We’ve kept quiet through most of Allan Pilger’s conservative rants on the Lance MacLean Recall, but Allan stepped over the line when he went after Dave Leckness, candidate to replace MacLean on the council if the recall is approved. [Re: Lapdog v Watchdog] We are Smokey and the Bandit, the lovable, liberal dogs in Allan’s household. We are small dogs from a lineage bred to entertain royalty in the Himalayan mountains. That makes Dave Leckness our kind of guy.
"Fun" Dave Leckness
Of all the council candidates of the past 21 years, he’s the only one who qualifies as the “Fun Candidate.” Dave Leckness didn’t waste time in his 25 years in Mission Viejo following city local government. Larry Gilbert is our old buddy, but he was unfair in asking Dave about city issues in his interview. Poor Dave was clueless, even though he was on the planning and transportation commission last term. How can you crack jokes and pay attention to the agenda at the same time?
Larry should have asked him questions like, “What was your most amusing moment in Mission Viejo?” Now that he’s a little tuned into city hall, Dave Leckness says he likes the way things are going now, including diverting money from streets and slopes to fun things like the Rose Parade Float. We’ve been saying that for the last two years. Dave Leckness–our kind of guy.
Respectfully submitted, Smokey and the Bandit
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Well the facts are coming out!!!!
Disgraced Mission Viejo Councilman Lance MacLean is selling Mission Viejo to the special interests.
So–just what do you think these folks expect back from MacLean. Could it be big fat contracts for garbage services??
How about the Sheriffs Union–what is their big fat reward???
Hey Smokey, like I told Larry, he uses about 25 seconds worth of reading material for my interview he posts. Yet he says he spent an hour interviewing me. Ya think he might have left something out? You must be an idiot, I never said anything about diverting money from streets and slopes. I stepped up to run for city council as a positive alternative. Experience? I’ve got 25 years experience of being honest; 25 years experience of setting goals and taking responsibility; 25 years experience of having a positive influence on other people. I believe this is exactly the kind of experience the city council needs right now and that I could make a huge contribution. Having fun? you-better-believe-it. As for you Mr Smokey, next time you write a scathing article have the b—- to put your real name.
[Editor's Note: Allan's identity is always plain to everybody in the first paragraph, writing on behalf of his two dogs; so it's a little concerning the commentor doesn't understand this, demands the real writer's name, and addresses the writer as "Mr. Smokey." Allan, the former publisher of the Saddleback Valley News, has contributed these S&B pieces for almost two years to add a little levity, similar to political cartoons. Regarding honesty, remember the "pot calling the kettle black," because the other side's complaints about false campaign allegations from Mr. Leckness have gone uncured; and the Dispatch after several weeks is still courteously and responsibly awaiting a response from candidate Leckness regarding an as-yet unpublished legal allegation/investigation, but has received no reply.]
It’s juvenile rants like the one above that keep people like me from wanting to be involved in Mission Viejo politics. I could find a more mature level of debate on a junior high school playground. Is it not too much to ask that perhaps some day we could have some grown-ups involved in this city’s business?
Dave contradicts himself. Let me provide Dave’s email to me dated 11-10-09 [10:48 a.m.] following publication of the interview:
Although there’ve been some clueless Mission Viejo City Council candidates in the past, Dave Leckness qualifies as the perhaps the worst of the worst. Based on his comment to Smokey and the Bandit’s rebuttal of my Dispatch posting, he just doesn’t seem to pay much attention to issues and details, as I said.
As the Dispatch editor explained after Leckness’ comment, it is always noted in the first paragraph of frequent S&B postings that Smokey and the Bandit are “lovable, liberal dogs” in my household. The Leckness piece went further: “We are small dogs from a lineage bred to entertain royalty in the Himalayan mountains. That makes Dave Leckness our kind of guy.”
Leckness attacked “Mr. Smokey” stating, “You must be an idiot, I never said anything about diverting money from streets and slopes.” Leckness was so mean spirited he can’t come back now and say his rebuttal was tongue in cheek. Tongue in cheek is not vicious.
It is tempting to say Leckness thinks dogs can read or write, but I think he just skimmed over the article just likes the issues. In an SV News interview, Leckness said, “I love the way things are going…I want to keep the momentum going in the same direction that it’s headed right now.” If he is clueless about the city’s infrastructure cutbacks, that’s not my problem and certainly not the problem of Smokey and the Bandit.
Thus exposed, Leckness is now on the spot to document his standing claim that activists want to shut down the library and animal shelter.
Leckness also attacked Larry Gilbert for shallow interviewing in a Gilbert article in which Leckness was clueless on virtually every issue. But in an email to Larry, Leckness had said, “It was a good interview. You got it pretty much right on the head.”
The tone of Leckness’ comments belie his fun persona. Maybe he just had a bad hair day. I can’t help but comment, though, on Leckness’ conclusion, “As for you, Mr. Smokey, next time you write a scathing article have the b—- to put your real name.”
Dave Leckness can’t be faulted for cluelessness here. We never have pointed out in the Dispatch that Smokey and the Bandit are female dogs.