A November 1, 2006 advertisement in the Davis Enterprise suggested that the EPA was in support of Measure K. The EPA spokesperson wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in the Davis Enterprise, clarifying that the EPA had not taken a position on the Target Development.The text quoted in the advertisement was verbatim from the emails exchanged between the EPA's Project Manager and Councilmember Don Saylor. However, those quotes were juxtaposed with other material to suggest that the EPA had in fact supported the measure. This is a clear attempt to change the meaning of the information that the EPA provided to Councilmember Saylor.
Saylor completely twisted the words of the EPA to suggest to the public that the EPA was supporting this project. This is a gross attempt by Saylor to manipulate the public into supporting the Target project and Measure K.
Kathleen Johnson, Chief of Federal Facilities and Site Cleanup Branch, Superfund Division wrote a letter to members of the City Council, the newspapers, and the two campaigns dispelling the notion that EPA was taking a stand. The People's Vanguard of Davis has acquired a copy of this public document.
The letter says:
EPA is writing this letter to make very clear that EPA takes no position regarding the proposed Target development, currently up for a community vote as Measure K on the November 7, 2006 Davis ballot.The EPA had a dialogue with Councilmember Saylor answering questions about their Superfund cleanup and potential impacts to the redevelopment in two emails.
Unfortunately, a November 1, 2006 advertisement in the Davis Enterprise, could be read to suggest that EPA is taking a position on Measure K. In response to an email from Councilmember Saylor, EPA answered questions regarding our Superfund cleanup and potential impacts to the redevelopment in two emails, dated October 26 and November 1, 2006. As a public agency, we responded to the request and provided the information regarding the Site. Although the text quoted in the advertisement was taken verbatim from emails between EPA’s Project Manager and Councilmember Saylor, it was juxtaposed with unquoted headings and paraphrased materials that arguably change the import of EPA’s words.
Don Saylor was the only one who had access to those emails. Thus it is clear that Saylor took the words of the EPA and twisted them to meet his needs and put them into an advertisement that would appear in the Davis Enterprise to try to convince the voters that the EPA approved of the Target project.
---Doug Paul Davis reporting
