Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Negative campaigning, or regrettably negative truths?

We've heard some grumbling about the "negative" campaigning by Residents for Birmingham, a political action committee organized and run by Buzz contributing editor Christopher Longe.

Longe is a Birmingham architect whose contributions to the city are in plain sight. He has designed dozens of beautiful homes throughout the city, and downtown he is responsible for the renovated McCann Erickson building, the ongoing renovation and addition to the Briggs Building at Woodward and Maple, the gorgeous Schecter Building that replaced Alvin's Bridal across from City Hall, the Dakota on Booth Park, and the ongoing renovation to 250 Martin St., on Shain Park.

Residents for Birmingham is, like all of Longe's work, in plain sight. It is legally registered with election officials in Oakland County, and all its literature, no matter what you think of it, is clearly labeled. If you'd like to talk to him, you can call him at 248-258-6940, or you can write him at .

Some might think that Longe's recent mailings are negative. We think they are honest expressions of regrettably negative truths about two of the candidates for City Commission. The fact is, Seth Chafetz and George Dilgard have very little regard for either your property rights or your tax bills, and Longe's mailings are simply pointing that out.

Contrast Longe's honest expressions of fact and opinion with some of the shenanigans of the Antis in election campaigns of the past. Four years ago, for example, they sent out a derogatory anonymous (and illegal) mailing that purported to be from developers in support of progressive candidates falsely carrying the return address of current candidate Shelli Weisberg.

We can't wait to see what they'll do this time around. In the meantime, look for more above-board truth from Residents for Birmingham coming soon to a mailbox near you.