Brand is putting some distance with Swearengin
Brand sees things in the same light as Brandau.
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“The broader issues are transparency and accountability in government,” Brand told me.
At the same time, Brand has a slightly different way of delivering his thoughts.
Brandau is up for reelection next year, but he need worry only about his District 2 seat in northwest Fresno. Brand, on the other hand, is running for mayor even as we speak. He needs to get the upper hand on messaging to the diverse Fresno electorate.
“I’m going to my constituents and saying we don’t have the money to fix your sidewalk or pave your street,” Brand said. “But the city manager got a $100,000 bonus?”
That’s the comment of a candidate who sees the value in distancing himself from Ashley Swearengin.
The point is that these payoffs have been “dark money,” dark taxpayers’ money lavished on favorites furtively, well out of taxpayers’ eyes and knowledge. AKA personal slush fund
Make that “out of taxpayers’ vision.”