Posted on 10/22/2006 5:10:51 AM PDT by radar101
Duncan Hunter's cam- paign committee paid $26,000 to say deal was on up and up.
In a move rarely seen in politics, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter bought a full-page ad in yesterday's editions of The San Diego Union-Tribune to rebut what he said were false impressions created by the newspaper regarding his East County home.
Laced with bits of humor, the ad's overall tone was serious, with Hunter telling readers that his 1994 purchase of the property in Alpine was on the up and up. As for questions the newspaper raised about the residence's value on the tax rolls, the ad noted that it was assessed at 1.4 percent of the sales price, “40 percent higher than the Prop. 13 rate of 1 percent.”
Hunter's one-day ad buy, which cost his Committee to Re-Elect Congressman Duncan Hunter $26,000, was spurred by a front-page article Oct. 8 that reported that county tax records listed the house at less than half its actual size. Though the house was reappraised to a value higher than the sales price, its assessed value was below market value, the article reported.
The story reported that the 2.7-acre site was among the properties sold by the Resolution Trust Corp. in 1993 as part of that federal agency's cleanup of the savings and loan scandal. The RTC sold the property at auction for $175,000 to a Boston-based bank, the story reported, and Hunter bought it for the same price two months later.
The story was headlined: “Hunter got break on taxes for home.” A Union-Tribune editorial, published Oct. 11, said the story had raised “troubling questions about whether the 25-year congressman got breaks on his property taxes” and whether he had “possibly benefited from his public position in acquiring the home in the first place.”
The article and editorial are not seen by political analysts as a threat to the Alpine Republican's re-election.
“I think probably . . . he's trying to restore his credibility and reputation,” said Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of California Target Book, a nonpartisan guide to state politics. “He probably feels he hasn't done anything wrong and the only way to get his word out is to buy an ad and tell his side of the story.”
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, closely tracks congressional races and has not changed his view that the 52nd District is not competitive.
“He is being ultra-cautious, as he should be in this environment,” Sabato said, referring to a voting public souring on congressional Republicans and weary of scandals in Congress.
Despite the growing belief that Republicans may lose their majority in Congress in the Nov. 7 midterm elections, political analysts figure Hunter will cruise to another re-election in the heavily Republican 52nd Congressional District, which includes much of East County as well as the city of San Diego's Interstate 15 corridor.
He faces Democrat John Rinaldi, whose has an anti-war message but no financial backing from the national Democratic Party, and Libertarian Michael Benoit.
Hunter, chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, is seen by analysts as a neat fit with his solidly conservative district.
John Dadian, a San Diego Republican consultant and lobbyist, said the ad also fits Hunter's background, including Vietnam service as an elite Army Ranger.
“If he sincerely believes in his heart that he's done no wrong . . . he's going to come out fighting, he's not simply going to look the other way,” Dadian said.
In an interview yesterday, Hunter said his wife, Helynn, recently found old photographs of the home in its initial run-down state, which appear in the ad.
“I figured a picture was worth a thousand words, and we put them out there,” Hunter said.
“I'm very willing to let the people of San Diego County compare those pictures with the article that was written and decide for themselves whether a false impression was given.”
The article reported that the Hunters made $160,000 in repairs and improvements.
The home was destroyed in the 2003 Cedar fire, and Hunter is rebuilding on the property.
The article also reported that the year before the Hunters bought the property, it was seized by the Resolution Trust Corp., an agency formed to bail out failed savings and loan institutions. Hunter voted for the 1989 legislation creating the agency.
State Street Bank and Trust bought the property in December 1993 and was listed in county records as its purchaser. A bank spokeswoman said it was merely trustee for the RTC.
Hunter says he was not aware it had been an RTC property.
Hunter yesterday disputed the article because “it said we underpaid our taxes – that's the headline – and when you turn the page, it compares the house to a $495,000 house in Alpine . . . and then it called ours an 'estate.' ”
Hunter's ad copy said:
“. . . for the Union-Tribune to say that this house in the condition pictured above in 1994 and located on a dirt road, was an 'Estate,' which should have been taxed like a $495,000 custom home, is ludicrous.”
The ad did not address the discrepancy between the recorded size of the house and its actual size.
Hunter threw in some humorous photo captions. One said: “This was the 'Spa' room. Decorated in 'Early American Mildew.' Note the beautiful exposed 2 x 6s.”
Hunter's ad closed: “Thanks for letting me set the record straight. Now U-T, let's get back to the issues that concern San Diego and America.”
It listed national defense, a border fence, saving the Mount Soledad cross as a memorial and preventing Miramar Marine Corps Air Station from becoming a civilian airport.
Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and the Media at Sacramento State University, said Hunter's move was highly unusual but likely to be effective.
“You never pick your fights with people who buy their ink by the barrel. One way to deal with that is to get some of your own ink and pay for it,” she said. “He will get people to read it just because of its novelty.”
Thats all fine and dandy that Hunter has made it clear about the whole taxes thing, I believe him on that. I think it was awesome to run an ad in the paper like that! Go Hunter!
But someone should ask Hunter about the accusations made by the Babtist Pastor Bob Winterton, and realator Ron Hart. I don’t believe he addressed that part of the article...
>But someone should ask Huntr about the accusations made by the Babtist (sic) Pastor Bob Winterton, and realator (sic) Ron Hart. I don’t believe he addressed that part of the article.<
Ho hum. Just more scurrilous innuendo from another Fred groupie. Why don’t you just come out and address it, Rats?
Duncan Hunter should answer these questions.
“scurrilous innuendo”
Duncan Hunter supporters post scurrilous innuendo about Fred all day.
Hunter needs to come out and say if his Babtist Pastor friend was lieing about him or not. Is that so hard to ask? Or at least he should have cleared that up in his response. You people pick through Fred with a fine comb, I think questionable things in Hunters past should be brought up too. Thats fair right?
Hey, whatever floats your boat, feller.
Well do you think by avoiding the accusations by Hart and Winterton that he was tap dancing? Why did he avoid to mention them? Does it mean that what they say is true?
Don’t know, and don’t give a cr*p.
Duncan Hunter is still my #1 choice for POTUS. The rest just have too many warts when compared side-by-side...
For all I know Hart and Winterton’s story could have been made up by the MSM, or the MSM could have twisted their stories to make Hunter look bad. Either way I think Hunter should have addressed this and cleared it up, especially the story about his Pastor friend. I mean wouldn’t that look bad for a pastor to make up a lie about a congressmen and have it printed in the paper?
If it was made up out of whole cloth then Hunter should have came out and said it in defense of his friend. Since he didn’t, I am lead to question Hunters honesty.
That’s nice.
So you think thats nice that Hunter could possibly be a liar?
I know you were being sarcastic, but I think it does raise questions, and I think it should be addressed.
Ping me when you find out.
As I said before, Rats, be our guest.
>to me it shows Hunters lack of honesty....<
Some people wouldn’t know honesty if it bit them in the butt! Why don’t you write a letter to the very Honorable Rep. Hunter and ask him? Oh, and be sure and report back to us, won’t you? :)
Do you know of a direct email addy I could send to him?
>Do you know of a direct email addy I could send to him?<
Try roy@gohunter08.com or breanna@gohunter08.com
Just address your message to Rep. Hunter.
Thanks, I will see what I can do.
Haven’t found out yet.
However I did find a story where Duncan Hunter and Robert Hunter (his dad) told two different stories.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20061201-9999-1n1hunter.html
Sounds like The San Diego Union Trib is softening their rhetoric a bit. LOL
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070723-9999-1m23hunter.html
I missed the two different stories part. You nabbed that one out of thin air?
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