is or who he was aiming his attack at, it was clear that he had effectively taken a page straight out of the Russian playbook going into the final run of the election.

Voting is open at pacpalicc.org until Aug. 30 at 9 p.m.