Posted on 09/26/2004 12:25:27 PM PDT by PowerPro
Editorial: Shelley should resign Secretary of state has eroded public trust
It's time for California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley to call it quits.
As the state official in charge of elections, Shelley bears a particular responsibility to safeguard the public's trust in democracy. He clearly has shirked that responsibility and eroded that trust.
That would be a grave problem in any circumstances. With the November elections less than six weeks away, it is intolerable.
Shelley should resign immediately. If he does not resign, the Legislature should call a special session and begin impeachment proceedings.
The case against Shelley has been building for weeks. It began with a series of articles in the San Francisco Chronicle. The stories revealed that state funds, which Shelley (then a member of the Assembly) helped steer to a San Francisco neighborhood group, may have found their way into his campaign coffers.
Shelley claims to know nothing about the true source of those contributions. Perhaps that is so, but his claim is curious given the fact that the funds in question were the biggest donations he received in his campaign for secretary of state. The FBI, the California attorney general and the city of San Francisco have all launched investigations.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
I know as a TN resident - this kind of thing scares me.
It doesn't matter about getting out the vote if the other side is preparing to or has already set in motion wide-scaled fraud.
How does a state Secretary of State get his hands on FEDERAL Election Funds?
I was born and raised in CA and live in Ventura County. CA is bankrupt and corrupt thanks to almost uninterrupted 'rat control of the legislature since - when? - the mid-60s?, and complete domination of the State political agenda by unions and trial lawyers. It's hopeless, but you can't beat the weather and my house keeps appreciating in value, so I just shut my eyes, hold my nose, and keep on working. BTW, Ventura County went for GW in 2000. We're not all wacko.
The funds are part of the HAVA - In 2002 Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to provide states with the financial support to replace punch card voting systems and to help states with voter outreach and education.
According to Duf Sundheim, Chairman, California Republican Party, instead of Mr. Shelly using such funds in California as intended, a trail of corruption and abuse is emerging.
Last week the Sacramento Bee reported, “Federally funded consultants hired by Secretary of State Kevin Shelley spent time registering voters for largely Democratic constituency groups and at partisan rallies, including one to ‘take back the White House,’ according to staff activity reports released Thursday.” (Sacramento Bee, Sept. 17, 2004)
Kevin Shelley is using taxpayer dollars to try to elect John Kerry! His political cronies are benefiting as well.
“Other contractors, paid thousands of dollars through federal funds from the 2002 Help America Vote Act, described outreach efforts at, among other things, the NBA All-Star week festivities, a reggae festival, a Janet Jackson ‘salute’ and a community event on behalf of Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles.” (Sacrament Bee, Sept. 17, 2004)
I wouldn't have thought that possible until yesterday. We're having a big end-of-summer festival here in Morgan Hill (south SF bay area) this weekend. I walked past both the Republican and the democRAT booths several times over the course of the day yesterday.
At the Republican booth, every time I went by, there were at least three or four (and sometimes more) people picking up voter registration forms, GWB bumper stickers, and other campaign literature. It was literally a mob scene all afternoon.
Over at the kerry/edwards booth, on the other hand, I didn't see anyone (other than those manning the booth), any time I went by. The two people who were at the booth looked bored to tears.
I saw quite a few people wearing 'Viva Bush' stickers and had a lot of positive reaction to mine. I saw a grand total of one kerry/edwards button all day.
There were also a group of four or five young guys in Bush/Cheney '04 shirts walking up and down the streets passing out stickers and registration forms. I didn't see anyone doing the same for the other side.
All in all, it was a very encouraging day.
I lived in Ventura County for 20 years (now Orange County). I agree with you, there are some counties that have their head on straight.
Unfortunately they are few and far between.
They never actually say it, but the clues are there.
Additionally, info came out that he knew months ago that there was a problem. So even if he didn't personally have anything to do with this scandal (and to believe this, you must temporarily suspend reality), he at least had knowledge that others were involved months ago and did not take action to correct the efforts at that time.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/9764665.htm
That is fabulous work - I love your other cartoons as well.
Tell me, is this story as big in CA as it should be or do the media outlets there try to stifle this news?
this is what happens in a one party state
Of course -- we really don't need "clues"..
If a politician is lying, stealing or committing vote fraud - you can safely assume it's a Democrat - in Kalifornicate.
Semper Fi
May 01, 2004
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/election2004/reporting/archives/002533.html
Dear Diebold, California wants you gone. Love, Kevin Shelley California’s Secretary of State Kevin Shelley stabbed sharply at electronic voting, and then twisted the knife. Yesterday, he decertified all electronic voting machines in the state, meaning they can’t be used in November’s election. Then, he allowed 10 out of the 14 counties that own vote-by-touching-the-screen machines to apply for re-certification, once their machines provide printed copies of ballots cast and are proven to be disconnected from the Internet (among other requirements). The other four counties won’t have that option because their machines were made by Diebold and, Shelley said, Diebold is a liar.
Takes one to know one, I guess.
Actually, there are more counties in CA that voted Republican than counties that voted Democrat, according to the website of the Secretary of State. Unfortunately, those counties, while often large in size, have smaller populations than the dense, Democrat-dominated urban cites and neighboring liberal counties.
Gore won 20 while Bush won 38 counties, but Gore got 53.5% while Bush got 41.7% of the total vote in 2000.
Davis won 18 while Simon won 40 counties, but Davis got 47.4% while Simon got 42.4% in 2002.
You're very welcome. I'd love to see new panels as they come out - but being from the other side of the country, the only place I'll catch them is online I guess. Do you have a website?
Regarding the issue at hand, I'm a little (okay, VERY) disappointed that it's getting harder to Google anything relevant on this story.
Is there any new info?
He's gone, check with Norm.
Just Excellent as always!
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