A candidate for the Cathedral City Council said this year’s election cycle is turning ugly, the candidate claims his campaign signs keep getting removed and at least one of them was defaced.
Juan Carlos Vizaga is a real estate agent by day, but lately his time has gone towards his election campaign for Cathedral City’s third district council seat, but when he decided to run he was not expecting to feel attacked.
Vizaga said, “People motivate me, they tell me they are tired that nothing is happening in Cathedral City and everybody is progressing… Indio, Coachella.”
He is part of the group of people who have never held public office, but are compelled to get involved in local politics.
He said, “My dream was to own a house, that’s why I went to school, I passed my test and became a realtor.”
Before becoming a realtor he was a chef at several high end country clubs. He said he was warned by friends that entering the political field may be completely different than his past careers, but he was not expecting what happened on Sunday.
Vizaga posted posted video on social media of one of his signs on Date Palm Drive, the sign had the United States flag ripped from the sign. He filed the incident to the Cathedral City Police Department since he said there have been multiple incidents with his signs.
He said, “They were knocking down my signs and stealing my signs.”
At this time he does not want to point fingers, but he responds to insinuations the spectacle is all just a publicity stunt staged by him.
Vizaga said, “Everything that I have is thanks to this country, the United States, how am I going to harm my own property, my own signs.”
He said he is aware removing, defacing or altering a political sign of a candidate is a misdemeanor carrying maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Therefore, Vizaga said he anticipates a transparent mid-term election campaign from now to November.
He said, “Something clean, something that will the opportunity for everybody to run, something that no one has to intimidate you.”
The candidates the Cathedral City City Council will meet for a candidate forum on October 3, at DoubleTree by Hilton Golf Resort Palm Springs beginning at 6 PM. The candidates will explain their platforms and the public will have the opportunity to ask them questions.
