Sunnyvale council hopefuls battle over web domains

Courtesy Sunnyvale Sun, By Alia Wilson:   08/28/2013

A Sunnyvale councilman’s unique tactic for generating web traffic to his re-election campaign is not sitting well with his opponent.

Councilman Jim Griffith is running against Tap Merrick for Seat 3 on the city council, and Griffith was quick to pounce on his opponent’s unclaimed web addresses. Griffith scooped up alternate versions of “tapmerrickforsunnyvale” web addresses to redirect traffic to his personal re-election website.

Click here for the full Mercury News article.

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Sunnyvale Councilmember Jim Griffith Conduct in Question

Sunnyvale Vice Mayor and Candidate Jim Griffith has yet to respond to the allegations that he hijacked the identity and registered .com and .net of his opponent’s  campaign domain name.

Using these web domains Jim Griffith then built fictitious websites to falsely represent Councilmember Candidate Tap Merrick in a malicious manner.

Apparently Jim Griffith, in the past and as well now, has been linked to and is familiar with posting fictitious online content as Tim Risch points out: 

Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Jim Griffith accused of identify theft

After learning that Sunnyvale Councilmember and Vice Mayor Jim Griffith may be formally charged with committing a crime of identify theft, outraged Sunnyvale residents are calling Griffith a disgraceful politician and have recommended voting him out of office.

Candidate Tap Merrick approached the Sunnyvale City Council on Aug 13, protesting the unethical identity theft of his name and campaign administered and paid for by Councilmember and Vice Mayor Jim Griffith.

Sunnyvale Councilmember MOYLAN’S VOTES BENEFIT HIS POLITICAL DONORS

CHRIS MOYLAN’S VOTES BENEFIT HIS POLITICAL DONORS.

When the majority on Sunnyvale’s City Council voted to make an added $1,517,500.00 payment to the city’s garbage company, Councilmember Chris Moylan was an enthusiastic supporter. It turns out, Moylan took money from the garbage company.

Before Moylan cast his vote supporting the additional payment of city money to his garbage company donor, he had also voted to approve an unusual development agreement, with the city’s downtown developer.

Turns out Moylan also took money from the developer. The unusual development agreement allowed Moylan’s donor/ the developer/ to avoid the standard requirement of purchasing and posting an overall performance bond. Such a bond is a guarantee from a third-party (usually a bank or an insurance company) that money needed to complete a specified project will be paid if the contractor fails to fully perform. 

Spitaleri solicited money from Sunnyvale’s downtown developer

Tony Spitaleri, mayor of Sunnyvale, California, solicited and received money from the real estate developer that negotiated an agreement to build a 30+ acre project in the city’s downtown.

Anthony Spitaleri and Downtown Sunnyvale Developer

Spitaleri voted to approve an unusual development agreement, in which the developer/Spitaleri’s donor was excused from the standard requirement of purchasing and posting an overall performance bond. [Such a bond is a guarantee from a third-party (usually a bank or an insurance company) that money needed to complete a specified project will be paid if the contractor fails to fully perform.]  

½ Sunnyvale Garbage Rate Increase goes to Political Donor

Sunnyvale city council is plagued with self-serving, high-spending members, who have a history of asking companies, doing business with the city, to contribute money to the councilmembers.  

The council voted 6-1 to increase residents’ garbage rates.  About 50% of the increase, it turns out, is to fund payment of an added $1,517,500.00 to the garbage company.  Some Sunnyvale councilmembers received financial contributions from the company owner.   Subsequently councilmembers approved payment of the additional $1,517,500.00.   The payment comes while a valid and binding contract between the city and the garbage company (providing for a lower payment) is in effect.  The city and its residents got nothing in return for transferring the extra money to the councilmembers’ donor.