Chris Essel: Fake CD2 Home, Fake CD2 Voters, Fake Candidate
I'm Not an Essel Voter But I Play One On TV Chris Essel worked for thirty years in the film business and using that experience has sent out a campaign mailer that is a Hollywood production in its own right. Each of the four supporters featured in the piece are not only not voters in CD2 but some of them are not even US citizens according to a records search. We haven't seen such a brilliant charade of a campaign mailer since Laurette Healey sent out a piece featuring photos of her campaign staff portraying medical patients, doctors, parents posing with Healey.
The first testimonial comes from Anthony Wemyss (who's name is misspelled as "Wymess" on the flier), an actor. His imdb page here: http://www.imdb.com/name/
Another, Cheryl Thomas, is featured in a 2007 newsletter from the Central City Association of L.A. (which Essel chaired at the time) as an employee of Paramount Pictures (on page 7):
http://ccala.org/downloads/1_
The piece is pretty amazing but coming from a candidate who doesn't know her address in CD2 nor can even name a single public school in CD2 its not suprising Essel can't even identify actual CD2 voters.
Labels: cd2 special election, Chris Essel
Posted by Michael Higby @ 8/31/2009 03:30:00 AM
82 Comments:
Clearly higby is jealous of Essel's wealth.
Mike, can't you keep your white trash origins to yourself for a single post?
ONce again Mayor Sam acts like a bully on a school yard, except this time, the victim of the bullying is wealthy.
I would vote for the very first candidate who promises to reign in the Latinos from trashing the park in my neighborhood every weekend.
This morning there is Silly String and pinata remnants all over the place.
This vermin managed to pick up all of the candy, but not their trash. YES I called them vermin because that's what they behave like. VERMIN. I would say it about ANY group that comes to a place that is as clean as can be thanks to the city workers, and leaves it looking torn up and thrashed.
Whoever promises to do something about it has my vote. Even the zuma dogg.
That's lousy spin even for Shallman. Higby White Trash? Clever!
That mailer is pure Shallman. Short on truth long on bullshit and completely desperate.
Good for you Michael giving information to people who otherwise wouldn't know the truth. Thanks to the power of the internet. Sadly, when I look back at all the elections people now say if they really knew the truth about Antonio they wouldn't have voted for his sorry ass. The grass root candidates should hold a press conf. and call Essel out. She's already proving to be just as sneaky and corrupt as the incompetent fools we already have on council.
Shallman, actually doing some work for his client to justify his exhorbitant fees?
Nah, I don't believe it.
Let's see. Higby is jealous of Essel's wealth & lifestyle. Then someone posts a comment about Shallman's hefty fees. Undoubtedly posted by Higby too. You can read Higby like a book on some days. Even when he posts anonymously on his own blog.
Amazing! Didn't Essel get the memo? Antonio Villaraigosa-style bullshitting the voters will not play well in CD2.
P.S. Check out the spasm of vitriol from Essel's campaign manager at 7:08, 7:09 & 7:12. At 7:15 he probably passed out cold.
I would vote for the first candidate to get higby to move out of my neighborhood.
9:19 & 9:23 = Uh oh, Shallman woke up! Hide the women and children!
ha ha lol!
Higby I wouldn't vote for you even if you promised to get the vermin to not trash the parks. That's because you have no initiative in life and you backed a homeless man to be mayor. It proves your judgement is horrendous.
Mayor Sam really has it in for Shallman.
This string is hilarious. Higby started out attacking Chris Essel, but it looks like it's backfiring on him! Thanks for starting my week on a funny note.
Higby can say what he wants to say about Kevin Roderick, but at least Kevin is respected by his readers.
What is with all of the sloppy links here this morning Mike?
Bravo, Michael Higby!
Looks like Mayor Sam has once again scooped the mainstream media... probably because they are too lazy or don't have the staff to do some real investigative work.
I bet it took you all of 20 minutes to search and find out these peoples true identities. What may be even more hilarious is if they are already included in Essels TV spots - which may already have been filmed, edited, and are scheduled to air.
I'm sure the mainstream media will now pick up on this story and run with it.
To review...
Christine "Valley Girl" Essel...
Takes almost all her money from people who don't live in CD 2.
"Valley Girl" Essel, claims to live in the Valley, yet her husband, and her dog, live in the Sunset/Doheny Estates.
Can't name a public school in CD 2.
Couldn't remember her Valley address while signing Frank Sheftels nominating petition.
and now... "Valley Girl" Essel uses non-Valley people to portray Valley voters in her media campaign.
OK..I think we get the picture.
Essel is not the choice.
9:22
Nice call, the desperate comments are from the Essel staffer.
What does Wendy have to say about this? We know Essel does not have 4 supporters in CD2, but Wendy surely does.
How pissed off must she be.
Higby 1 Shallman 0
Higby is the messenger. Don't kill the messenger. He's doing honest reporting and it's important this information be known. Jealous of her wealth? White trash origins? Obvious Essel campaigners. Better keep your day jobs.
Here's the point: her campaign flyer with those declaring "Christine Essel: an independent leader fighting for our valley" is a joke. None are CD2voters, and as pointed out Wymss is an Australian citizen. It's pretty telling when Essel can't dig up even 4 stakeholders in CD2 who support her.
And what has Essel done to fight for our valley? Support SB1818 which is an assault on our neighborhoods, fight against a moratorium on condo conversions, and promote that Neighborhood Councils be required to submit financial disclosure forms before creating a council file. She also promoted out of state film production. This doesn't sound like a friend to anyone but the developers and the Mayor's buddies which includes Essel.
If there's one thing voters are sick of, ESPECIALLY CD-2 VOTERS, it's this kind of slick, glossy bullshit.
Australia?! How can Essel present herself as an outsider with a straight face? She must be a better actor that her fake supporters!
This proves Essel would be more of the same. Sleazy City Hall business as usual. That's Christine Essel.
What a bunch of idiots.
People get paid to run campaigns this badly? I am in the wrong line of work.
They have all the money in the world and have had their sweet behinds handed to them.
Why haven't they paid four people to endorse her? It is not illegal.
It would be a perfect solution for a campaign with money but no supporters.
Come to think of it, maybe that is how they got Wendy.
Look at all the attacks on Higby, notice none of them addresses the issue. Higby nailed the Essel camp hard, and they won't even try to defend the indefensible. Watch for this to make waves at the next candidate forum!
Shallman is a laughable buffoon. Don't get any success confused with his own ability. He touts that he got Cooley re-elected. Wow! Some challenge. He got Wendy elected controller. WOW, she beat two unknowns including a guy no one could understand when he spoke and some wacky grassroots un-known. He worked for Nuch, but Nuch was running against the most unpopular candidate in political history (Weiss) and Nuch won despite Shallman's bad advice.
Luckily Shallman has his new $3 million dollar home and he'll take Essel's money. Shallman is kinda the same thing as a hooker. Take the money, screw the client, then run out the door. But hookers always end up getting bitch slapped around by their masters.
What a sorry excuse of a candidate and a campaign.
It's the message, not the messenger that's important. Posters on this blog will see it as THE issue.
Simple solution: Essel calls a press conference to support herself against the claims on this endorsement array and be done with it, or suffer the criticism as accurately made.
People who want to get elected should be able to show the voting public that they are aware of the issues in the district they serve and know the needs of its residents.
Essel gets the Razzy on this one.
Two thumbs up Michael!
You people are WAY off base on this one. Think beyond the stupid mailer for a second. At the end of the day your choice is between a successful, self-made businesswoman (Chris Essel) and yet ANOTHER low life career politician (Paul Krekorian). No-brainer I'm choosing Essel.
11:58
Essel staff.
Self-made? More like AV made.
Get used to saying Councilwoman Essel. Better yet, start practicing now.
Oh, and Zuma finishes dead last. . . Remember, you read it here first.
Where is the LA Times on this?
Sorry ass out of work executive, ripped of by Shallman, moving back to the Hollywood Hills Essel is what we will saying in a few weeks.
Or maybe she will get hired by "empty suit" Wendy as a receptionist, they have been friends for 20 years after all.
Dear Mr. Higby: please tell Phil we'll take him seriously again when he stops macking on Tamar Galatzan. Signed: the concerned citizens of CD-2.
Has Essel put out an official response to this?
Or is their only response attacking Higby for breaking the story?
11:58
I am voting for Tamar, but Krekorian is any thing but a "low-life".
Personal attacks on people will not get your boss Essel to many votes in this race.
I guess Shallman does not run a very tight operation if all the Essel staffers are blogging all day.
Get used to saying Councilwomen Tamar, how is that? keep saying it until you get used to it.
12:03, I don't think so. Everyone knows Essel's a front for Villaraigosa who's so unpopular he had to get a couple of guys from out of town to head his staff, anyone who's been associated with him for years is too tarred with his brush. That was Weiss's problem, everyone assumed he was pushing things about development for Antonio and he didn't try to hide his association with him.
Essel hasn't said a word about her support from and for Antonio but it doesn't matter. She's being seen as his surrogate anyway and she'll go down.
They're hoping for a tv campaign last-minute boost but the core of voters is very small and won't be fooled. They know it so are hitting hard on Galatzan "ethics issues," all they have to pin their hopes on. But Galatazan does a lot better at forums and in person, where Essel just shows how she has no connection to CD2. So again, watch Shallman send out his plants to attack Tamar. They're holding off on Paul until after the primary, assuming they can knock off Tamar. Bad assumption.
And Krekorian would be better in what way?
Surprise Surprise, Essel demonstrates once again she does not have CD 2 community support.
Are all you people pumping Zuma's ego for this race going support him with food, shelter & gas money when he loses?
1:43 PM = The Wacko Loon.
This is a non story.
No one I talked to in CD2 cares about crap like this.
I will tell you what is going to be the real story.
According to Essel's staff, Maeve Reston is working on a story which will expose Hacopian's ownership of this site.
They have the proofs that Higby and Jennerjahn have been on Hacopian's payroll for the past six months.
Once that story comes out, both this blog and the CD2 race are pretty much over.
10:40: "Nuch won despite Shallman's bad advice?"
Not a chance and you know it - Nuch all bust kissed Shallman's feet thanking him for the win day after at SOHA and everywhere else.
Now that Shallman's working for Essel the mayor's girl, you want to distance yourself from Shallman and claim he screws the client? A slime ball nobody like Nuch could only have gotten in with the help of a no-morals soulmate to him like Shallman. Typical Trutanuch move: use people, get them to whore themselves to their lowest in service of his slimy campaign, then throw them under the bus. (Just ask Zuma Dogg and countless other bodies.)
Essel's problem is, she's NOT slimy enough to be a Shallman client, she's more of a deer caught in the headlights.
2:06 PM = The other Wacko Loon
I have to laugh. I've gone from when I was accused of being Shallman (when I was an anonyblogger) to being in cahoots with Shallman to get Nuch elected to know unfairly attacking John.
I have no issue with John, he's always been supportive. In this case I don't support his candidate but that's going to happen. Next time I probably will.
Heck I'm not supporting Zuma for City Council this time and he and I hang out and party together.
If you take this shit personal then you got issues.
Come on, folks. This is nothing new. Using actors and models for campaign literature/commercials is the way its been done. You don't remember how firefighters were upset about a whole crew of actors/models dressed in firefighters gear represented them in something a lot of them weren't backing?
This is just another whoop-de-do for the sake of making a whoop-de-do.
This is a non story.
No one I talked to in CD2 cares about crap like this.
I will tell you what is going to be the real story.
According to Essel's staff, Maeve Reston is working on a story which will expose Hacopian's ownership of this site.
They have the proofs that Higby and Jennerjahn have been on Hacopian's payroll for the past six months.
Once that story comes out, both this blog and the CD2 race are pretty much over.
Wow! I didn't know that!
Hacopian, I haven't seen a dime from you! Where's my check?
Phil, did you get a check?
Maybe we need to ask the Essel campaign why they would say that.
:)
Michael, LOL!
Dear Christine,
This is beyond embarrassing.
All of this is showing you would be a poor councilperson. The judgment is flawed, whether it is yours (or worse from your advisers).
If you are in fact planning TV spots, please halt them Immediately!!
Do not spend one more penny!!
I think it is time for you to acknowledge you are not educated enough or anywhere close to ready for this position. The people of this community deserve more. If you really want to help the community, it is time for you to drop out of the race, and stop wasting people's time and attention on anything other than the issues.
You seem like a nice, but misguided lady.
Please do the correct thing.
Regards,
The residents of CD2
Essel supporters can't get posts by fake mayor Higby who is censoring anythng that critcizes him fairly.
2:31
Best proof of why Essel is going to lose.
What does any of your nutty story have to do with not finding 4 people from the district who support you?
VERY interesting though that the Essel campaign that is Shallman, would feel that it's Maeve Reston's name they can drop as working on a story to "expose" Hacopian, and the others.
Confirms the way too cozy relationship they developed with Reston and Zahniser, using them as their paid (?) PR operatives to do hits and ignore his client's past.
I may not believe these two are being paid, but maybe figure that if they're laid off like many others, they'll have a job working for the City Attorney or DA's offices as PR hacks, or for some friend of theirs?
3:14
I guess you don't get the point.
if you cant put together four supporters for a photo shoot, then you have no business running for office.
You are all fired, effective immediately.
(Signed)
Eric Hacopian
I just noticed that the image posted is not a scan, but a proof. The kind that is emailed backed to the campaign for final approval before this kind of stuff is printed.
How can a outsider get a proof like this? This piece may not have been mailed out yet, meaning Essel has a chance to correct this.
Nickolas,
It HAS been mailed, I live in CD 2 and received it as a part of the mailer barrage last week.
This is just another cheap trick by Essel's campaign, CD 2 voters should not stand for it.
It seems every CD-2 candidate has a Wacko Loon.... except for the one who IS his own Wacko Loon. Good thing the law allows candidates to vote for themselves.
Essel: Dead women walking.
This is a bush league mistake, how hard is it to verify where voters live?
They are going to end up being crushed.
Hey Michael!
So many recent posts indicating that people don't know who you are and have no idea of this blog's history. Very cool, as it's getting good participation.
Maybe someone will try to out Higby soon, and uncover his REAL identity. It's hilarious.
You're fired as well, Zanhiser. Take your paper and go.
(Signed)
Eric Hacopian
Essel really ought to be ashamed of this of this phony baloney mailer. Its just ugly on so many levels.
Zahniser, you were working for Hacopian, too? You double-timer! And I thought you were just working for me. Well, at least we still have Maeve Reston. She's coming out with that story proving that Higby works for Hacopian.
You're fired, effective immediately,
John Shallman
I wish I knew all these people that I'm supposedly working for and that are supposedly paying me to blog. Sure would make my life a lot easier.
Louie perhaps soon they'll discover who Chief Parker and Mayor Frank are!
Essel's people have no one to blame than Shallman, instead they are blaming Phil and Mike.
Not to mention Councilman John, lol.
Tamar's horrible mailer still wins for being AWFUL!!!
NEWS FLASH, people of other ethnicities and countries live in the district! What, do you say they don't count now? Are we back to the 1800s with the 2/3 voting...seriously, now.
That mailer looks phony on it's face. Do you think people buy corny stuff like that? So contrived. Maybe suckers fall for that stuff. I think they could have made better use of the space.
Dammit, Shallman, you're fired as well.
Eric Hacopian
None of the people shown on the flier are CD2 residents and just shows her true two-face nature. Christine Essel is a big CRA supporter and is typical of those who support government subsidies for the rich. She will represent wealthy developer and corporate interests which should be in line with Republican ideals, but not Libertarians or true progressives.
Whatever we do, the activist community from Measure B need to send out alerts to their lists of e-mails regarding Essel. We cannot have this SB 1818 filth polluting the Council. Link her to Antonio and watch her support drop. Let's get out the word all over town and the buzz will hit CD2 voters as well as voters in all other districts. This is an opportunity to further weaken the Mayor before the recall campaign starts on him.
Who says that Australians can't live in the district! I was traveling on the red line yesterday and heard 7 different languages. Shame shame to say people who aren't from this country don't live in the district!
How did Higby get a proof? Is there an Essel leak? That's what I want to know.
The person supporting Essel who keeps saying people of other countries have an equal right to offer an opinion on Essel's qualification as CD2 councilwoman is a total idiot. NO foreigners "don't count" when it comes to voting, whether it's Australians or Mexicans.
In a district election even citizens of other districts don't "count" AS MUCH, though anyone who's known a candidate from L A activism or civic groups DOES have a valid reference to give. Sure Australians can pipe in, but anyone who features them in a mailer to convince local voters is just stupid. In fact, someone who's a "name" and thinks they have more influence than locals just because they're "famous" is insulting the local citizens.
click click click click click click
Has anyone considered that the Australian gentleman may have duel-citizenship? Most commenwealth citizens here have two citizenships... US and home country... that makes them a legal voters. For idstrict that is rather an odd patchwork, arriagnment ... in 2010, the district is sure to move and change again... Calling any of the candidates carpet baggers when they have lived in the valley or Burbank for their entire life is a foolish claim... I would say it sticks with Texan Dick Cheney jumping to Wyoming... or elder Bush claiming he was a Texan... but all of our candidates for CD grew up and live in the Valley and are aware of LA issues.
The commentator is fankly petty and grasping at straws...
What a bunch of numnuts.
This is one of my favorites:
Has anyone considered that the Australian gentleman may have duel-citizenship? Most commenwealth citizens here have two citizenships... US and home country... that makes them a legal voters. For idstrict that is rather an odd patchwork, arriagnment ... in 2010, the district is sure to move and change again...
Huh?
All this feedback and no real voting people? So sad! This looks like a battle of the staffers...
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