"I just cannot understand that type of thinking or mentality or bigotry," said Jim Veghte, president of the Grafton Hills Neighborhood Association.
Mabel Vaughn, a community activist in the Westwood neighborhood, added, `I don't care what they say about her. I think she has a lot of offer to this city.' The postcard, which said Wiseman is a lesbian and accused her of having a radical gay agenda, was apparently mailed to dozens of people, including neighborhood leaders, media members, Mayor Mike Turner and at least one city business owner. Many of the recipients are listed in a directory of Dayton neighborhood organizations.
"This is an effort to divide the community and detract from the issues in the community," said Wiseman, 35, an environmental attorney endorsed by the Montgomery County Democratic Party. "I believe that my long-term relationship with my partner has no bearing on my ability to bring jobs to Dayton, improve our neighborhoods and create opportunity for youth."
Wiseman is one of seven commission candidates in the May 6 primary. The top four vote-getters will advance to the November general election for the two open commission seats.
Six of the seven candidates issued press releases denouncing the postcard and saying voters should pick candidates based on the issues. The seventh, candidate Mike Osgood, declined to comment on the postcard, saying "I will not comment on any backbiting."
Finding the source of the flier could be difficult. The postcard was printed on heavy stock paper and appears to have been fed through a high-end photocopier, one local printer said.
The postage was first-class from the main post office.
Mayor Turner criticized the flier's anonymity but said, "Certainly, her sexual orientation is an issue that needs to be addressed to the extent that Mary Wiseman and Tony Capizzi have issues, legislation or policy changes that they want to make at City Hall that relate to her longstanding gay rights activism."
Capizzi is the Democratic candidate for mayor and was also mentioned on the flier as endorsing Wiseman.
Wiseman, a first-time candidate for office, said she is not advocating a gay-oriented agenda.
"The issues that Tony Capizzi and I want to advance for the city relate to the entire city by focusing on job creation, improving our neighborhoods and uplifting our youth," she said. "It's unfortunate that either an anonymous person or persons or anyone would try to polarize this community on any issue. I think it would be far better for this community to find common ground and address the issues that will prepare us for the new century."
* Bigots are quick to criticize anonymously.
Opinion, 18A