Besides the full-color campaign like posters and the RSVP requirement, what is the strange part about the State of the City address? Well it was advertised with a start time of 8 AM, but if you look at the agenda (posted sometime between 8-8:30 AM this morning, just in the nick of time) the official meeting doesn’t start until 8:30 AM. So why the discrepancy in time? My guess is that the mayor is planning to have a campaign like event between 8-8:30 AM. Basically using city resources and giving a false time of 8 AM to get people to come early for his campaign event and stay for the SOC. This is unprecedented on many levels and completely unethical.
Paul has claimed several times to the media over the past couple of weeks that since he is the sitting mayor he has the right to use these resources to his campaign advantage, saying his opponents are jealous. There are campaign rules for a reason, and he is flagrantly ignoring them, nevermind the irony of a cheapskate Dutchman using taxpayer money to his campaign advantage.
There is also the question of using city owned property and donated food (from who?) to have a campaign rally.
