CNA objects to Nunn’s campaign mailer
By Lisa Vorderbrueggen
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 11:38 am in 2008 June primary, Contra Costa politics.
Contra Costa supervisor candidate Erik Nunn’s latest campaign mailer has attracted the ire of the California Nurses Association.
CNA government affairs director and former Contra Costa Supervisor Donna Gerber penned a very sharply worded press release criticizing Nunn’s use of a photo that depicts Sutter Delta striking nurses with a sign (shown on the right) that says “California Nurses Association.”
“The photograph is obviously staged and manipulated to have voters believe that Mr. Nunn has the support of East County nurses,” Gerber said. “It couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
The nurses, who have endorsed incumbent Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg, also called it inappropriate for Nunn to use a picture of himself standing in front of the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center where he once worked.
Nunn was a security guard for county buildings until he was fired in 1994. Documents show that he threw water balloons at a coworker and attached a sign to the colleague’s car that read, “I’m short with a fuzzy mustache and I’m gay; honk if you think I’m sexy.” (Nunn and the county reached a settlement and Nunn has said he cannot discuss the details per the agreement.)
Okay, I can see why CNA doesn’t like the picture; the organization doesn’t support Nunn — they support Glover — and doesn’t want anyone to think otherwise.
But the complaint about the use of the picture of Nunn standing in front of the medical center appears designed solely to remind people of the incident.
Absolutely, making fun of a colleague is mean-spirited and unacceptable.
On the other hand, Nunn was 23 years old at the time. Barring evidence that he has failed to see the error of his immature and hurtful actions, it seems unfair to rule him unfit for public office for life. It’s also unclear precisely what his role was because he has not been able to tell his side of the story.
Gerber, however, calls it part of pattern of behavior that should send a sign to voters.
“It’s another example of his willingness to be deceptive,” she said. “I’ve been doing this job for CNA for six years and I’ve never seen any candidate in the state where the CNA and the nurses have had an interest in the race try to rip us off so grossly.”
The dust-up reflects an interesting schism between the CNA and other local labor unions, a group that is far from uniform on its political views.
Despite Nunn’s decision to change political parties earlier this year — Republican to Democrat — he has attracted some powerful labor support from people like Jim Kellogg, a California Fish and Game commissioner and a United Association international rep; boilermaker chief Tom Baca, AFSCME, United Professional Firefighters Local 1230; and Rany Le Moine with the Laborers Union Local 324.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
East County: Don’t Be Fooled by Nunn Mailer
CA Nurses Association Endorses Supervisor Federal Glover – NOT Candidate Erik Nunn
The California Nurses Association, representing 5,000 Registered Nurses in Contra Costa County, spoke out today about a mailer sent to voters in Supervisor District 5 by candidate Erik Nunn.
The mailer has a photograph of Nunn talking to two Sutter Delta nurses on strike holding a California Nurses Association sign, inferring that he has the support of East County nurses. (A copy of the mailer is attached.)
“The California Nurses Association is 100% behind the re-election of Supervisor Federal Glover,” said Donna Gerber, Governmental Relations Director for the California Nurses Association. “Federal is one of our strongest champions for health care for children and families and he is an ardent supporter of Registered Nurses at Sutter Delta, and other hospitals and clinics in the County.”
“The photograph is obviously staged and manipulated to have voters believe that Mr. Nunn has the support of East County nurses,” Gerber stated. “It couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
Gerber said that Erik Nunn, who just changed his party affiliation from being a lifelong Republican to Democrat last February, does not have the ideals of a candidate the nurses would support. Gerber said that in the mailer, Nunn is also standing in front of the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center where he worked. What the voters don’t know is that Erik Nunn was fired from his County job as a security guard there for harassing and humiliating a co-worker who was gay.
“The voters need to know that Erik Nunn was fired from his job as a County security guard for harassing and physically attacking a co-worker,” Gerber added.
According to an article by the Contra Costa Times on February 28, 2004, Nunn was fired from his job as a public service officer providing security for county buildings in September 1994. The documents state that Nunn threw water balloons at a coworker and attached a sign to his car that read ‘I’m short with a fuzzy mustache and I’m gay; honk if you think I’m sexy.’
“We have a serious shortage of nurses and our nurses work long hours serving sick patients,” Gerber said. “We need elected leaders who are honest and who have compassion for others – not someone like Erik Nunn who obviously doesn’t have the maturity level to solve serious problems.”
“Hands down, we support Federal Glover,” Gerber added. “He has proven leadership and cares about people.”
The California Nurses Association has distributed 4 x 8 signs throughout the 5th
Supervisorial District to let voters know that East County nurses are solidly behind Glover.
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
So the Nurses want to back Glover, a two-time convicted drunk driver, who possessed cocaine during his first arrest and lied about it during his reelection campaign in 2004? They want to compare that to Nunn’s playing a prank on a fellow county employee? Big deal. No comparison.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Glover’s going to lose. His supporters are desperate and are now trying to tear down Nunn with petty accusations and silly mailers like the one that came in the mail yesterday showing Nunn scratching his ear.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I don’t care how many years ago it was that Eric Nunn was fired for harrassing and leaving intolerant messages on the worker’s car. It is a sign of character, which does not change overnight. Not someone I’d want representing me.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Steve Marston – AKA – Albert Seeno or Sal Evola? Everyone knows that the Seeno’s are backing Erik Nunn and will spend however much money and say or do anything to get him elected – FOR THEM.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I’m a nurse and am appalled by Erik Nunn’s actions. Not to mention the fact that I just received a brochure in the mail documenting that he is pro-life, not pro-choice. Not only doesn’t he like gay co-workers, he is intolerant to women – and most of us are pro-choice. He may say he’s a democrat, but is he really?? I don’t trust him.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Cheryl, I am totally in agreement. Eric Nunn is no Democrat. Pro-choice – no, in fact, he’s a born again minister. Pro-women’s issues – the issues Democratic women care about – no, no way. Last election he ran as a conservative Republican, now he’s a Democrat? That would be like John McCain running this time as a Republican and next time as a Democrat. I agree, another sign of a lack in character somewhere.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Wow! I didn’t know he was just a guard at the hospital! The implication of the photograph was that he worked in some critical decision-making capacity… maybe as a hospital administrator, or some other executive position. After 11 years, he managed to work his way into being a guard? (No offense to current guards who are not running for political office. Your jobs are important and valuable.)
I guess we’ll hear from Nunn soon, about how he had a born-again experience and regrets what he did. Yes — as he said — he’s been preparing to answer this event for four years. Some think being born-again absolves you of all past sins. Brilliant!
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 pm
When the anti-Glover vote is distrubted, I hope it’s for Gary Agopian instead of Erik Nunn. The biggest challenge Gary will have is lack of $$$. Too bad the Seenos and Evola didn’t choose to support him instead. Erik was a poor and possibly costly choice.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:01 am
Cheryl, the co-worker wasn’t gay. And, Tom, I’m not Albert Seeno or Sal Evola, whoever that is. How did Glover get a hold of Nunn’s sealed file in 2004? What kind of character does that say Glover has with a lack of respect for the privacy of county employees? So the nurses would rather back a liar, convicted two-time drunk driver and cocaine abuser than a person who played a prank on fellow co-workers? So what if Nunn is pro-life? All nurses support abortion? I don’t think so. Don’t they swear to uphold the Hippocratic Oath – to do no harm – like doctors?
May 27th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
The truth will win
In interest of the Truth, we present the following critique of Erik Nunn’s hit “Section 8” piece against Supervisor Glover:
FLIER: “Makes thousands of dollars a month as a Section 8 landlord.
TRUTH: It is true the Federal Glover makes thousands of dollars because he is paid a salary for his work as a supervisor. It is also true he owns one Section 8 property in Oakland for which he charges rent. What’s wrong with that? None of his other properties listed in the flier, including the one pictured on School Street in Pittsburg, is part of the Section 8 program. The flier deliberately tries to pull the wool over the eyes of the voter under guilt by association: If one property is Section 8, all the rest must be too.
FLIER: “Receives over $8,123 from Contra Costa Countyh taxpayers each month.”
TRUTH: That is the monthly salary of a county supervisor who often works 60 to 75 hours a week. The flier hopes the voter will mistakenly assume this is the amount Supervisor Glover receives as a landlord.
FLIER: “Why won’t he pay his garbage bills on his Section 8 rentals?”
TRUTH: Most landlords require that tenants pay for the garbage service. If the tenant does not pay, or vacates the property without the landlord being noticed, the unpaid bill is automatically forwarded to the landlord. Glover does pay those delinquent bills when he receives them. Fact is, he has not even received the two liens in 2008 on his lone property in Oakland. When he receives the bills, he pay them as he has done in the past when his tenants fails to pay their garbage bills for whatever reason. The flier hopes the voter will think the supervisor deliberately is evading payment of his bills.
FLIER: “It pi@#* me off to sit here today and for someone to say, ‘Forgive me, I didn’t know what the code was.’”
TRUTH: That quote is accurate but it is taken completely out of context. The supervisor said that during hearings on unpermitted dwellings that were built illegally and in violation of building codes on a Delta island by well-heeled squatters who wanted exemptions for their illegal vacation homes.
FLIER: “But when Federal Glover doesn’t pay his bills, we have to.”
TRUTH: Nothing can be further from the truth. Federal Glover pays all of his bills from his own salary. Nunn believes the voters are not smart enough to see through his flier of half-truths, misrepresentations and out-and-out lies.
– THE TRUTH SQUAD