Chas Kelley for City Council 2011 Mailer Number One
October 1, 2011 Leave a comment
By Michael Reiter, Attorney at Law.
I had the good fortune of talking to 5th Ward Council Member Kelley between the City Attorney’s Forum and the City Clerk’s forum at City Hall last week.
I received a copy of the first mailer from the Kelley campaign. It came in a buff-colored envelope with a USA presorted standard postage stamp, and computer-generated address. The return address had “Chas Kelley YOUR City Councilman” and a 5th Ward return address printed in his trademark Kelly green. On the bottom of the envelope, it said “Free Refrigerator Magnet Inside.” The back of the envelope said “Paid for by Friends of Chas Kelley for City Council 2011, ID #1247634.
Above the fold was “Working for You!” in large green letters. Next to the “Working for You!” motto was the magnet, which has the same proportion as a business card, but larger. In the top corner is the phone number “909-648-3506″ in the top left corner, and in the top right corner, the email address “chaskelley@charter.net” In the center, in larger type is “City Councilman Chas Kelley City of San Bernardino, 5th Ward. Below in the bottom left corner is “City Council Office 300 North D Street San Bernardino CA 92418″, and in the bottom right corner “Visit Chas on Facebook Chas Kelley.” I checked, I couldn’t find Chas Kelley’s Facebook page.
The letter reads:
Dear Neighbor,
Keeping in touch with your concerns helps me to be an even more effective advocate for you and your family.
That’s why I wanted to provide you with a complimentary refrigerator magnet with my contact information. Please use it to alert me about any problems in your neighborhood or to share your views about a city issue.
By working closely with local neighborhood leaders, I’m very proud of the new amenities we have been able to bring to the 5th Ward–even in these difficult times.
We just opened our brand new Community Center next to the Little League Complex with meeting rooms, a children’s play area, a library reading room, an outdoor ampitheatre [sic, the British spelling] and recreational facilities. I hope you will visit this great new family-friendly facility.
Another success was the installation of new playground equipment at Blair Park and new exercise stations for walkers and runners on Little Mountain Trail.
I’m also pleased to report that we are very close to approving a neighborhood shopping center with a grocery store at the Kendall Hills Plaza Property.
As a father of four, I am especially concerned about safety. when broken street lights were causing unsafe conditions. I teamed up with local resident Bob Edwards to get the lights turned back on in our neighborhoods. Together, we forced city officials to implement an action plan that will expedite the repair of city street lights.
Representing the citizens of the 5th Ward is a responsibility I take very seriously. Please contact me if I can ever be of assistance to you or your family. Thank you and God Bless.
Best regards,
Chas Kelley
City Councilman, 5th Ward
NOT PRINTED OR MAILED AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE.
Paid for by Friends of Chas Kelley for City Council 2011, ID# 1247634
The word “vote” does not appear anywhere on the letter. I know Chas Kelley has sent a magnet before, but I do not know if it was during an election or somewhere midterm. The letter mentions places throughout the 5th Ward, including Verdemont, Shandin Hills, Kendall Hills, and the area south of Shandin Hills near Blair Park. It mentions public safety, a Kelley strong point. It reminds the reader that Chas Kelley is the 5th Ward council member, but that he is still “one of us” by saying “together, we forced city officials to implement an action plan that will expedite the repair of city street lights.”
There is a tone of humility in the letter. I would categorize this as a “getting to know you” piece, though the accomplishments listed are recent (there is no mention of the Verdemont Fire Station, for example), and there is some background (that Chas Kelley is the incumbent, that he is a father of four), but not as much as you might see from a complete unknown.
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