Jim Bitter creates Truth in Political Advertising to help counteract two mailers backing the commission chairman.
By JUSTIN GEORGE
Published October 26, 2004
Another local political committee has formed, and its founder has expressed two goals: leveling the playing field and helping elect District 5 Republican County Commission candidate Joyce Valentino.
The group, called Truth in Political Advertising, is led by environmentalist Jim Bitter, who has long been a critic of the county's development decisions.
Truth in Political Advertising's first goal will be to counteract two brochures that went out to voters over the past two weeks praising the accomplishments of Commission Chairman Josh Wooten, a Democrat, whom Valentino is trying to unseat.
The brochures, entitled "Commissioner Josh Wooten deserves our thanks" and "Who's watching out for YOUR pocketbook?," have raised questions among Valentino supporters and from within Citrus County government.
The printed materials were created by Citizens for a Better Citrus, and Wooten had no hand in them. Citizens, like T.P.A., is a political committee. But Citizens is fronted by two members of the Citrus County Builders Association.
The latest brochure included the claim that Wooten was "eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government," though no incidents of fraud and abuse could be recalled by anyone, including Wooten.
The group's chairwoman, Linda Daly, later told the St. Petersburg Times that the statement meant Wooten prevented fraud and abuse.
Another claim: A flier from the group, touting Wooten's tax record, showed a picture of a federal tax form.
Bitter, who has donated $400 to Valentino's campaign, said the damage is done, and he is afraid independent voters are being misled by the mailers.
His group, like Citizens, won't work in concert with any campaign. Their "electioneering" activities must be independent of the candidates' own efforts.
"I am appalled at the way that the county government is going, and that the little people who need to run, the unmonied people who'd like to run for office, would be frozen out of the political office," Bitter said.
"And it's going to be left open to people of great political wealth or those who would take money from special interest groups. And that's bad for our democracy."
Bitter, a retired safety engineer or loss-control consultant, said he will use his own money to support the committee and that he will accept contributions.
As of Monday, he had received checks from several county residents adding up to nearly $1,500.
Groups such as T.P.A. and Citizens for a Better Citrus are paid for by interest groups trying to influence voters through advertisements. The groups can push issues or candidates they endorse.
Because of T.P.A.'s late formation, the group does not have to divulge its contributors or the amount of money it has collected until Friday, the state deadline.
However, Bitter gave the Citrus Times names of his group's donors and the amounts they gave on Monday. Citizens for a Better Citrus chose not to do so last week.
Truth in Political Advertising is straight forward about its goals. The group plans to attack Wooten's record and ties to the development community and to businesses that support his campaign and receive large contracts from the county, Bitter said.
"People have a right to know who the candidates are," Bitter said, repeating a line he said sitting Commissioner Jim Fowler used.
Fowler was aided by a slew of advertisements in 2002 that helped him defeat challenger Scott Adams in the general election and, before that, Valentino in the GOP primary.
But Valentino said she does not want Bitter's help.
"I don't want to know anything about it. This whole thing's getting out of control," she said of T.P.A. "Nobody has any permission to do anything on my behalf. I think I'm doing fine on my own ... I don't want anyone interfering with my campaign. I can't control what other people do."
Wooten, who has acknowledged that the Citizens for a Better Citrus statements about "fraud and abuse" in its flier were misleading, said he's not surprised Truth in Political Advertising formed.
"That's their right," Wooten said. "That's the American way."
He said a similar group formed to help Valentino in 2002.
Wooten said people have attacked him during the public comment portion of County Commission meetings and on Web sites, such as www.mcintoshreport.com a site that includes editorials written by a Valentino supporter and campaign contributor.
Bitter and Jim McIntosh, the Web site publisher, recently chastised Wooten for a Tourist Development Council ad that featured Wooten's picture. They said the ad was tantamount to a campaign ad.
But Wooten, who chairs the council, said the entire council approved the ad, which spelled out the council's recent achievements.
Wooten said he hoped T.P.A. focused on the issues, since Nov. 2 is fast approaching.
"Who do you trust? Joyce Valentino and Jim Bitter, or Josh Wooten's record?" Wooten said. "They can make that determination now or Election Day."
