David Tunno Booksigning at Once Upon a Time

David Tunno welcomed inquiring minds at his booksigning at Once Upon a Time in Town Square on 11-10-12. Tunno claims to have spent over 16 years collecting information and data to complete his latest release 'Fixing the Engine of Justice.'

David Tunno response to Spellman comment re: Tunno's interest in District 5 seat if recall successful

Darren Spellman is wrong about my past.

I would not have brought up aspects of my past at this time, since no one yet knows if the recall signature phase will be successful, but since Darren has brought it up, I feel compelled to respond.  How he could justify telling the public about my past without knowing it, and how he could make judgments about my character based on that misinformation, I have no idea, but he couldn't be more wrong.

My wife and I did not move here from L.A.  I did live there many years ago for career reasons, but moved away as soon as I could.  I hated it there.  My wife and I moved to Ventura and we lived there for several years. 

I had my mom in an assisted living place nearby.  She was very depressed and wanted to live with family.  Her estate also couldn't continue to pay for that care.  I was the only one in my family who would take on the job of caring for her, but my wife and I lived on a boat and that wouldn't do for Mom.  So, for three years we looked for a place we could afford and liked, knowing the move might hurt my career.  We looked all over California, as well as Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona, always in rural areas, but when we found Valley Springs, and in particular, Rancho Calaveras, that was it.  We knew this was the place.  For nine months we drove up here, on average twice a month, to look at homes and make offers.  We have come here by choice, and after much searching, not by being lucky to have been born here.

Calaveras Taxpayers Association - remaining non-political

Recently, with the District 5 seat in question, the Copper Gazette approached the Calaveras Taxpayers Association and asked if support for a candidate or the recall effort was forthcoming from their association. Their response was:

“We are issue oriented supporting honesty, transparency and limited - constitutional government. We try to be respectful to all our elected leaders and candidates.

In the case of recall, CCTA would favor this if there was evidence of wrong doing or fraud. In the case of the current recall effort, we are neutral as we see no evidence of laws broken and encourage maximum public communication between the sides. Our members have varied opinions on this subject.

David Tunno has done extensive work exposing the FEMA and CalPERS problems in our county and CCTA has helped promote his work in those efforts. Although he is not part of CCTA leadership, we frequently agree with positions he has expressed before the Board of Supervisors. CCTA has been appreciative of several positions Darren Spellman have expressed in support of the constitution, property rights and limited government.

If the CCTA President or officers announced who they favored, we would tend to lose our status as a non-political citizen advocacy group. If we are successful in our educational efforts on issues, the public will be better informed and may tend to support the best candidate supporting those issues.”

Interview with David Tunno - re:run for District 5 seat if recall successful

CG: Since the re-alignment District 5 no longer represents Copperopolis, do you feel you would be a benefit to Copperopolis if you were to be elected to a vacated seat within that District?

DT: Due to redistricting, Copperopolis voters may feel they don't have much of a stake in this issue - not true.  Decisions by the board affect us all.  In a way, Copperopolis voters are in a great position.  In this odd situation, they have a voice in determining who represents District 5, then later they get to direct their attention to another election to determine their own representative.  Which of us wouldn't like to cast a vote in more than one district?

CG: Why do you feel you would be a benefit to the residents of Copperopolis?

DT: All of the issues I have investigated, reported on and taken an interest in have been county-wide issues.  As an example, I contacted Copperopolis property owners when I wrote the first of my FEMA investigative reports.  I know about the Lake Tulloch issue and featured it in my report.

The General Plan, and my particular focus on the Housing Element in that plan are, again, big ticket, county-wide issues, as is the county CalPERS debt,  and the possibilities of outsourcing county functions to save money.  All of which are issues I have investigated and reported on.

If there is to be an election, I will have a website on which I will share some of my past work, but more importantly, some ideas I would pursue if I am in that position.  There won't be any mystery as to where I stand and what my vision is for the future.  So, to answer your question, if it comes to pass and Copperopolis voters helped put me in that position, I think they would be glad they did.  I would certainly be grateful.

We all understand that this may never come to pass, but because of the peculiar circumstances of a recall, and assuming for the sake of discussion the petition drive is successful, even those who vote against the recall should also cast a vote for the replacement candidate, so if the recall votes wins, all will have had a voice in deciding the replacement.

CG: Michael McDaniel has publicly stated that he would not run for the position if a viable candidate were to run, do you feel you are a viable candidate?

DT: I met Mr. McDaniel for the first time recently at his invitation.  We had quite a long talk.  He may have been sizing me up to answer for himself the question you pose, whether I'm a viable candidate, enabling him to drop his candidacy.  I know he wants to.  I hope his answer is "yes," but he'll have to answer it for himself.  For my part, the answer is definitely "yes."

By,

C. Maness