These days you hear a lot about the media taking sides.
That's why we want to say loud and clear: We are non-partisan... even though a notice against Issues 200 and 201 is circulating, using KKTV's name and information.
Springs resident John Van Rensselaer told us, "It looks like you're definitely involved in it. When it's in print... I would say so."
The mailer gets its information from an incident that took place at our station two years ago. Former county commissioner and current state representative Douglas Bruce came to our station for a debate... signing in on our visitor log... writing the purpose of his visit was to... "Destroy Colo Springs."
Bruce told us, "I was making a joke... J-O-K-E."
But now that antic has resurfaced in the form of a political mailer.
A group is fighting Issues 200 and 201, two proposals facing Colorado Springs voters which were written by Bruce.
For the record, our log looks nothing like the one in the mailer. And the ad is only partially correct. Bruce wrote the statement, but it occurred on October Sixth, 2006... Not in November 2006.
KKTV General Manager Tim Merritt says the group never contacted him about using KKTV's name.
Merritt says, "We were really caught off guard because we were called by a viewer asking if KKTV had a position, so I had to explain that we do not take a position and we did not give permission to use KKTV's material in a paid political advertisement."
We talked to Kevin Walker, the treasurer of the group behind the mailer. He says 50-thousand of them went out to those requesting mail in ballots.
Walker says, "We didn't state in there that KKTV supports this... and we're not trying to say that at all right now. So we understand why this would be uncomfortable, but it's a piece of public information."
Walker says his group and others have used the information in the past and might use it again in the future.
If you're confused about all the mailers you're receiving... remember... you can call the city clerk's office about city questions on the ballot... and turn to this handy guide... known as the blue book which spells out some of the other issues on the November ballot.