If you went to the website www.CityOfCrystal.us, where would you expect to go? The city’s official website? Me too. So would most reasonable people.
But we’d be wrong.
That website address gets you to the campaign site (such as it is) of incumbent DFL Crystal Mayor ReNae Bowman.
I think that most people would agree that this is a dishonest and deceitful campaign practice- to tie your campaign to an official sounding website address.
And we have some indication that Bowman herself, or at least some of her supporters, agree.
Here is a photo, taken on September 3, of a Bowman for Mayor yard sign located at Hampshire Ave and around 40th Ave N. Note the website address, clearly visible.
Here is another, also taken on September 3, at around 43rd Ave N and Douglas Drive. Note the duct tape covering up the deceptive website address.
So what’s going on here? Why is the website address covered up on some signs and not on the others? Clearly, someone knows that the use of that address is wrong. The question is, who?
Sadly, this type of deception is what we’ve come to expect from Bowman.
Fortunately, Crystal residents have a viable alternative this year in Jim Adams. More to come.
Update (9/5/12): Hmmm, and now the sign at Hampshire and 40th (the one with the visible address) is gone. Interesting.
