Long Beach Business Journal Publisher George Economides denounced campaign mailers that are both misleading and derogatory, one – using his publication’s name – aimed at 2nd District city council candidate Eric Gray; the other at 8th District incumbent Al Austin.

 

“A mailer has incorrectly attributed information to the Business Journal which is critical of Gray,” Economides said. “The citation accompanying the statement, which takes a hard line against Gray, makes it appear as though it came straight from the pages of the Business Journal. It did not.”

 

The mailer reads: “Eric Gray is proposing a dangerous economic scheme that would devastate Long Beach’s local economy; a three-pronged agenda of higher taxes, costly regulations, and increased spending at City Hall.” This is not a quote by the Business Journal. Economides added that, “Immediately following the above statement is this sentence that recipients of the flyer could mistakenly attribute to us: ‘He has been quite clear, he would raise taxes on every single Long Beach resident.’”

 

Economides continued: “I find this approach irresponsible and disingenuous; the voters deserve better.”

 

The publisher also condemned a recent mailer showing a person wearing a hoodie on the streets at night, implying that this individual is the reason for a spike in crime in the 8th District. “This mailer attempts to link Councilmember Austin to the increase in district crime, when in fact, crime has increased citywide and statewide. Furthermore, this is imagery that is both insensitive and racially charged and has no place in politics.”

 

The Business Journal has not endorsed in either council race.