mailmanThe highest profile measure on the Anaheim ballot this June is Measure D, which would shift the mayor’s term from four years to two years; the mayor would still be limited to eight consecutive years in office, however.

Thus far, the battle has been confined to the ubiquitous slate mailers. The Tom Tait for Mayor 2014 campaign purchased space on some slates for “No on D” while the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce PAC purchased slates for “Yes on D.” Looking at the slates that have been landing in mailboxes, the “Yes” side seems to be on more slates – but it’s hard to quantify the impact and it’s probably a wash on that front.

The “No on D” campaign reports taking in $1,975 in two donations: $975 from Mayor Tait, and $1,000 from James Vanderbilt – the AUHSD trustee who is Tait’s candidate for council this November and who has quickly become the mayor’s Man Friday. $349 was spent on a robocall that went out about 10 days ago, and $1,042 on signs. The latter is enough to have COGS print them but not enough to have COGS puts them up. “No on D” will have to rely on volunteers to put up sing, which would explain why you hardly see any of them.

The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce PAC has already sent out a mailer that hit this weekend:

first yes on d mailer

 

 

Will Measure D pass or fail? It’s hard to say. The “No” side’s message is “this is an attempt by outside special interests to get Mayor Tait.” [In fact, “outside special interests” is the universal Tait campaign message at this point. The “No” pitch against Measure C is it-helps evil-outside-special-interests-get-their-hands-on-city-assets. The re-election campaign is already shaping up to be an “Us v. The Special Interests” crusade.]  While voters don’t like “special interests,” the question is whether it will persuade the few voters being contacted by the “No on D” campaign. The best thing that has happened to the “No” campaign is the OC Register editorial against Measure D that ran a few weeks ago – before any voter had a received a vote-by-mail ballot. The OC Register also enthusiastically endorsed John Leos’s losing campaign for city council in 2012.

The election is a week away, and it’s an open question whether Mayor Tait or his campaign will direct any more resources toward defeating it.