“Progressive” Council Challengers’ Quarterly Campaign Statements Show Tight Web of Corporate Dem Supporters

by Patricia Lesko

Erica Briggs, Jennifer Eyer and Lisa Disch all announced their respective candidacies for City Council and the 2020 primary election well over a year in advance. The trio, on their websites, talk about progressive action, collaboration and even the “dysfunction” of the current City Council, led by Mayor Chris Taylor.

Campaign finance forms tell a different story. All three women are supported financially by local Corporate Dems. The women draw support from long-time political appointees and political insiders who’ve pushed a vision for Ann Arbor that has led to segregation, gentrification, a badly mismanaged parking system, a city in which the public transit system is flogged regularly on social media as ineffective, crumbling roads and decades-long pollution of the city’s air, serious impairment of the Huron River watershed, and poisoning of the city’s ground water with 1,4 dioxane.

The challengers’ respective quarterly campaign finance forms were due October 25, 2019. The forms shed light on the candidates’ connections to people and a political vision voters sounded rejected in August 2018. Visit this link to search and view the campaign finance forms: https://secure.ewashtenaw.org/campaignfinance/ .

1. ERICA BRIGGS, Ward 5 (Raised $3,825 [$775 from herself; $1,203 from in kind donations].)

Joan Lowenstein ($250): Former Ward 2 Council member, DDA Board member 2009-2019, quoted in the media as calling Ward 5 voters “stupid” and Ward 2 voters “old” and “stingy.”

Leah Gunn ($100): Former Washtenaw County Commissioner who was redistricted off that body, DDA Board member for 22 years (1991-2013), quoted in the media as saying “everyone loves the new parking kiosks.”

Scott Trudeau ($100): Former Planning Commissioner who Tweeted that single-family home ownership is “racist.”

Janis Bobrin ($50): Former Washtenaw County Drain Commissioner. DUI while in office never reported on by local media.

Sandi Smith ($50): Former Ward 1 City Council member. Quoted in the media as saying that if citizens wanted to know about their city government, they should “just use FOIA.”

Chris Dzombak ($50): Hacked Twitter account of Ward 1 Council member Jeff Hayner, then posted to Google a database of doctored and Photoshopped Tweets created of the materials. Google removed Dzombak materials in response to a DMCA request. Dzombak’s materials were ultimately sent to Ann Arbor News reporter Ryan Stanton, who published Dzombak’s doctored materials as Hayner’s.

Lisa Disch ($250): Ward 1 City Council candidate.

Al McWilliams ($250 in kind donation): Former DDA Board member whose appointment was made controversial by the photos of large-breasted women on his personal website and Tweets in which he suggested voters should “shove ice cream cones up their asses.”

2. LISA DISCH, Ward 1 (Raised $4,830 [$600 from in kind donations]. $1,110 [22 percent] raised from out-of-state donors.)

Joan Lowenstein ($100): Former Ward 2 Council member, DDA Board member 2009-2019, quoted in the media as calling Ward 5 voters “stupid” and Ward 2 voters “old” and “stingy.”

Leah Gunn ($100): Former Washtenaw County Commissioner who was redistricted off that body, DDA Board member for 22 years (1991-2013), quoted in the media as saying “everyone loves the new parking kiosks.”

Scott Trudeau ($100): Former Planning Commissioner who Tweeted that single-family home ownership is “racist.”

Sandi Smith ($50): Former Ward 1 City Council member. Quoted in the media as saying that if citizens wanted to know about their city government, they should “just use FOIA.”

Chris Dzombak ($50): Hacked Twitter account of Ward 1 Council member Jeff Hayner, then posted to Google a database of doctored and Photoshopped Tweets created of the materials. Google removed Dzombak materials in response to a DMCA request. Dzombak’s materials were ultimately sent to Ann Arbor News reporter Ryan Stanton, who published Dzombak’s doctored materials as Hayner’s.

3. JENNIFER EYER, Ward 4 (Raised $17,830 [$1,534 from in kind donations]. $4,600 [26 percent] raised from out-of-state/out-of-city donors.) (Campaign Treasurer: Joan Lowenstein)

Lin Song ($1,015): AADL Library Board member who is seen in video of a Mayoral/Ward 2 Council member candidate forum in 2018, physically grabbing and shoving protesters, taking their signs from them.

Christopher Taylor ($250): Mayor of Ann Arbor.

Lisa Disch ($250): Ward 1 City Council candidate.

Leah Gunn ($250): Former Washtenaw County Commissioner who was redistricted off that body, DDA Board member for 22 years (1991-2013), quoted in the media as saying “everyone loves the new parking kiosks.”

Joan Lowenstein ($100): Former Ward 2 Council member, DDA Board member 2009-2019, quoted in the media as calling Ward 5 voters “stupid” and Ward 2 voters “old” and “stingy.”

Christopher Easthope ($100): Judge who resigned from the 15th District Court after text message scandal, including text messages discussing illicit drug use.

Erica Briggs ($100): Ward 5 City Council candidate.

Janis Bobrin ($100): Former Washtenaw County Drain Commissioner. DUI while in office never reported on by local media.

Scott Trudeau ($100): Former Planning Commissioner who Tweeted that single-family home ownership is “racist.”

Chris Dzombak ($50): Hacked Twitter account of Ward 1 Council member Jeff Hayner, then posted to Google a database of doctored and Photoshopped Tweets created of the materials. Google removed Dzombak materials in response to a DMCA request. Dzombak’s materials were ultimately sent to Ann Arbor News reporter Ryan Stanton, who published Dzombak’s doctored materials as Hayner’s.

Sandi Smith ($50): Former Ward 1 City Council member. Quoted in the media as saying that if citizens wanted to know about their city government, they should “just use FOIA.”