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.”
Hey, speaking Fred, has he made any statements yet regarding his CFR membership and his view of globalism? Particularly as it relates to the North American Union?
I’m waiting. I sent them an email a few weeks ago on their contact site, but got no response. I’d like to support him, but the silence has been deafening.
Dad said house was sound, Duncan said house needed to be bulldozed.
Hot off the press story about this today. maybe I should post this.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070723-9999-1m23hunter.html
I won’t mistake you for quick draw mcGraw. LOL
FWIW, you misrepresented what the article said. But I’ll let you figure out why. LOL
He believes in a global market. He talked about it in a speech.
I dissagree with him for the most part there as well.
Ha, damn I did read it wrong. my bad.
That’s OK. I’ve made a couple mistakes about other candidates and had to correct myself (after it was pointed out). If we aren’t all willing to do that, we’re in trouble. There’s plenty of loose meat on each guy for opponents to chew on.
Did you notice how the newspaper that is running this story has less and less to run on after each publication? I find that a GOOD thing!
Yes, I’ve followed the story going back to the original articles on it.
Okay, thanks for the info.
I guess I’m not a Thompson supporter for good now.
FWIW.
Here is the speech I am talking about start watching at 1:50.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhJ5dy_MTxY
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