Vicki Williams is the campaign manager for John Redding's run for the Fifth District Supervisor's seat held by Ted Williams. On April 6th, Vicki Williams posted this on her Facebook page: “Did you know that the Board of Supervisors not only allocated money for climate change 2 million but another 2 million to Adventist health when they're RICH AS F$$C? 4 million dollars that could've changed our lives wasted. Ted Williams You need to go!”
The next morning Supervisor Williams responded, “Vicki, with the credibility of the Redding campaign on the line, please provide proof that the Board of Supervisors allocated $2M county general fund to Adventist Health.”
About three hours later, Vicki Williams shot back, “Ted! Were you not at the meeting that I posted a clip of? If anything's on the line it's your reputation[.] I'll be happy to provide the video on instant message. I have published it several times you were sitting right there when the caller called in and you know that it was allocated.”
Ted Williams: “Vicki, meeting date and item number where a board motion approved $2M general fund to Adventist Health?”
Vicki Williams (no relation): John Redding Will you please answer Ted's question publicly since you are the treasurer of the hospital board.”
Though John Redding uses the same language, “treasurer of the hospital board,” at times, he has been treasurer of the Mendocino Coast Health Care District Board (MCHCD) for approximately three years (plus), with time off every year or so when he is dissatisfied with the outcomes in the annual election of MCHCD Board officers.
Apparently, John Redding was not quite at the ready, so Vicki Williams continued, “AVA says you allocated almost 46 million to Cal Fire on consent calendar? You avoided the ten [AVA?] questions and still are? This is not looking good we're at almost $50 million worth of unbelievable irresponsible spending.”
Ted Williams: “Vicki, not accurate. Prove it. Show us $50M of spending.”
Seemingly not one concerned with her original accusation, Vicki Williams switches gears: “Why don't you answer the AVA questions if you don't have anything to hide Ted!?”
Pretty close to classic political propaganda. Insinuate that the opponent has something to hide.
Supervisor Williams sticks to the figures Vicki Williams has raised: “Vicki, show us the $50M of funding votes, including the $2M general fund allocation to Adventist Health. It's my impression Redding's campaign is sharing fiction. This is your opportunity to prove your case. Otherwise, the Redding-Vicki campaign deserves publication in http://theonion.com.”
Ted Williams addresses his opponent directly a few minutes later: “John, show us the $50M of cited spending and the $2M county general fund to Adventist Health?”
At some point in the thread, Redding realizes that the Cal Fire expenditure is $4.2 million over several years, not $46 million. Redding states, “As expected, the Supervisors blindly approved the retroactive $4.2 million five-year Calfire dispatch contract on the consent calendar without a word of discussion about savings that might result from the dispatch consolidation they committed to a couple of years ago, or the amount of the contract or the reason it's nine months late. Seems your campaign might be lacking some credibility.”
Supervisor Williams will not be diverted. He sticks to the question: “John, show us the $50M of cited spending and the $2M county general fund to Adventist Health?”
Supervisor Williams continues to ask for proof from Vicki Williams about her original spending claims. Redding asserts that the President of Adventist Health Mendocino Coast gave a presentation to the MCHCD Board about the Blue Zones project and received $2 million. His words: “The president of the Adventist hospital in Fort Bragg gave a report to my Board (~ 1 year ago?) that the Blue Zone Project received a grant from from the County of Mendocino in the amount of $2million.”
Ted Williams responds: “Blue zone presentation never went to BOS. Adventist Health will not back your claim. Total fiction. Prove me wrong.”
Supervisor Williams adds, “John, we have not approved $46M. You've got to do some basic research. I won't dispute every single claim [you make], but you have a long series of misinformation flowing. It's embarrassing.”
John Redding tries to divert into other topics. At some point after the supervisor challenges Redding to cite a BOS meeting date where the original expenditure allegations were approved, Vicki Williams interjects, “Ted Williams lying.”
The back and forth goes on a bit with Supervisor Williams sticking to a prove your original claims point of view. Here is where you might want to rest your credibility judgment. If one examines Vicki Williams Facebook page where this interchange took place, the thread stops with Ted Williams stating, “John Redding Your claim of $2M for AH [Adventist Health], Hospital, Blue Zones, anything similar, is not true. Show me the meeting where we approved such an expenditure or retract the misinformation.”
Then Vicki Williams: “Facts!!!”
That is what someone looking at the post would be left with as soon as two hours afterward. However, the conversation did in fact go on.
John Redding: “I will stand corrected on the Blue Zone information. Several of my Board colleagues [he does not name any] recall Judy Leach making that statement at our Board meeting. However, she just now emailed me, thanks to your quick work, that AH did not receive a grant. I apologize for the error.”
Never one to let a straightforward apology stand, Redding adds a bit later, “And a footnote for those following this thread – Judy Leach of AH [President of Adventist Health Mendocino Coast] did write ‘let me be very clear that to date there has not been any financial transactions between our organizations regarding this project [Blue Zones].’ What does ‘to date’ imply?”
Ted Williams clarifies: “John, it means the county has not paid AH or Blue Zones. Anyone watching county meetings would also know there has not been discussion of this topic.”
* * *
A few hours later Vicki Williams did offer this up on her Facebook page: “Thanks Ted for exposing that you guys did not allocate 2 million to the hospital. Great work! Now about the 10 unanswered questions? When I'm wrong I say I'm wrong!”
And so it goes in just a matter of one night and the following morning of Mendocino County's Fifth District.
Be First to Comment