In the last few days, selected Columbus residents received a text message fake opinion “survey” from uncredentialled market research company Research-Opinions.com in a brazenly dishonest and intolerable attempt to discredit me.

A friend of mine alerted me yesterday about the survey, and its unacceptably biased portrayal of Ginther as a successful mayor with absolutely no evidence. At the same time, it grossly misrepresented me as someone who opposes affordable housing and inclusiveness, and only runs for office “so he can get his name on the news.” Contradictorily, professional politician Ginther calls me “a professional political candidate.”

Ginther, his campaign, and his hacks are blatantly slandering and defaming me. These lies about me clearly demonstrate that Ginther, his campaign, and the Columbus establishment are already frightened about the head-to-head November election between two Democratic candidates for Mayor. My record of nearly 40 years of advocacy for justice, fairness, and quality of life issues for neighborhoods and everyday people of Columbus is a proven fact across this city. I am a Democrat. Ginther is not democratic.

This cheap attempt to slander my name and falsely discredit me and my decades of work shows early desperation on the part of Ginther and his cronies. The Columbus establishment, developers, and special interests fear their tax abatements and TIFs will dry up. And that like the rest of us, they will have to pay their fair share of property taxes and invest in their own businesses. 

Major corporations and institutions are nervous too that their millions in City income tax breaks will no longer flow into their bank accounts. They also fear that taxpayer infrastructure dollars will no longer be disproportionately doled out to protect and enhance their investments along with luxury real estate developers.

Instead, when I am mayor, tax dollars will finally shift into neighborhoods that have been neglected by Ginther over his last 16 years as Mayor and member of City Council. Ginther, his handlers, and campaign contributors are getting jittery as they see the end to their dishonest, undemocratic, unearned gravy train. The voters of Columbus want a mayor who will lead and put the people and neighborhoods before profits.