Alexander plays the wild card Alexander plays the wild card (August 06, 2003)

Attorney's deep pockets end thought of voluntary spending limit

by Don Kazak

He isn't running for the Palo Alto City Council, but he may be the most significant person in the race.

Dick Alexander, a noted council critic and attorney known for taking out full-page newspaper ads to publicize his political views, is planning to target three incumbents running for re-election. Some fear he is willing to outspend the entire group to ensure their defeat.

Alexander stated his intentions in an e-mail sent to another resident, which has since circulated among the candidates. The incumbents targeted for defeat are Mayor Dena Mossar, Vice Mayor Bern Beecham and Councilwoman Judy Kleinberg. He is planning to support the fourth incumbent, Nancy Lytle, and two of the potential eight challengers, LaDoris Cordell and Skip Justman.

Alexander denounced reports of him outspending the incumbents as "a lie," but did confirm he will play a role in the fall elections through newspaper ads or mailers he will finance.

"Mossar, Beecham and Kleinberg have rubber-stamped the four largest budgets in the city's history," Alexander said. "There is no doubt that Mossar, Beecham and Kleinberg are very nice people, but they shouldn't be running the city."

Regardless of how much he plans to spend, candidates are taking Alexander's presence very seriously.

"This is not idle talk," Kleinberg said. "He is serious."

Because of Alexander, the councilwoman has shelved plans to set up a voluntary spending limit for candidates in the fall race. "He is the wild card I had not anticipated," Kleinberg said. "I can't agree to a spending limit. I don't think it would be prudent to limit my ability to respond."

Beecham agreed.

"He intends to outspend the three of us combined," he said. "Given that, I would be foolish to agree to a spending cap."

Mossar, however, said she would agree to a limit if asked.

The mayor, who is in her third campaign, stated her belief that $20,000 is the most a candidate should ever need, although she didn't spend more than $15,000 in either of her previous races.

"I think the most important thing in the campaign is to be truthful," Mossar said.

Don Kazak can be e-mailed at dkazak@paweekly.com