Halloween approaches, and like a bad horror franchise, Jason Young – the Tonya Harding of Anaheim politics – has re-emerged to sling mud in the Anaheim City Council races.
Young is possessed of a simplistic idea: Disney is evil and any candidates it supports must be mindless puppets. The corollary is any candidate or elected official who criticizes Disney is a pure and infallible paladin whose every utterance and policy preference is ipso facto good and worthy of obedient support. All of his political advocacy flows from this obsessive, Manichean mentality.
Young has paid to create and promote an animated video/political fantasy that illustrates his dark but fanciful view of Anaheim city elections. He’s posted it on his “Stop Disney” Facebook page, where he indulges his habit of smearing those with whom he disagrees. Presently, he’s infatuated with some of the council candidates as “goons.” He professes to oppose “pay-to-play” politics, unless he supports the candidates who engage in it. In that case, he ignores it.
The problem with Young’s paid campaign ad – and it is an independent expenditure – is he failed to include the legally required disclosure on the ad. That puts him afoul of state campaign laws and also the city campaign finance ordinance championed by one of Young’s political idols: Councilman Jose F. Moreno. Not very transparent.
Readers might remember Young’s past brushes with legality, as this blog reported in October 2012:
Curiously for someone whose standard way to express disagreement is to call someone a liar, untrustworthy or corrupt, Mr. Sumage-Young was arrested in 2004 for second degree burglary, identity theft, and fraudulent use of an access card. He ultimately pled guilty and was sentenced to 120 days in jail, 3 years probation and required to make restitution to his victim.
You can search “Jason Garner Young” at the OCCourts.org website (click on the Criminal and Traffic Case Access portal). While the information summary there says “not guilty,” according to the full record Young change his plea to “guilty”to the above felonies, served his jail time, and upon completion of probation the offenses were reduced to misdemeanor status, which is why the charges are shown on the website as dismissed (again, all public information).
No one is perfect. Something to keep in mind next time Mr. Sumague-Young takes a political disagreement and turns it into a character assault. Mr. Sumague-Young might also want to keep this in mind.
Such perspective has never taken hold with Young. Like many of Mayor Tait’s acolytes, his behavior makes a mockeyr of the “City of Kindness” stuff. The 1st Amendment protects free speech. Just as William Fitzgerald is free to spend his time at city council meetings bellowing vicious, deluded rants smearing city council members and candidates, and Jason Young is free to spend his money on vicious, deluded videos attacking council candidates. They both behave despicably and with little regard for the truth – birds of a feather.
Jason’s a good guy. When you’re making a short animated piece explaining the politics of a city it will necessarily entail a bit of simplification and hyperbole.
For example I think a lot of that million and a half Disney has spent (so far) on this election is to defeat Measure L, which they seem to be DEATHLY worried about.
Thanks for the link, the video is also featured on Anaheim Voters Against Kleptocracy. I think he’s legally okay with his disclosure.
Disney hasn’t spent a million and a half against Measure L. They’re not spending money against L. Any Disney spent on that fight was prior to withdrawing from the tax agreements with the city (the VOC noted that). Measure L doesn’t apply to Disney.
And Jason’s video goes beyond “a bit of simplification and hyperbole.” He’s making things up. Then again, he’s also regurgitating the same political fantasies that Jose F. Moreno is.
Read better, champ. Who said they spent $1.5 million against L? They spent more like 350K, and laundered it through your bosses at the Chamber
I misunderstood what you wrote. The point remains that Disney isn’t involved in the Measure L fight, and Measure L doesn’t apply to Disney – not that that stops the Resort unions from misleading voters to the contrary.
I realize that the anti-L line is that it won’t apply to Disney, and that City Attorney Fabela agrees with that.
But there’s no way the 1996 subsidy was not a subsidy, and that they don’t benefit from it to this very day, and that Anaheim taxpayers don’t pay for it to this very day.
And why pray tell do you think Disney has shoveled a third of a million into the Chamber, while the Chamber’s main fight is against L? Hey, you wouldn’t be being disingenuous would you?
It’s not a “line,” Vern. It’s the truth. The language in Measure L is very clear about what constitutes a subsidy for the purposes of the initiative. The 1996 agreement doesn’t fit. If the unions had intended the 1996 agreement to be covered, they could have written the initiative that way. They didn’t.
Their current claims are just CYA BS.
And as Cynthia Ward used to argue so forcefully, the entire city has benefited from the 1996 agreement.
And why direct your campaign spending questions to me? You’ve already decided you know what is what.
I was not asking you a campaign spending question, Matt. I was posing a snarky rhetorical question that you would have no reason to answer.
I’ll grant you’re being snarky.
Illiterate idiot. At least Matt admitted he misread. Get lost now.
Vern, what is your position on Victor Valladares recent TRO?
You and Dr. Moreno are silent on this thug.
DISGRACEFUL.
I think you owe Tonya Harding an apology.
Matt – I just want to thank you for using a photo that is almost a decade old.
It’s from YOUR website.
Jason Young is a slime ball with zero morals. He is for hire and NOT an Anaheim Resident. LOSER!
For hire… by whom? What a glass house to throw such a rock from.
And yes he’s lived in Anaheim District 5 for at least four years; before his year in Fullerton he lived in Anaheim District 3. He’s lived the vast majority of his life in the City of Kindness.
Stick to the undebatable subjective judgments like “slime ball with zero morals.”
Is Chickenham still keeping me from commenting on this website? I’ll hit return and see….
I wasn’t keeping you from commenting, Greg. You’re simply on the moderation list. I just hadn’t checked the moderation queue until now.
And since you cannot govern yourself and quickly resort to childish name-calling, I’m afraid you’ll have to stay there.
Jason Young is a felon and a thief. Anyone who cares what he thinks or employs him for videography accepts his record and his brand of insanity. Identify theft wreaks havoc on those who suffer through it. Chase him back out of town.
Our host is deleting my comments. I wonder why. No I don’t. Can’t get truth get in the way when the election is this close.
Greg Diamond is a rabid dog with a toothless bite. All drool. Someone give him a bone….he can’t wine a case and can’t afford to buy one.