Hello,
Quite a few people have had questions and concerns about what they have seen on the news recently relating to me and the ‘Clouse Sign.’ I hope this explanation is sufficient, and you are welcome to contact me if you have further questions. Thank you in advance for taking the time.
I approached the owner of the coffee stand on Marvin Road (North of the roundabout) and asked her if she would allow Lenny Greenstein and myself to place campaign signs in front of her business. She expressed that she is planning to put her business signs in the same location that I was asking about, but her business signs were still on order and not received yet. I then suggested that Lenny and I could install 4x4 posts in the preferred spot, hang up our campaign signs and take the signs down after the election in November – and leave her the posts for her business signs. I also told her that I would help her hang her business signs if she needed help. She agreed to the arrangement and allowed us to move forward. One note, there were no campaign signs at all on the property at the time we had made our arrangement.
Lenny and I came out a few days later to install the posts and signs. When we started the project, I noticed that Emily Clouse had a campaign sign planted near to the same spot where we were going to install our signs. As we were working on securing the posts and our signs, because of the timing and the location of the Clouse sign, it seemed very peculiar for it to be there right by our project and I assumed that Emily didn’t have permission from the owner to have her sign there since the owner knew that we were installing ours in the same spot, and I pulled it. This was my mistake, and I should have clarified with the owner before doing so.
Two days later, I received a call from the coffee stand owner that she noticed her ‘Emily Clouse sign’ was missing, and was looking through her video surveillance… before she could finish her sentence, I said to her that I was the person who pulled it. I immediately apologized to her and stated that I misunderstood the situation, and I should have asked her first for clarification. I also stated that I would immediately return the sign and place it back where I found it. The owner stated that she didn’t want ANY SIGNS (she was adamant) in front of her store and wanted them all removed! At my earliest opportunity the next day, I ran over there and pulled our campaign signs from the location and still left the 4x4 posts there for her to utilize for her business signs.
Emily Clouse is running for Thurston County Commissioner, which has nothing to do with my race for City Council. In response, I have also mailed a letter of apology to Emily Clouse, and an offering of compensation for the trouble.
I’m human, I erred, I owned it and took the steps I thought were appropriate to make things right or at least amicable to those directly affected. I’m also truly sorry for disappointing my community with this incident. If you have received this, I would encourage you to forward this statement to others who would appreciate some clarification as I cannot rely on local media to do this accurately. Thank you again for taking the time.
~ Ed Kunkel
Editor's Note: Kunkel is a member of the Lacey City Council.
14 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
SheriB
Mr. Kunkel. This is still not making sense to me.
You MUST know that it's wrong to remove Anyone's political sign?
And why did the owner of the coffee stand (and maybe Emily) post a video showing the video footage of your wrong doing if this had been resolved? Something isn't adding up to me.
Thank you.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
MaKane
This paints a very different picture than the previous article, maybe next time verify, but whatever hindsight is 20/20
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
Your explanation is very helpful and your mistake is understandable. At the same time, I can understand the property owner's perspective. She must be like many of us--we reach out to candidates we like and ask to have them deliver their sign to us so we can put it up on our property. We feel like it's our sign and our statement to the community. When someone tips it over, damages it, or removes it, it feels like a personal attack, even if such actions are actually just an honest mistake.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
Madeline_Bishop
What about your confession that removing signs is a "habit"? I hope Lacey voters remove you.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
Qphillips
Ed,
Explanation was clear. No worries from me. Seems like you already paid a high price for the sign. My suggestion is just to move on. Good luck.
Quentin.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
AndyFalun
And now we know The REST of the Story. (With apologies to the family of the late Paul Harvey.)
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
TonyW33
Mr. Kunkel,
You violated state law, RCW 29A.84.040. Regardless of the effort to remedy the situation with Mrs. Clouse and the coffee shop owner, it is still a violation of law. Then you voted not to accept even be censured in the matter even though you admit that you violated law. This is not a small thing. The sate law is in place to resolve a real issue and Mr. Steadman is your seatmate on the Lacey City Council. He recused, even though he had done nothing wrong. The citizens of Lacey deserve better than you representing whomever it is that actually represent.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
writeROBwrite
Mr. Kunkel, I agree with SheriB, something is still not adding up here.
In the paper your first comment about this was that you "did it out of habit". This needs more explanation that you have not provided here. Why are you as a multi-term candidate for public office and an elected official in the habit of removing other candidate's campaign signs? You do realize that you are not a "Code Enforcement Officer" right? You do realize that a property owner can not transfer their rights related to their private property over to you? How many signs over how many years have you removed to get in the habit? Do you remove all types of political signs on an equal basis or only the ones that you disagree with? Do you contact all of the candidate's whose signs you have removed and offer to return their signs to them? If not, this is theft, and a while a property owner might have the right to destroy a sign that was inappropriately placed on their property, they can not give you the right to destroy anyone's signs.
In the paper your second comment about this was to victim-blame candidate Emily Clouse for trespassing and wrongfully placing her signs, even though that was clearly not true at this coffee stand location where you were filmed removing it. I hope you apologized for doing this in your letter to her.
Speaking of apologies, by sharing this letter as an "explanation" you don't seem to realize that in addition to apologizing to candidate Emily Clouse and the business owner who you acted against their wishes, you also owe apologies to the following:
1. All other candidate's who you have removed their signs (to get in the habit) and who you did not immediately contact with an offer to return their signs to them, who have been deprived of their Constitutional right to Freedom of Speech.
2. The voting public of Thurston County who have been deprived of their Constitutional right to participate in Freedom of Speech.
3. The Code Enforcement staff of the County, Cities, and other jurisdictions where you have taken on their role as your own.
4. The Lacey City Council and other elected representatives around Thurston County, whom you and Lenny are members of, and whom you have disgraced with your behavior.
Please take full ownership and personal responsibility for your actions.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
Yeti1981
For the critics...it is time to stop with the fake outrage. This was a simple mistake. It is time to let it go. There's nothing useful for anyone in a mudslinging political battle. None of your candidates are perfect. Give some grace.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
1Cochamamba9
[Bad] habits are tough to change - even when one knows it's disrespectful.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
sg9178
Ed knows he owns this. However, he has apologized to Emily and made financial restitution to her. Move on people, but if you're still personally offended, which I doubt, try reading John 8:7 or Matthew 7:1
"But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged."
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
TonyW33
Religion has no place in this discussion. Also, My outrage is genuine, not fake. Further, If an elected official "habitually" takes the same illegal action repeatedly that isn't human error, it is willful disobedience of the law. Mr. Kunkel is a bit too entitled to hold elected office any longer.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
Yeti1981
I believe "habit" was probably the wrong word. There has been an epidemic of candidate signs on private property without permission from the owner this year. He probably meant that he had gotten used to having to remove unauthorized signs. He also admitted he should have asked first. This isn't as big of a deal as people are making it. Every candidate would be in trouble if we really wanted to pick on them for every violation they have had.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Report this
ejpoleii
I, personally, take Ed Kunkel's explanation at face value. I also take the continuing criticism at face value which is as a part of the shenanigans going on in the Lacey council elections by the left-wing portion of the council members. There is an obvious collusion going on amongst them extending even into the realm of campaign funds. See this link.
https://www.pdc.wa.gov/political-disclosure-reporting-data/browse-search-data/candidates?jurisdiction_type=Local
Saturday, August 5, 2023 Report this