PVrrg sent this open letter to the PVE Community, including members of City Council and the PV Police Officers Association on November 1, 2020.

An Open Letter To PVE Community 

From Palos Verdes Residents for Responsible Government

November 1, 2020

An Open Letter To PVE Community 

From Palos Verdes Residents for Responsible Government 

November 1, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

Palos Verdes Residents for Responsible Government (PVrrg) is a group of volunteer Palos Verdes Estates (PVE) residents who share key information to help residents stay informed about local matters and encourage our local political leaders to represent our community both honestly and effectively. Our mission is to assist voters in making sound decisions regarding local governance by providing factual information in an unbiased way through our website and through various outreach efforts. Our intent in forming PVrrg was to assist voters in an impartial manner to make informed decisions by gathering information about candidates, hosting debate forums and checking facts. That remains the foundation of our efforts. Each of us has pledged in writing to embrace and adhere to the following six pillars that we believe are essential to our mission and to fair and responsible governance: 

• Ethics & Integrity 

• Humility & Respect

• Fiscal Responsibility

• Openness & Transparency 

• Accessibility & Engagement 

• Profound Appreciation for the History & Character of PVE

In addition to signing this pledge ourselves, we have invited our current PVE City Councilmembers and candidates running for City Council to sign it as well. This assures residents that our elected representatives share key values that we feel are essential for public officials entrusted with the stewardship of our City. We are pleased to report that all of the five current PVE City Councilmembers and the five candidates in the current PVE City Council election have expressed their commitment to the pledge. The full pledge document with more details around each pillar can be found here and it focuses on the following elements:

Act, first and foremost, in the best interests of the City and its residents. Conduct themselves with honesty, integrity and truthfulness. Comply with all applicable municipal, state and federal laws. Avoid all conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived. Hold themselves and each other accountable for performance.

Although PVrrg as an organization has not endorsed any candidate for City Council and does not intend to do so, we have identified facts and instances where candidates may have knowingly or unknowingly failed to adhere to at least one of the principles that underlay the six pillars. We have elucidated these instances on our website as part of our fact-checking efforts here and for the most part, all candidates for City Council have acted in good faith to address these issues; we appreciate their cooperation and respect their candor.

One matter however, has overshadowed an otherwise typical election and after careful consideration, and based upon a plethora of verifiable facts and circumstances, we feel it is appropriate to come forward with mounting evidence that Sandy Davidson, a current member of City Council who is now running for re-election has repeatedly, blatantly and with malice failed to adhere to the principles to which he pledged - see the email confirming his commitment here. The most significant recent transgression that has come to our attention is the widely distributed flyer titled “Who’s LURKING in the SHADOWS” which purports to be paid for by “PVRG” an unregistered political entity, which is not in compliance with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) rules. The author intended to be anonymous and used this platform to disseminate unverified, negative misinformation about sitting City Council members, another City Council candidate, a PVE resident and a consultant retained by the City. The flyer was mailed using the bulk mail code that was used to mail all flyers that have been distributed by Sandy Davidson in support of his own candidacy. The flyer accuses unnamed entities of concealing their identities, bigotry and sending  “sleazy” mailers to harm our City - while at the same time anonymously distributing this flyer under the name “PVRG.” 

Here are some of the specifics in the “6 Pillars Pledge” that Councilmember Davidson has violated:

I. Ethics and Integrity

• “Conduct themselves with honesty, integrity and truthfulness.” (Multiple false statements in campaign mailers; multiple false statements in City Council meetings) 

• “Comply with all applicable municipal, state and federal laws.” (non-compliance with FPPC Rules)

II. Humility & Respect

• “Consistently demonstrate courtesy and respect for City residents, each other, and all external parties with whom they interact.” (“Who’s LURKING” flyer attacks two Councilmembers, a private resident and a consultant hired by the City; from his seat on City Council, Councilmember Davidson has attacked the City Treasurer, the City Forester, contractors, and multiple members of the public who have come to address the Council)

• “Exhibit open-mindedness, willingness to listen to input from residents and to consider alternative options and opinions.” (Has repeatedly and disrespectfully attacked residents that come to City Council offering points of view and potential solutions in derogatory ways) 

III. Openness & Transparency

• Writing and disseminating false statements in anonymous mailers

Misleading claims in his official bio on the PVE City website:

• Claims to have “spent 2 years serving in the military during the Vietnam War” which is called “Stolen Valor” – he served as an intern at the US Public Health Service, a valued service institution which qualifies him as a veteran, however, as a non-military uniformed service, it does not qualify him to be considered a military veteran.

• Claims to be a “a Professor of Ophthalmology at the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute where he has taught for many years” when he was only an Associate Clinical Professor, a volunteer position that does not teach regular classes

• Claims to be “Admissions Committee Chairman at the UCLA School of Medicine for over 30 years”when inquiries to UCLA Admission indicate that they do not have records of his service in admissions

In addition, there are many incidents (all recorded on the City website) where he verbally attacked others during City Council meetings as well as made many false statements from his position on the dais. 

All of these are inconsistent with the pledge he made to uphold the Six Pillars. However, the distribution of an anonymous flyer in violation of FPPC rules, intended to attack others in a vicious way is too extreme an aberration from his written commitments (to you and to us) to ignore. This is not “just politics” or a “good fight”. This shocks the conscience and is an underhanded, intentional effort to infuse distrust and hostility in a public election; it is not only inconsistent with good faith and his ethical commitment, it is also inconsistent with the values of our PVE community.

We believe PVE residents deserve good competent leaders who also embody the basic virtues of honesty, integrity, and truthfulness as well kindness, acceptance, and cooperation with all members of this community. Leaders should help to build up all that is good in our community rather than divide us and create chaos.

• We ask City Council to censure these actions. 

• We encourage the PVPOA to withdraw their endorsement of Sandy Davidson. 

• We also encourage voters to consider these facts when deciding whether this is someone who should represent them on City Council and represent our City to others. 

Respectfully,

PVrrg Steering Committee

(Members: John Harbison, Renata Harbison, Patricia Kasschau, George Kay, Rose Ramsay, Kim Rhodes, Jenene Wilson)

To download a pdf of this letter, click here.