Identity is a valuable thing. You protect it from being stolen, and you take care to cultivate one that is honorable. And sometimes it’s necessary to keep it hidden for the greater good. Like Superman or Spider-Man or … like me for instance.
So maybe I’m not at superhero level fighting for justice, but I definitely have the community’s best interests at heart. I’m just a bird to you. In my personal life I’m something else. There’s a good reason for that. My job is to call it like I see it. Without hiding my identity, I couldn’t fly around and gather that wayward comment at a public meeting that some public official uttered when that public official thought no one was there to record it. Without being a mystery, people wouldn’t trust me to keep their identities secret when they tell me about some public official’s secret plan to tear down a school and put in a shopping center.
So having a secret identity is a good thing. For me. You know who it’s not a good thing for? Political candidates. When Sun reporters tried to introduce North County residents to candidates for city offices, most were happy to receive a bit of free publicity to add to their campaign arsenal. Others for some reason weren’t so inclined to share.
What wouldn’t they share? Some didn’t want to share a photo; others didn’t provide their campaign platform. What you stand for and where you stand on the issues affecting the community is kind of a big deal.
Some candidates said that because they were running unopposed they didn’t feel the need to participate in our coverage. Hello? Write-in candidates!
So who are these mystery candidates? Maybe they are superheroes. Maybe they are really nice people with some outstanding stances on the issues. I don’t know because they didn’t feel the need to share with us.
I’m especially talking about Martin Murguia, who is running for Guadalupe City Council, and John Lizalde, who is running for Guadalupe’s mayoral seat. Both just completely blew off requests for interviews.
I don’t know, maybe it’s a mayoral thing but none of the incumbent mayors submitted a photograph either. Though we know mayors Alice Patino of Santa Maria, Bob Lingl of Lompoc, and Jim Richardson of Solvang, it would be nice to see those smiling faces, especially for the benefit of those who may not be familiar with them (ahem, new voters).
Of course, not participating in our candidate coverage isn’t an egregious error by any means, and I’m having a little fun at their expense, but still, it raises the question about whether some candidates assume they’ve got the election tied up.
You know who really deserves anonymity? The folks at the RISE Project. In this week’s cover story, Arts Editor Joe Payne explored the world of human trafficking. It’s been a hidden problem on the Central Coast, and as behavioral wellness experts are becoming more adept at identifying victims, law enforcement is collaborating to identify their abusers.
The Sun was told that even the counselors needed anonymity because of the danger they could be in if abusers knew they were helping victims. But if you ask me, the people at the RISE Project and the law enforcement agencies that are working together to put a stop to this crime may very well be superheroes.
The Canary really wants to wear a cape. Send her swatches at canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 8-15, 2016.