Campaign tricks weave onto Web

S.J. Cahn

The age-old game of campaign trickery has stepped into the 21st

century.

Marianne Zippi, one of three City Council candidates running for

the Balboa Peninsula District 1 seat, says someone -- she does not

know who -- managed to change the user name, password and other

information for her Web site and e-mail at around noon on Monday.

Since then, she has received irate calls from people “hollering

and screaming” about e-mails they received from her e-mail address

while it was out of her control.

The problem, she said, first appeared after her computer froze

Monday. When she restarted her computer, she could not sign onto her

account, which is with Pacific Bell.

When the problem persisted Tuesday morning, and following the

phone calls, she got a hold of Pacific Bell and determined someone

had changed her information.

“Finally, when we found out someone had gotten into it, I called

the police and filed a report,” said Zippi, who is facing incumbent

Tod Ridgeway and Greenlight-backed Madelene Arakelian in the Nov. 5

election.

Lt. John Klein of the Newport Beach Police Department said Tuesday

afternoon that the department was still putting together the report

and no investigation had begun.

A likely first step in their work, he said, would be to contact

the Internet provider. The police report is being taken for

unauthorized computer access, a violation of section 502 of the Penal

Code.

Klein also said Zippi’s report was the first he was aware of

involving a Newport Beach campaign and problems with a Web site or

e-mail.

Zippi said she was finally able to put a stop to the problem at

around 3 p.m. Tuesday.

“I can’t imagine it’s not connected to the campaign,” she said,

adding that she has owned the site since 1995. “My Web site’s been

really active, and apparently there were some people who didn’t like

it.”

Her Internet problems are not the only bit of campaign

underhandedness taking place in the city’s election. The more

traditional practice of stealing and destroying campaign signs is

also alive and well.

“We’re in terrible shape that way,” said Phil Arst, spokesman for

the controlled-growth Greenlight group, which is backing Rick Taylor,

Dick Nichols and Allan Beek.

Taylor’s opponent is Councilman Gary Adams. Nichols is running

against Laura Dietz and Bernie Svalstad. Beek is opposed by Don Webb,

former Public Works director.

Greenlight has put out about 1,700 signs, triple the number did

previously, Arst said.

“We’ve had several hundred campaign signs disappear,” he said,

including signs off his front lawn.

Ridgeway, too, said he has had signs stolen and destroyed.

“I’m missing many more signs than anybody,” he said.

Still, Ridgeway added, dirty tactics have not been a significant

problem in the campaign yet.

“It’s been relatively mild,” he said.

The candidates, he said, have been civil with each other. And the

leaders of Greenlight also have been civil in their literature, Web

site and actions.

As of late Tuesday, Zippi’s Web site, mzippi.com, appeared free of

any outside or unusual content.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He can be reached at (949)

574-4233 or by e-mail at steven.cahn@latimes.com.