Is Mike Carroll Using the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Campaign Opportunity?
By: Irvine Watchdog Editorial Board
In another self promotional move (read The Liberal OC’s article Big Check Mike Carroll’s Dishonest Approach To 2020), Carroll directs those in need of food, prescription drugs, or other necessities to email him directly, emphasizing the importance of doing so in ALL CAPS BOLD. Shouldn’t these items be handled by a public assistance officer with the city, not a councilmember currently running for office? And why isn’t any information available on our city’s website?
The most efficient way to inform the public and provide community members with the services they need is to provide them with a contact source on the City’s website. Why would Carroll force residents to complete a contact form to gain access to a FAQ document? Is he collecting information for his upcoming campaign?
As if all this were not enough, Carroll invites readers to navigate to his Facebook page and “Like” the page to receive the latest updates. Many members of the community are not on Facebook. Failing to provide the latest COVID-19 testing program and response information on the city’s website and making his Facebook page the only source while requiring constituents to provide their personal information is irresponsible. Using himself as the source of much needed information gives the appearance of Mike Carroll using this Covid pandemic disaster as a campaign opportunity. Irvine is not getting the kind of leadership it deserves.
And let us remember the title of “Vice Mayor” has never been bequeathed upon any Irvine official before, and was likely invented by Carroll’s allies to lend credence to someone who was not elected to his position to begin with.
For a copy of Mike Carroll’s FAQs please see below:
Mike-Carroll-Vice-Mayor-COVID19-Testing-FAQs
This antigen testing issue will be revisited on this Tuesday’s City Council agenda, Item 4.1. E-comments can be submitted here.
4.1
1 Comments
Jeanne Baran
May 24, 2020 at 9:42 amThe residents have the right to public information and the right to scrutinize the decisions of our elected leaders. The city is allowing this secrecy to happen, and spending public dollars without scrutiny.
First, the city leaders conducted city business by voting (5-0) for a Covid testing contract without placing the action on the 5/12/20 Council agenda. There was no staff report and no written terms and conditions of the contract provided. This behavior is outside the scope of normal council practice, and in conducting business in this manner they bypassed the opportunity for robust public notice.
Second, since approving the Covid testing program the City hasn’t released information to the pubic even if the details are still emerging. We know that Mayor Shea has asked to revisit the testing program decision at the next Council meeting this Tuesday.
The bottom line is that City information should be completely accessible to the public, and the Covid testing program should be made public- without having to hunt for the data, and certainly without having to register for details using their private information.
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