VOTING DATES
Early voting for the city election is Feb. 13-28. Election Day is March 5
FLIER LANGUAGE
An election flier brought to Councilwoman Pam Ladd reads as follows:
"Don't Support Veterans
Veterans cannot hand the stress of holding down a job.
People with PTSD tend to be second-rate workers.
Therapy and self-help are a waste of time.
Vote Pam Ladd
District 3
Chattanooga City Council 2013"
.
Chattanooga Council Chairwoman Pam Ladd said this week a flier found by a neighbor with Ladd's name attached to it is "deceitful" and "mean-spirited."
"This is slander," she said. "This was not authored by me."
A neighbor found the flier Jan. 19 and handed it over to Ladd. The flier talks about veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, saying things like "veterans cannot [handle] the stress of holding down a job" and "people with PTSD tend to be second-rate workers."
A line at the bottom of the flier states: "Vote Pam Ladd."
Ladd is running for re-election and faces a challenge from Ken Smith, of The Johnson Group.
"It does not express my beliefs or attitudes," she said. "It sickens me."
She said she had no idea how many of the fliers had been distributed.
Smith expressed bewilderment when told about the flier. He said his campaign had no involvement with the flier and he wants to run a clean campaign.
"I wonder where that came from?" he said. "The last thing I would have thought of is veterans affairs."
Ladd asked that anyone who has received a flier contact her.
She said she is making no accusations against Smith's campaign.
"I don't know who in the world would make up something like this," she said.
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
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