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Here are two of four anonymous e-mails sent out to voters by a supporter of first-term Mayor Sally Mackay in the past couple of weeks under the heading of "NSB new times," all of which attack the candidacy of mayoral candidate Adam Barringer, who won the primary and received all four available public endorsements in the 2009 campaign. Mackay denied any involvement in the e-mail campaign, but added they have merit and are actually humorous.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- As the campaign for mayor comes to a dizzying conclusion with polls closing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, an anonymous e-mail campaign under "NSB new times' is being waged by a supporter of Mayor Sally Mackay, which Sept. 22 Primary winner Adam Barringer describes as "despicable" and adds shows "desperation" on the part of her campaign.
Mackay this afternoon denied she was involved in the anonymous e-mailings, though she did not distance herself from them and said of the first one: "Don't you think they are funny."
Barringer said he hopes the last laugh will be on her.
Mackay denied any involvement in the anonymous e-mailings, adding her focus is on winning re-election and getting the word out to as many voters as possible that she has the experience, not only in running the affairs of New Smyrna Beach, but waging a winning campaign.
"I have walked 90 percent of the streets in this city," she said.
Barringer said his management of Barringer Construction and So Napa Wines restaurant are examples of his business acumen and that it's the mayor who is playing politics because "she hasn't really been walking, but running scared."
Barringer called the anonymous ads "despicable," adding, "this shows desperation on her part."
In the anonymous e-mailings, Mackay is credited with everything from hiring a new city manager to coming up with grant monies for the boat launch improvement project to the hotel on Flagler Avenue.
"They happened on my watch," Mackay said, "so why shouldn't I take credit? He says I haven't done anything, but he's the one without experience."
Barringer said what the anonymous e-mailings fail to mention are that Mackay has voted on millions of taxpayers dollars on several personal agendas. He pointed to her carrying the majority vote to authorize the Community Redevelopment Agency in January to spend more than $400,000 to buy the former Dunn Lumber property at the corner of West Canal and U.S. 1. When commissioners questioned the need to purchase an arsenic-infected property with no stated purpose at full-market value, she admonished the commissioners not to "quibble" over the price, Barringer said. Ten months later, Dunn has no takers.
The drawings from the anonymous e-mailings come from the NSBShadow Web site, and the e-mailing even cites the source of Shadow as a source in favor of Mackay, portraying a man in a suit as a rich Angler since Barringer is a member of the Angler's Club, which is in talks with the city regarding a potential renegotiation of its longstanding lease.
A second cartoon drawing shows Barringer as using his influence to get outside interests to support his campaign, among them the unions for police and fire, which supported Mackay in her initial election but went with Barringer this time around. The unions may be from outside the city, but the police and firefighters represented by them are local, Barringer said, and they don't support the incumbent. Barringer received the other two major endorsements -- the Southeast Volusia Board of Realtors and NSBNEWS.net.
Nahum Litt, a retired federal judge who has been merciless in his characterizations of Mackay from her first days in office, said this afternoon it was "ironic" that the mayor's anonymous e-mail campaigner was using him as a source.
"I'm one of her biggest critics," Litt said. "Barringer is right about one thing. She is desperate to be using me as a source."
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Courtesy graphic/NSBShadow. This is an example of NSBshadow.com's criticism of Mayor Sally Mackay, posted Oct. 12, 2009 on its home page.