Although we have successfully evaded years of accusations as a math maven, we believe the man often identified as Culver City’s No. 1 citizen may be somewhere down around No. 5,000 when it comes to an uncomplicated case of addition.
Culver City election seasons tend to be eventful when former Mayor Albert Vera is involved.
In March, he reportedly railed about the damage inflicted on his Sunkist Park property during a St. Patrick’s Day stabbing incident. Who, he wondered, is going to pay for the damage?
More recently, the revered gentleman seems to have lost count of next Tuesday’s City Council election.
By published accounts, Mr. Vera — whose anointment is fiercely fought for by political office-seekers— has endorsed four candidates for the City Council election.
However, only three seats are open.
In a newspaper to which Mr. Vera is known to be unusually close, the revered gentleman announced, in a, pardon the expression, “paid” advertisement, that
“Albert Vera Endorses Luther Henderson, Andy Weissman and Mehaul O’Leary.”
The author of the advertising text, who appears to have a rich sense of humor, said several lines later:
“Any representation by others to the contrary is false.”
Creative souls around Culver City are wondering this afternoon:
Does “others” include the revered gentleman himself?
In a nearby half-page advertisement — that no doubt actually was paid for, by Council candidate Christopher Armenta —the revered gentleman is listed, in a special section, as the No. 10 supporter of Mr. Armenta.
Eh, what?
Perhaps the revered gentleman is an arithmetic division maven.
Perhaps he truly has learned how to divide four candidates into three Council seats.
The quintessential smile was reserved for the closing line of the quarter-page ad:
“Paid For By Albert Vera.”
Believers are invited to a pep rally at midnight tonight behind Mr. Vera’s store. A fresh batch of $5 bills may be distributed.