Save voting in California: call SOS Shelley today

[EFerrari]

Reposted from Padme's GDP and California Forum post. This is urgent:

Arnold is trying to get through ballot initiatives for Texas-style redistricting in California and part of the plan involves getting rid of Kevin Shelley, who has worked hard to protect voters' rights in California. According to a Sacramento Bee article, Shelley is considering resigning. We must stop him before California and its electoral votes go the way of Ohio and Florida.

There is an urgent action alert up at patrickhenrythinktank.org

Here is Shelley's contact information. If you call, you will have to follow the extension menu to other (6) and then the option for the
the executive office. Lend him your support regardless of whether you are in or out of California.
CALL: [phone]
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Here is a resolution that the PHDC, the most active and progressive Democratic club in Southern California passed unanimously a week ago. This is the same group that worked to put together the Orange County Counter-Coronation.

RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR KEVIN SHELLEY

Whereas, Californians had access to a paper ballot in November, 2004, while people in many others states did not, and California voters will have a voter-verifiable paper trail where there are voting computers in California in 2006 and individuals of other states may not, and

Whereas, unlike J. Kenneth Blackwell, Glenda Hood and numerous other Secretaries of State, Kevin Shelley worked to help voters have an increased opportunity to have their votes counted and has worked in a non-partisan manner to make election results more accurate, and

Whereas, the Republicans have created a politically motivated attack on Kevin Shelley for the apparent purpose of replacing Secretary of State Shelley with someone who will make it easier to rig elections,

Therefore be it resolved that the Patrick Henry Democratic Club supports Kevin Shelley and calls on all government officials to back Kevin Shelley in his fight against the partisan attacks by opponents of fair elections.

Be it further resolved that the Patrick Henry Democratic Club condemns all such attacks upon Mr. Shelley as the partisan attempts to undermine our election system that they are.


Passed unanimously on January 17, 2005.

http://patrickhenrythinktank.org/res-shel.html

[11cents]

1. Shelley's troubles started a long time ago

His troubles started long before any talk of redistricting. If there's any evidence that the GOP is orchestrating everything, I've yet to see it. Yes, Shelley done good with the electronic voting issue. Sadly, that doesn't necessarily mean that this mess isn't of his own making.

[EFerrari]

2. Right. The point is, he's innocent until proven guilty.

AND HE GOT RID OF THE MACHINES!

[11cents]

4. This petition makes unsupported claims

It says that Shelley's problems are the result of his being targeted by the GOP. It says that it all has to do with redistricting. Evidence? How has Shelley been targeted by the GOP, specifically? What was the mechanism? How did the GOP put Shelley under investigation?

I don't care one way or the other about Shelley; I liked what he did with the machines and I also notice the mountain of bad behavior of which he's been accused. I don't think making him a martyr in absence of facts serves the cause of honest elections.

[EFerrari]

5. Three thoughts

1) The attacks on Shelley started in the Chronicle as soon as he decertified Diebold. I'm not saying this man is clean; I don't know that. But the timing of the heat is telling.

2) He's been accused of being a cranky boss and of mismanaging HAVA funds. If he did, let him be tried, by all means. That means, he's innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

3) If you want any other Democrat in the office of Secretary of State to stand with the voters and against Diebold, Sequioa, ES&S and so on, you will support this Democrat at least until he can get a fair hearing -- instead of hit pieces in the press.

Because others in the same position are watching California very closely. Let's be careful, thoughtful with this.

Thoughts?

/spelling

[11cents]

6. Fourth thought

Obviously he should get a fair chance to defend himself. That's not the issue. You, and this Democratic club, are responsible for backing up the claims you make. You're stating as unequivocal facts things that you don't have evidence for. The Chronicle articles concerned matters that had obviously been under investigation for awhile; they hadn't just been pulled out of the air. As for the Chron, although it's not much of a paper it's not a GOP mouthpiece either. It's moderately liberal. Democrats control all state offices except the governorship; it the papers are going to go after anyone, it's liable to be a Democrat.

[EFerrari]

7. I didn't write this petition and am not making any claims.

I'm pointing out that Shelley was the first one to stand up to the black box voting mafia. I know. I was watching because I was working on clean elections. And I knew as soon as he came out against Diebold, they would make him pay.

The issue isn't whether he's guilty or not. You nor I are members of a jury nor are we judges. You nor I are in any position to evaluate EVIDENCE against Secretary Shelley, are we?

But, we can observe what he did do. He worked to protect our votes. And as a public servant, he deserves both credit for his good work AND due process of law.

[Semi_subversive]

3. I agree

Shelly f'd up just like Gray Davis did himself in.