ENCINITAS — Tempers flared at a forum for City Council candidates sponsored by the Leucadia Town Council on Oct. 12. Particularly, accusations that one of the candidates, current Councilwoman Teresa Barth, was called a “whore” by one of the spectators have caused a stir.
Because the forum was videotaped, Barth can be seen asking a person in the audience, “What did you call me sir?” The person was a local dentist and Rotary member wearing a Kristin Gaspar T-shirt. At least one other Gaspar supporter, Rotary president Roger Bolus, was sitting next to the man, Dr. Fitzpatrick. The two left before the forum ended.
The fervor boiled over as some people on a local blog threatened to picket the Oct. 27 meeting of the Rotary Club. While no picketers were present, Bolus did send an e-mail warning members of the possibility and encouraged them not to engage the protesters.
His e-mail reads in part: “The reason for the possible picketing is related to events that supposedly transpired at a local city council candidate forum a few weeks ago. At that venue individuals from our club were in attendance. Accusations were made that one of these individuals made a derogatory remark to one of the candidates. The accusations (and the subsequent inflammatory rhetoric that appears on the blog) have little to no foundation.”
When contacted about the Rotary club’s involvement in supporting Gaspar and the validity of the comments in question, Bolus declined to comment except through e-mail at a date that was past the deadline of this publication.
City Council candidate Gaspar called the situation “unfortunate.”
“This is a misunderstanding that’s been taken to the next level and it’s unfortunate for the Rotary that’s done nothing but good for the community for 70 years,” she said. Gaspar is the Rotary Club’s chair for youth services and has served as district chair and president in the past.
Gaspar said she was “assaulted by Ms. Barth’s husband” who accused her supporters of calling his wife a whore. She said she told him she did not condone that type of behavior and promptly spoke to some of her supporters who were present that night.
“Dr. Fitzpatrick said ‘this seems like the Teresa Barth Show,’” she said.
Councilwoman Barth said it would be inappropriate for her to comment on the situation. “This seems like an internal Rotary matter to me,” she said.
The Rotary Club is an international organization that has had representation in Encinitas for decades. Bolus did write in an e-mail to members that he authenticated, “Rotary is an apolitical organization, and the Rotary club does not support any one candidate or political cause.”
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Don’t worry Encinitas Dude. That comment is captured on the tape and can be retrieved, and when the volume turned up, the voice will be clearly matched to the speaker with little difficulty. This is superb reporting.
And we didn’t miss them when they left directly after we heard the expletive and started to snap pictures of them!
just re-read the article. i missed the part where the slur was caught on video. or the part where anyone except the psycho candidate heard it.
perhaps you missed that day of J-school. the day they covered ‘how to report.’
Someone thinks Barth and Kranz are "scripted" and read their lines from cue cards, therefore they’ll vote Dalager??? Were they at the same forums that everyone else was at?? Dalager cannot get a coherent thought verbalized and rambles on in non-sequitars. He appears paniced at these forums, and is obviously there because he absolutely has to. He cannot commit to or articulate to anything of substance and passively muses about the good old days and praising the Lord. It is incomprehensible that this guy has been on the city council for 8 years already and might get 4 more!!! He wasn’t even smart enough to hide the bribes and kick backs that he’s taken for his council vote! Should he get in again, I must conclude that the election was rigged or people in Encinitas are brain dead.
i would guess that gaspar is backed by the ecke family and carltas development, same as dalger was. you get what you pay for, if i was barth’s husband i would have punched those fat rotarians in the face
With regard to the last poster, "anonymous," attacking Teresa Barth or whoever your target is in the comment below; your post contributes nothing to the discussion. It does not even rise to the level of an opinion since it is clearly an emotional personal attack with no rational or details supporting why you feel as you do.
In the thread below, we have established that what Wetahnah Tucker reported is true. She also must have heard the verbal assault on Teresa Barth because I saw Ms. Tucker in the meeting, and she is a good enough reporter to never report something that she has not seen personally or to make claims that would put her personally or her company at risk of a lawsuit!
Thank you for writing this story Coast News and for highlighting the high level of bullying and illegal activity that has taken place in this election by Gaspar supporters, Ms. Gaspar in her libelous statements concerning Don Barth, and by the poster ‘anonymous’ below!
Considering the behaviors demonstrated, one would think that it is Wahtahna Tucker who boasts about her prestigious journalism degree! No, she just has integrity, a good work ethic and moral judgment. Those things are not teachable–even at "the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Broadcast Journalism at ASU."
Good God, would someone either put this woman out to pasture (out of office) or at the very least give her some WD40?
She squeaks when she moved either her mouth or her head.
People are frustrated by Gaspar’s campaign because her lack of substance at these forums. If Gaspar were some powerhouse with facts at her fingertips, and solutions to policy issues that would be one thing, but she has nothing to offer but platitudes. Her one statistic she stated as the compelling reason for urgency in building a sports park she got wrong–by more than double. All the money that’s been poured into her campaign and funneled through a company out of Burbank should be a red flag to anyone paying attention. The fact that she has not attended any of the city council meetings, while Tony Kranz has attended every single one also frustrates a lot people.
I attended the forum in question. One of the men from the Rotary wearing a Gaspar t-shirt yelled out "Whore" to Teresa Barth. It’s on video. Now Gaspar’s claiming Mr. Barth "assaulted" her accusing her supporters of calling his wife a whore? Perhaps the Communications Major from Arizona State is confusing the word "confront" with "assault." "Assault" means a physical attack, that’s a very different thing from being confronted.
Kristin Gaspar has shown no aptitude for the job of council member, she’s clearly a figurehead for people who wish to buy an election.
Thank you Coast News for putting this out there. This incident and the many others examples of mud slinging and character assignation, lies, misleading slate mailers and phony-tony posts and videos only goes to the character of candidates Gaspar and Dalager.They are either unwilling or unable to call in their attack dogs. This ugly campaign is beyond belief and needs to be exposed in the largest format possible. I go to the city council meeting and can hardly look at Dan Dalager without thinking that this man condones this behavior. I would feel the same about Kristin Gaspar if she actually showed up at the meetings once in a while. Don’t let these school yard bullies get their way. It is all about power in the City Council and it is time for a change in the power structure.
Gaspar has no class, and her associates have no class. They act like idiots and bullies.
Gaspar was graded F by the http://www.encinitastaxpayers.org Dalager got a D. Gaspar is backed by big pensions, Dalager took a 100K loan from developers and then voted for developers interests.
Gaspar/Dalger are bad for encinitas. They have proven they will put self interest and special interest before public interest. A review of the their donations shows big out of town devlopers are backing them-
Barth and Kranz got scores of A- and B and were graded best choice by the http://www.encinitastaxpayers.org Barth and Kranz are supported by local residents not out of towners. Barth adn Kranz will put public interests before special interets. Please consider voting for Barth and Kranz- TNT Trust and Transparency
Kristin,
You obviously are intelligent and articulate. I wish that you would use these opportunities to share your political views, which up until now, you have still refused to disclose beyond your support of the Hall Property, and your rehashing of Teresa Barth’s original presentation about coastal wayside horns.
I don’t find The Encinitas Patch, or Council Forums, to be a suitable venue to highlight a penchant for playing Barbie dress up with your cat and some of your male Rotary member supporters.
Your presentation of yourself as a victim reminds me of some young people who have gotten lots of tattoos or facial piercings, who then complain when strangers stare at them. When your pink-shirted Gaspar supporter committed verbal assault by yelling out a derogatory word at Teresa Barth as she was speaking in the last Forum, you responded in the Coast News by claiming that Ms. Barth’s husband had “assaulted you” when he confronted you with the behavior of your friend and fellow Rotarian.
Please consider the context of your remarks and the messages that seem to tell voters that you are frivolous and unaware of the actual political issues that voters are steadfastly focused upon.
We are insulted and put off by your slate mailers that among other things, invite voters to legalize pot, at the same time that you are promoting yourself as a caring mother and community advocate for the youth.
As much as everyone in this town loves animals and respects the meritorious work of the Rotary Club, we would rather know your views on issues than hear about Sparky the Dogcat and her wardrobe, or be distracted by the behavior of a handful of your clownish supporters from Rotary.
I find this paper to be more bias then the pay for mailers that consume my mail box.
Why can’t we just focus on the issues and not about allegations and potty mouth comments.
People just need to be more informed about whats really matter. I like our city and the services they provide. Therefore, I will be voting for the Dalager and Gaspar.
Kristen,
The word is confronted, not assaulted. Did you suffer injuery? did you call the police?
The fact that you say Teresa’s husband assulted you and the quote was attributted to you and published in a newspaper of record is greatly defamatory to Mr. Barths person and reputation.
An apology is due and I think Mr. Barth would be a gentleman and accept it.
If not, he would be within his rights to sue you for deformation.
You are not allowed to publicly accuse an individual as assult when no assault happened.
It’s a classic case of defaming an individual.
I does provide insight into your character.
Mr. Bolus states, "The accusations (and the subsequent inflammatory rhetoric that appears on the blog) have little to no foundation.”
Well, that is not true. I was there and I heard the comment, too.
Here is the ‘alleged’ recording. This occured after these Rotary members moved chairs from the back of the room to position their attacks in front of Mrs. Barth
http://www.theleucadiablog.com/2010/10/rotary-warriors.html
I support the Rotary efforts in our community. Get rid on the bad apples on the tape, and continue your noble contributions to our city.
This has been the ugliest campaign season.
The reality is that the Dalager/Gaspar political machine and their supporters have offered lies, deceit, personal attacks, ignored the issues and do not deserve our respect or votes.
Barth and Krantz have offered truth and transparency in this campaign and will offer that to our community when elected.
VOTE
Agree with you completely that Kristin Gaspar made up a story that Ms. Barth’s husband would "assault Ms. Gaspar." Even though Gaspar PT has been sued more than once, she does not seem to understand the legal definition of "assault."
I find anyone who pays for slate mailers that have her picture in the company of her politican opposites like Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer–as well as an invitation for recipients of her mailer to vote in favor of Prop. 19 to legalize pot, appears to be confused.
No wonder there is voter apathy, not only in this community but the nation. We’re sick of hearing a bunch of babbling complainers. Either get some class or shut up, candidates and their followers as well.
teresa barth’s greatest hits — on video. not made up like this crazy desperate story.
http://youtu.be/6iQOCa3YzZg
To "I Was There Too,
Since this was not only witnessed by many other people besides me, and was actually captured live on video, I think that we should defer to the tape and the overwhelming number of people sitting close, who also heard the comment.
Furthermore, I seriously doubt that there is an "undecided voter" in this town. By now, there is such an overwhelming antipathy directed towards Dalager and Gaspar with their developer backing and unethical ads that I seriously doubt that anyone who reads this paper could have a very favorable view of these candidates — unless they were among those paying for the ads.
Notice that as usual, Ms. Barth has shown professionalism and restraint by not commenting on the situation, yet Ms. Gaspar is claiming to have "been assaulted" by Teresa Barth’s husband when he confronted her with the behavior of her backers, who seemingly, Kristin dressed to match her preschool–aged–daughter.
For one who claims to have expertise in the media business, I don’t understand what message Ms. Gaspar is trying to communicate about herself and her platform by having some of her middle-aged Rotarian bretheren conduct the "Pretty in Pink" campaign, only for one of them to yell a potty-mouth expletive at Teresa Barth while she was answering a question. The pair was seen leaving the event directly after the camera took their picture, and some in the audience claimed to have seen one of them take his shirt off on the way out.
For their small numbers, they were highly distracting and made people uncomfortable in trying to understand what their fashion choices and disruptive behavior was meant to tell us about Kristin Gaspar, and why people like this are supporting her.
I too was there and heard nothing. THis just seems like another political stunt during the silly season to discredit someones supporters. Let’s stick to the issues that really matter to Encinitas and stop all these political bickering. Frankly, I may have been the one undecided voter in the audience that night and I was only impressed by Dan Dalager. He was totally unsophisticated, but this actually came across as being sincere. Teresa Barth and Tony Kranz were totally scripted with cue cards and all they kept flipping through and I am undecided about Kristin Gaspar. From what I know today, I’d vote for Dalager and probably Gaspar.
There were over 100 people in the audience, and I was sitting behind these 2 Gaspar supporters who shouted at Teresa. On the video, you can also hear people gasp and see Teresa responding to him. He and his friend left right away when they realized that there were so many witnesses who could identify him and could coraborate what he had said.
If he had planned to do this, he should have thought about not wearing a Gaspar shirt and putting the entire local chapter at risk of losing their status as a tex-exempt organization.
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