ANCHORAGE CRIME WAVE CONTINUES
Theft is on the rise in Alaska. And theft in politics is a well-established tradition.
This time, it’s Gov. Walker’s sign crew that apparently lifted a campaign sign belonging to Nelson Godoy, who ran for mayor in the April 3 election, and then put the sign back up — with a Walker-Mallott sign fastened on them.
When Godoy went to take his signs down on April 6, he notice one was missing on C Street at the triangle with A Street, a prominent and coveted location. The sign was just gone.
But the next day, a sign was back in the same spot, with a frame that looked like his, only the 4×8 sign said Walker Mallott.
Godoy went in for a closer look, only to discover that someone had screwed the Walker Mallott sign right over his, and used his frame.
He videotaped the proof, and after getting no response from the mainstream media, posted on Facebook the video that showed the handiwork of whomever cannibalized his sign.
[See Nelson Godoy’s video here]
Godoy said he contacted the Division of Elections office, who told him to report it to police as a crime. He contacted the Walker campaign office, but got no response.
He contacted KTUU and was interviewed about it on Sunday, but the piece never ran. However, not long after his interview, someone called him claiming to be Gov. Walker, and apologizing for the aggressiveness of his sign crew.
Was there a phone call between the KTUU reporting staff and its former political reporter Austin Baird, who is now the governor’s press secretary?
Godoy isn’t even sure it was Walker who called to apologize, but Must Read Alaska called the number provided by Godoy and it went to Bill Walker’s cell phone voice mail system.
Godoy, who is a Democrat and past supporter of Democrats such as former Gov. Tony Knowles and former Sen. Johnny Ellis, said he has nothing against the governor, “but why didn’t they use Rebecca Logan’s or Ethan Berkowitz’ frames? They should respect us.”
Yes, he said, he realizes he was a minor candidate during the election, but he doesn’t think that means his signs are up for grabs by the state’s most powerful politician.
The longtime Anchorage resident, who as an American citizens hails originally from Guatemala, said people have contacted him to say that a crew with a truck of Walker signs had taken other Godoy signs from around town, but he doesn’t have any video proof of that.
The governor’s brother is in charge of the Walker-Mallott sign effort. The governor’s daughter Lindsay Hobson is running his campaign. It’s apparent the Walker family is rallying to get their most famous family member reelected. If the sign caper is any indication, they intend to run fast and loose with the law.
