Developer-funded PAC makes mailers, calls accusing McLean of supporting homeless camps
The “Responsible Government Fund,” a political action committee funded by two Boise developers, has paid for phone calls and mailers saying Mayor David Bieter “fixed the ‘tent city’ problem” and saying Lauren McLean, his foe in Tuesday’s runoff election, would allow encampments of people who are homless to return.
Campaign finance reports show that the PAC is funded by hefty donations from Wali Investments LLC, owned by David Wali of the Gardner Co., and Gary Hawkins, owner and CEO of Hawkins Cos. Wali donated $10,000 and Hawkins $2,000.
Melanie Folwell, McLean’s campaign manager, called the calls and mailers “scare messages.”
“The good old boys club is worried,” Folwell said in a text message.
The mailers say that “under Dave Bieter’s leadership, Boise was able to clean things up and get people in proper housing.”
That evidently refers to Cooper Court, an encampment that formed near Interfaith Sanctuary. The city cleared the camp, which forced the people who had been living there to move elsewhere. The message also seems to refer to New Path Community Housing, a “Housing First” community where people are homeless can have a place to live and receive services to help them become independent and find permanent housing.
The mailers say Lauren McLean, president of the Boise City Council, “wants to allow tent cities back in Boise with no oversight and no solution.”
The back of the mailer shows an image of Cooper Court with the caption, “Lauren McLean’s Future Boise.” There, the mailer appears to refer to the fact she has come out as against ticketing people who are homeless. Bieter says ticketing is a tool needed to prevent camps from forming in the first place. McLean has said she would prefer to seek alternative options.
The city’s ability to ticket is central to Martin v. Boise, a lawsuit focusing on whether the city can ticket people who are homeless for sleeping in public places when they have nowhere else to go.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September 2018 that cities can’t prosecute people for sleeping on the streets if they have nowhere else to go because it is unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. The city is appealing the case to the Supreme Court, something McLean is against.
The phone calls are similar in nature, according to social media posts from people who have received them.
“They’re scapegoating the most vulnerable people in our community and they’re throwing everything at the wall,’ Folwell said. “We trust the people of Boise will know better than to fall for scare tactics.”
The mailers and calls appear to be from Leverage Public Strategies, a Huntsville, Alabama, company that specializes in voter contact, grassroots advocacy and public relations, according to its website. The PAC paid $7,000 to it on Nov. 24 in support of Bieter, according to financial reports, right around the time people started reporting getting calls and mailers.
Neither Hawkins nor Wali was available for comment Wednesday. Graham Paterson, the listed treasurer for the Responsible Government Fund, did not return a request for comment.
Robert West, Bieter’s campaign manager, said in a phone call Wednesday that there was no coordination between the Bieter campaign and Responsible Government Fund. Before the mailers came out, he said, he didn’t even know who the group was.
“We support everyone’s right to talk about an issue,” West said. “The way they talk about it isn’t the way we would talk about it, but we do agree the issue is one we’re concerned about.”
This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 12:35 PM.
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