Dem DeDe Alpert appointed San Diego Mayor?...

[cascadiance]

Some are speculating that there might be a movement to have Dede Alpert appointed mayor rather than have a special election. Some feel that this might be preferable to the costs of an election.

My guess is that the reason Dede is mentioned is that they are feeling that she's less of a problem to hold office than Zuchett, who faces legal problems himself, and also they know that if they tried to appoint a Rethug, that the lawyers representing Donna Frye supporters would go full bore into renewing their effort to have her case on the election getting overturned to her favor, if no special election were in the offing and a Republican were appointed in Murphy's stead.

Noted on the page is that if a special election were held it would be on July 26th.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050429-9999-1n29mayor.html

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Special election for mayor shaping up

But move to appoint successor is still alive
By Philip J. LaVelle
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

April 29, 2005

Support for a special election to replace San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy appeared to solidify at City Hall yesterday despite a quiet, last-ditch effort to appoint a successor instead.

With that, clear outlines of the city's near-term political future appear to be emerging from the foggy chaos created by Murphy's bombshell announcement Monday that he will resign July 15.

Despite apparent long odds, proponents of appointing a successor to Murphy worked diligently yesterday, burning up the phone lines and trying to line up support from influential civic figures.

This group, which is said to include some union and business leaders, is seeking to persuade a skeptical City Council that appointing a successor – and leaving a mayoral election until next year – is the best way to achieve stability in city government.

[JunkYardDogg]

1. Dede Alpert works for Steven Merksamer's Law Firm

They represent Citizens to Save California,
the front group promoting Schwarzenegger's Special Election Initiative
and
she was part tof the "Transisiton Team" of McPherson as the SoS
she is probably another Trojan Horse

[cascadiance]

2. Just announced... Special Election on July 26th...

for San Diego Mayor, so the unanimous decision was to not make an appointment in the 11:00 AM meeting today, and to instead hold a special election for July 26th. If no majority is gained by a candidate, then a runoff happens by sometime in September.

http://www.sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20050502czk

[Senior citizen]

3. Zukket & Inzunza are in court for corruption now.

We've got a lame duck mayor, the deputy mayor and another councilmember fighting corruption charges, and a few others, like Mannscheim (or whatever his name is), Peters, and Madaffer, who can help these crooks continue looting the city treasury by controlling the 2006 budget, since the mayor's resignation doesn't take effect until July 15th, and the crooks on trial probably won't resign even if they're sent to prison. The other woman on the council, Toni Atkins, has been developing a conscience lately, and voting with Donna Frye (the candidate who actually got the most votes, but lost on a "technicality"), but that's 2 against 7.

The mayor's resignation only came after people had started organizing for a recall and polls showed that if the recall occurred, Frye would become mayor. A website was set up and 500 people volunteered to gather signatures for the recall with no pay within the first week of the site's existence. IMO the business community, fearing that Frye would be mayor, told Murphy to resign so that they could still control the 2006 budget and make sure that cuts fell on workers and social services, instead of on big corporations.

Now we have to endure the inevitable smear campaign that big money will unleash against Frye in the major media, and all the big money ads for crooks who will run against Frye. Plus spending at least $3 million on an unnecessary election when the city is already in a fiscal mess.

We may have to change our motto from "America's Finest City" to "America's Most Fucked-Up City."

[rinsd]

4. Not to burst your bubble......

"The mayor's resignation only came after people had started organizing for a recall and polls showed that if the recall occurred, Frye would become mayor. A website was set up and 500 people volunteered to gather signatures for the recall with no pay within the first week of the site's existence"

While this was a noble effort, I highly doubt this is why he resigned.

I think he resigned because he saw that he couldn't clean up the mess he helped make and he didn't want to get blamed for it or put up with the crap of getting things right.

[Senior citizen]

5. And the timing was just a coincidence?

He could have resigned when he realized that more people had voted for Donna than for him. If he cared about the city, about what the people of San Diego wanted, and about the city having a mayor with a mandate, that's what he would have done. While bubble-less votes were not counted, which subsequent law has made illegal, you can't get any more clear about what people want than when they go to the trouble of learning how to spell a candidate's name and spell it out on their ballots, letter by letter.

He could have resigned when the media started to focus on the city's fiscal mess. Anybody worried about the mess and not wanting blame for it, would have resigned when we were called "Enron by the Bay."

He could even have resigned when Time magazine named him one of the 3 worst mayors in America. But he didn't.

He resigned only AFTER organization for a recall began, and AFTER a poll showed that a recall would put Donna Frye in his place. His announcement came one week after the recall organizing web site had been set up, and a day or two after the poll results. Had the recall occurred, he would not have been able to preside over the 2006 budget, and someone feeling guilty andor worried would not have wanted to.

If he was worried about not being able to clean up the mess he made, or about getting blamed for it, why didn't he resign effective immediately, instead of insisting on remaining in office until after the 2006 budget has been voted on? Why would someone concerned about having messed up and about getting blamed for it, want to preside over a further mess for which he'll be blamed?

Sorry, while I appreciate your attempt at positive thinking (that's a euphemism for spin), it makes no logical sense whatsoever.

On edit: However it does make sense that as soon as the business community saw that the recall was being effectively organized, and that a recall, according to the polls, would put Donna Frye in Murphy's place, it would want to do whatever it took to stop the recall. A representative of the Better Business Bureau had actually said on Gloria Penner's "Full Focus" PBS program, that they were worried that Frye would try to clean up the mess by imposing more fees and taxes on big corporations (rather than by laying off workers and cutting social services, as Murphy's budget proposes). It makes sense that they would have the legal expertise to realize that the only way to stop the recall would be if Murphy resigned, and to realize that if he resigned effective July 15th, instead of immediately, he could still preside over a business-friendly budget that would only hurt the poor, not the rich. The first step in looking for motive is usually cui bono, and it is obvious who benefits from this budget.

[rinsd]

6. He resigned one week after the Time magazine...

...and the rest of the MSM pile on. And you had Aguirre calling for him to resign just a week or two before that.

"He resigned only AFTER organization for a recall began, "

A fact that doesn't prove abything more than the rock I have that keeps away tigers. Even curiouser why resign now when he still had a few months before they even could start getting signatures?

"and AFTER a poll showed that a recall would put Donna Frye in his place"

What poll? A poll from the recall site? An internet poll?

And how does that makes sense since Frye would either have to be appointed, been deputy mayor or elected in a special election.

"If he was worried about not being able to clean up the mess he made, or about getting blamed for it"

It was just a guess on my part in terms of his reasoning. And as far as image (re)building this resignation is possibly the best thing that could have happened to him.

"it makes no logical sense whatsoever"

But people talking about a recall (from what I can gather it was a website and a couple of mentions in local msm) is what caused Murphy to resign is? No offense but I think your enthusiam is clouding your judgement. I think the recall was a factor but I think the Time mag was what did him in.

"you can't get any more clear about what people want than when they go to the trouble of learning how to spell a candidate's name and spell it out on their ballots, letter by letter."

And 2/3 voted against her, so much for any mandate. Which is why its important that a new election be held and a winner decided by majority and if not then have the runoff.

[Senior citizen]

7. It was a MSM poll.

It wasn't done by the recall site, or the internet. I'm not sure if it was done by the Union-Tribune, but it got major MSM coverage locally. And while they couldn't start collecting signatures yet, the fact that so many people volunteered to collect signatures, and the fact that a recall would have replaced him with somebody the business community doesn't want, may have entered into their decision to advise him to resign. Okay, I don't know that he resigned after being advised to do so by the business community, but before you jump all over me for guessing, why not wait and see how they reward him after he leaves office?

(On edit: You don't seem to know how a recall works. In a recall the first question is if a person should be recalled, and the next question is, if you said yes, which candidate do you want to replace them? The poll showed not only that he would be recalled, but also that Donna Frye would be chosen to replace him. With a recall, no deputy mayor, appointment, or other election is necessary--one recall does it all.)

If you want to believe that he timed his resignation so that he could preside over the 2006 budget because he was feeling bad about the fiscal mess he'd helped make and his inability to fix it, go right ahead. Personally, I believe that if he felt that way, he'd have resigned effective immediately so as not to get himself deeper into the same mess.

I don't think it was the Time magazine story that got to him, since he responded by saying that his enemies probably planted the story.

The fact that the poll showed that a recall would be successful and that Donna Frye would replace him, and the fact that he didn't resign immediately, but at a future date which would assure that he remained in office to preside over the 2006 budget, might seem irrelevant to you, but those are still facts. It is also a fact that the business community benefits more from his proposed budget than they would have if Frye had been in charge. Why do you continue to trivialize and pooh-pooh the facts and make illogical suggestions instead?

Murphy had reasons to resign long before this. If he felt bad about the mess, he could have resigned when the city lost its credit rating, or when it came under investigation. While he may have secretly felt bad, as you suggest, all he ever said publicly was that he was doing a fine job and was proud of it. Exactly how do you happen to know Murphy's secret inner feelings anyway?

[cascadiance]

8. I think you are both right...

I'd like to think the recall volunteer signup had a lot to do with it as I was one of those 500 that signed up on that web site. However, I think a lot of things contributed to him deciding to go. I think the recall "figures" were just the last straw.

I do think it's pretty clear that Donna could win an election where a plurality decides who wins, especially when there are multiple candidates. The internet polls on the TV station sites showed her getting in the high 30% to 40% figures of support and Ron Roberts getting around 20% (or about half of what she was getting) as the closest competitor besides "other". Recall election probably did scare the bejesus out of the business community here.

Though signatures couldn't be gathered until June, if Murphy had waited until then to resign (after t-shirts, bumper stickers, and a lot of oether expense had been started (not just from Democrats but a lot of other PO'd voters too), it would galvanize that much more potential support for someone like Donna Frye if it became obvious that this move was made at the last minute to keep her out.

By him moving now and staving off any big investment in a recall, most people won't hear about it, and even some who might have gotten in on it, might move more towards supporting someone else.

I do think it is critical that Frye supporters orgaqnize *NOW* to get more support for her the first election and hopefully get a majority then. If we wait until potentially a special election by Ahnuld to do the "runoff" election if she doesn't get a majority, there will be more wingnuts turning out and it might be that much harder for her to get a majority then. Even though she'll be in a field of multiple candidates, I think she has a better shot at getting a majority in July, if we can convince other Dems/Progressives to stay out of the race and everyone unite behind her.

She's already got a lot of publicity from the earlier campaign that I think will also help her in July too.

Here's my bumper sticker!

[rinsd]

10. She's got a good shot but its going to be tough.....

...even with name recognition(at this point, we still don't know who the candidates are).

"I do think it is critical that Frye supporters orgaqnize *NOW* to get more support for her the first election"

I totally agree. It would be best for the city to have a majority winner on the first ballot.

[Senior citizen]

13. Excellent! That says it all. n/t

[cascadiance]

16. The Cafepress.com shop is up now to get buttons and bumper stickers...

Go to:

http://www.cafepress.com/reelectdonna

and stock up!

[rinsd]

9. Again what poll?

http://www.sandiegometro.com/2005/apr/mayor.php

This alludes to internal polls.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/politics/4313043/detail.html

This has an internet poll that may or may not have been reported on their station

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sdmayor26apr26,1,4058705.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

This article has a great summary of reasons why it was likely he resigned. Notice I don't declare these things facts as you do.

"On edit: You don't seem to know how a recall works. In a recall the first question is if a person should be recalled, and the next question is, if you said yes, which candidate do you want to replace them? The poll showed not only that he would be recalled, but also that Donna Frye would be chosen to replace him. With a recall, no deputy mayor, appointment, or other election is necessary--one recall does it all.)"

Actually that is up to the council to determine. Read your city charter

"If a vacancy occurs by reason of a successful recall election, the Council shall
adopt procedures to fill the vacancy."

Now the council could decide to hold a dual election. But it would still be to their discretion. Now there are also some conflicts with state law that would have to be resolved via lawsuits.

"Exactly how do you happen to know Murphy's secret inner feelings anyway"

I mentioned in passing what I thought was a possible motivation and you come up with that? And you call me 9illogical.

Let's see, the City Attorney is investigating your office and has called for your to resign, within one month you're called one of the worst mayor in the country by Time and there's an MSM pile after that. He just lost some crucial votes that he needed for continuing support of the business community. All these are heavy factors weighing in among many.

Yet according to you, a website and an internet poll are the cause of his resignation?

[cascadiance]

11. There was at least a couple of online polls

on local TV station web sites. I remember one that I linked to right after the announcement that I think was on the Fox affiliate web site. It had her with a roughly 40% share of the vote amongst a number of folks including Ron Roberts at 20%, "Other" at 22%, and Pete Wilson around 12%.

Here's an interesting poll here:

http://www.sdcoastal.org/

Note that in a head-to-head race, Frye is said to beat Ron Roberts with 52% vs. 40% of the vote in a one-on-one vote, so maybe she wouldn't do that bad in a run-off election anyway. Dede Alpert has already pulled out of consideration in this race. I think if the other Dems stay out, I think she's got a good shot!

[rinsd]

12. Online polls mean squat....

...and while the poll you linked to is helpful and encouraging it was taken after he resigned.

In other news, former Police Chief Jerry Sanders has declared. And others are preparing too.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050504/news_7m4mayor.html

[cascadiance]

14. Just in! Ron Roberts NOT running for mayor!

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050504-1237-roberts.html

I'll go over and put this on Latest News as well...

[cascadiance]

15. Article on how there aren't many candidates yet...

Article is speculating on whether it is the sorry state that the city is in and those that might consider running for office avoiding what could be a disaster in front of them, or if the way San Diego mayor is elected necessarily by majority vote (without write-ins) and the potential second election, is also scaring people off because of the short time frame needed to get a constituency together to make it worth their while if they aren't "known". This article was noting that if it were a recall, you'd probably have everyone and their kid brother running, with only a plurality of votes needed to win and take office.

If it stays like it is now, we're guaranteed not to need a second election, with only two candidates in the initial election.

From:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/weblogs/luna/archives/001410.html
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Political Lunacy
Carl Luna's observations on California politics

May 05, 2005
And Then There Were…Two?

Those of us who might have thought Dick Murphy’s surprise resignation would start a stampede of wanna-be mayors to the City Clerk’s office to pull papers now might have to reconsider things. One by one possible candidates are dropping out like flies – perennial also-ran Ron Roberts being the latest to pack up and drop out of the mayoral pack. (Which is a pity, in its own way, because Roberts might well already be mayor but for the write-in campaign last year and might well have had a decent shot this time around.)

And as for the much vaunted and hoped for arrival of some political white knight to suddenly appear and save San Diego from the dragons of corruption and fiscal collapse? Well, former police Chief Jerry Sanders was a blue knight and has a good track record since he hung up the badge, turning around both the finances and reputation of the San Diego United Way organization. And he has status in the community. But does he have the political gravitas to restore confidence in the city in locals outside of San Diego – like San Francisco and New York, where the money boys hang out? As for other potential knights – they all seem to be preoccupied with other crusades these days.

So what if you threw an election and no-one came?

If Murphy hadn’t resigned and there had been a recall (a highly likely prospect, hence the resignation) there no doubt would have been a land-rush for the office. In a recall all challengers go on one ballot--whoever gets the plurality of the vote wins, simple as that. Thus a 20% share of the vote in a multi-candidate field can have a big payoff. That’s why you got the hundreds of would-be governors running in the Davis recall.

...