Current News & Events

Lake Cedar Group Push Poll Expanding to Lookout Mountain Residents
Lake Cedar Group initiated a “push-poll” on Monday, April 17, 2006 that attacks the City of Golden Petition in Condemnation action and then connects the recipient to the home phone of one of the Golden City Commissioners.  Although a court action, LCG is attempting to mislead our neighbors through unethical phone campaigning.

Deceitful Phone Calls - Letters to the Editor of the Golden Newsletter

[From: Tamra McBride; Friday, April 21]

I wanted to let you know (possibly your newsletter readers know) about a very disturbing phone call that I received yesterday afternoon.    It was from a woman who at the very beginning of the call identified herself as being with Cedar Lake Group. She immediately started very aggressively spouting off that the Golden City Council was going to waste tax payer dollars and that they were planning on using eminent domain to close the land. I cut in at this point and said that I agreed with the City’s decision about the tower issue and I was prepared to end the conversation at that point. She then begin to put words in my mouth saying things such as “so you agree that there should be open space up there and only one tower?” There were additional questions that she asked in such a twisted way that it could be very very confusing to someone who is unfamiliar with the issues or perhaps an elderly person who moves a little slower. At this point I indicated that she was asking these questions in a loaded and confusing way and she said “oh, you’re confused? Let me explain it...” and she continued to present the material in a completely (borderline untruthful) confusing manner.

At this point I was frustrated and angry with this tactic they were using so I asked her name and who she was with again. At this point she said “I represent the Golden City Council.”  She said I needed to call Lynn Tempeiro and included her phone number and told me “to tell her that I don’t want to waste taxpayer dollars and that I want open space up there.” Again... I said I was very confused and asked again who she was with. At this point, she started stammering and hesitating and refused to give me her name but said that she was with “Golden.” It was a very disturbing the tactics that were being used and the misrepresentation. I ended the conversation and attempted to *69 the number and it came back as 000-000-0000. So they are using a blocked number.

Is this legal? It’s completely unethical to ask twisted and convoluted questions, but to come right out and say they represent the “Golden City Council?” I just wanted to see if anyone else has received these calls? I’m working from home now and the call was in the afternoon when they may reach more elderly people.

Do you have any other suggestions on how to warn Golden residents about these confusing phone calls?

[From: Lynne Timpeiro, District One City Councilor; Friday, April 21]

Just to let you know the incompetence of the people Lake Cedar Group ('LCG") has or hires, they actually called me, too.  As soon as the woman identified herself as being from LCG and wanted to ask me a couple of questions, I told her that I was on City Council.  She started up her questions as if she had never heard me (which is true according to the people I've talked to), beginning with did I know that City Council was spending mega-bucks on "the lawsuit" (the condemnation action which is the first step in eminent domain).  I told her that I was aware of this because I am on City Council.  Her hearing aid apparently went out because she started to go on and then stopped and said "Oh, I thought you said you WEREN'T on City Council."  Think about that for about a nano-second:  why would anyone say they weren't on City Council?  I was truly surprised that she didn't ask me which city council!!

Anyway, their tactics are to attempt to misinform the citizens enough to attempt to turn them against us; then without any real announcement, they are switched over to a city councilor, supposedly THEIR city councilor; but, in my case, I received a number of calls from Wards 3 and 4, as well as Evergreen, Genessee and Pleasantview!  Imagine their and my surprise!  Most of those calls didn't know, much less care, about the towers, but I did have a number of very nice conversations.

For you and your readers information, at last night's council meeting we agreed to send out a special edition of The Informer which will give the citizens insight and information pertaining to the issues.  In the meantime, please don't let these people influence you.  We have made every legal and ethical attempt to resolve this issue prior to taking these steps.  We are not looking to take anyone's home; there are no towers on the property we are looking at; and, we have offered LCG an enormous amount of money for this particular piece of land which we want to keep as open space.

Lynne Timpeiro, District One City Councilor

[From: Karen Oxman, City Councilor; Saturday, April 22]

Subject: LCG Push-Poll tactics.......

Thanks to both of you for forwarding this information  to City Council.  We have been having lots of fun with this aggressive and confusing tactic.  I feel sorry for all of the people that have been called and pressured, as well as all of us who are getting the 3-way calls. 

At any time, to reach the entire Golden City Council with any issue, e-mail to citycouncil@ci.golden.co.us and it will come to all of us!

Thanks,  Karen [City Councilor]