Help me to write a blog article defending Kevin Shelley.

[Eric J in MN]

Regarding the state auditor report critical of Kevin Shelley, my gut instinct is that he's a good man who is being railroaded.

But how would one answer this?

Audit Says Shelley Mishandled Vote Funds

By Tim Reiterman and Nancy Vogel, Times Staff Writers

SACRAMENTO — Secretary of State Kevin Shelley mismanaged millions of dollars in federal funds intended for voter education and new election machines, a blistering state audit concluded Thursday.

The report asserted that Shelley used some of the $46 million from an election reform program to pay contractors who attended partisan political events and wrote speeches for him. At the same time, counties were waiting months for their share of money to buy sorely needed voting equipment.

State Auditor Elaine M. Howle's findings not only confirm many allegations raised in recent news reports but for the first time demonstrate the depth of management problems attributed to the state's chief elections officer — and the state's potential liability for his lapses.

The 70-page assessment concluded that no one was in charge of California's efforts to implement the sweeping reforms adopted by Congress after the 2000 presidential election. It portrayed Shelley's office as poorly run, willing to bend the rules and overwhelmed.

Auditors also suggested that the state elections office may have paid too much for services such as legal advice, information technology and voter outreach. Shelley repeatedly circumvented state regulations by awarding dozens of no-bid contracts, some to his Democratic political associates.

What is the law in California on no-bid contracts?

Is it standard for a California Dept. not to arrange bids for all the work it contracts?

[Liberty Belle]

1. This is a scam to help rig the voting in CA.

I suspect the GOP wants to get rid of Kelly because he sued Diebold and tried to protect voters from electoral fraud. An article I saw in today's San Diego Union-Tribune mentioned that one of the "complaints" against him was being slow to adopt voting technology (ie, riggable machines).

Part of their strategy is to put in place Republican Secretaries of State who will use every tactic--legal and illegal--to obstruct justice and prevent Democrats' votes from being counted. Look at Kenneth Blackwell in Ohio and Katherine Harris in Florida.

This has Karl Rove written all over it. Rove, after all, helped engineer the recall election that gave us Schwarzenneger--another Rovian puppet.

[Eric J in MN]

2. I agree with everything you wrote, but if

I'm going to write a blog article in defense of Kevin Shelley, I also need to be able to explain how the no-bid contracts aren't as bad as the phrase "no-bid contracts" sound.

[Liberty Belle]

3. I know. But I'm not familiar with the law here.

You might try posting your request in the California section of this forum (see a state and national forums section on the left of the "Discussions" screen).

[Eric J in MN]

4. This is the California secttion (nt)

nt

[Niche]

5. BS! He worked his ass off to get electronic voting out of CA!

P.S. look into the CA law suit (won) against Deibold.

[cally]

6. California has fairly strict rules on no-bid contracts

When I worked for the state (10 plus) years ago, it was very difficult to award no-bid contracts. You have to get several bids. I knew of many contract proposals that went out that almost listed a company by name so the agency could contract with one particular company. The agency did that because it was so difficult to justify a no bid contract.

I, peronally, don't support Shelley. Look at the SF Chronicle series of articles on him. There's much that is concerning. I also think it's telling that no Dems are out there supporting him.

[Semi_subversive]

7. I am the Contracting Officer for a state agency

And yes, you have to go thru a lot of hoops to award a no-bid contract, especially since Gray Davis f'd up with the Oracle debacle. About the only time problems are discovered with CA contracts is when the normal process has been bypassed by the big-wig appointees. And then those of us who follow the rules to a tee have to take the hit.

[mitchtv]

8. sounds like Dems will be dems and do what they did to Davis

that is, trade a less than perfect Dem for a perfect republican. then the republicans win in '08 with a gop SOS. We are so screwed. Senator gropenator, too in '06

[davidinalameda]

9. just because he has a D after his name doesn't make him right

check out this SF Chron editorial about him

he needs to go

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/12/20/EDGD99EPG71.DTL

[mitchtv]

10. after the primary the D is all that counts

unless you wanna see 55 votes for the GOP in '08

[Capn Sunshine]

11. I just read that article- it sounds like a partisan witch hunt

This issue has snookered a lot of well meaning folks, but i can't help think that at it's core it's about Shelly thwarting Diebolds plans to put in their demonstrably flawed equipment, which is what Shelly sued over in the first place.

The main charges are that he didn't do this qucik enough. Sound familiar? Ask a Floridian.

Let Shelly have his complete audit. If he were truly up to no good, would he ask for an independent audit of his department? I doubt it.

No, something in this anti-Shelly movement does NOT pass the smell test.

In fact, it reeks.

[Peace Patriot]

12. This was a witch-hunt led by L.A. County Elections head Connie...

...McCormack, who is now applying to the Voting Systems and Procedures Panel (hearing 3/17, public comment due 3/10) for an exemption from Shelley's rules (specifically the one that requires a Voter Verified Audit Trail for the 2006 election). McCormack has been rabidly anti-Shelley and pro-Diebold! (She is a Democrat!)

See: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x336599

Now McCormack's won (got rid of Shelley) and we have no Secretary of State to protect voters' rights at that hearing.

Don Perata and Gloria Romero were also involved in destroying Shelley.

Got to face it, our own Dem Party is a snakepit of corruption. Got to clean house.

Shelley's "sins" were nothing--nothing!--compared to the sins of the people he was fighting--the people who gave us Stolen Election II.

I'm sick at heart, but still fighting. We MUST protect and improve the integrity of our elections in California, and throughout the U.S. That's what we have to do. Get busy!