This public letter was contributed by Paicines resident Clark Stone. BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. By registering as a BenitoLink user in the top right corner of our home page and agreeing to follow our Terms of Use, you can write counter opinions or share your insights on current issues. Lea este articulo en español aquÃ.
Below is the text of an email I sent to the Peace Development Fund regarding the recent announcement of their financial grant to the Hollister Guardians:
I was surprised to see a recent press posting here in Hollister, California that the Peace Development Fund had issued a grant to the Hollister Guardians. The press release states that your organization supports organizations working on “critical social justice issues” such as “economic equality and environmental protection to racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights.”Â
It appears PDF did not conduct any research into Hollister Guardians during the grant process. If so you would have uncovered Hollister Guardians’ history of making unfounded and untrue claims and spreading misinformation on local issues and elected officials, as well as the group’s efforts to hide its source of funding and the identity of those operating the group:
It’s unfortunate that a legitimate and well intentioned group like PDF would fund a group whose sole mission is to engage in a public misinformation campaign on important local issues. Given the upcoming election, I expect this grant to be used to further their efforts to deceive and misinform our local voters.
PDF needs to correct this oversight. I strongly urge PDF to rescind its grant to Hollister Guardians and issue a public statement acknowledging your error and condemning the actions of Hollister Guardians.Â
Regards
Clark Stone
Paicines CA