Son of Shelley donor was promoted after test score was altered

[davidinalameda]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/01/26/MNG12B0HHF1.DTL

The son of a woman who allegedly funneled questionable donations to Secretary of State Kevin Shelley was promoted in Shelley's office after someone in the office altered the grade on his civil service examination, a top state personnel official said Tuesday.

Floyd Shimomura, executive director of the State Personnel Board, said it appeared Andrew Lee was promoted after his score on the exam was changed from a 23 or 24 out of 60, which does not meet the minimum 70 percent required for passage. He said Lee's hiring is being referred to Attorney General Bill Lockyer's office for further investigation.

Shimomura said the hiring and promotion of Lee and other political supporters appeared to be part of a "spoils system" Shelley's office used to reward his backers. Lee's mother, Julie Lee, is the target of an FBI investigation into whether part of a $500,000 state grant Shelley helped arrange was funneled into his 2002 campaign for secretary of state.

and yet people on here want Shelley to stay in office-this man is corrupt

[EFerrari]

1. Cry me a river

Every politician does this stuff.

I would modestly ask you to look at the bigger picture: THIS MAN IS BEING SMEARED BECAUSE HE DECERTIFIED DIEBOLD.

[genius]

19. Since when is Shelley with the Department of Education?

This seems like nonsense. Also, unless they can trace something directly to him, they can't nail him for it.

[seriousstan]

2. Don't you know all things are OK because "they did it first"?

<Sarcasm off>

It's a race to the moral and ethical bottom and many around here don't want to lose.

[EFerrari]

3. That's baloney.

Shelley is being hustled out of office on ALLEGATIONS. Last time I looked, we had a JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Please spare me the unwarranted moralizing. What is more immoral than judging a man before he has been tried?

Not to mention, it's been nice voting in California.

[seriousstan]

4. Baloney? "Every politician does this stuff."

I think I have backed up my point.

[EFerrari]

6. serioustan, I really don't want to offend you.

Plus, I'm timing myself out.

You nor anyone can condemn Kevin Shelley because you're not a court of law. Am I happy about the rumors flying? No.

But before I go back into the corner, please consider the timing of the smear.

I swear on my childrens' heads this happened. The same day the Chronicle reported Middle Eastern guys downtown with video cams around the BofA pyramid, they put the Shelley story above the fold. Give me a break.

Or don't. (Walking back to the time out chair.) B.

[EFerrari]

5. I'm timing myself out, like my niece does.

Because it's so OBVIOUS that this guy is being preyed upon because he was the first SOS to stand up to the Repugnican voting machine mafia. This is Neocon Standard bait #101.

None of us know if the allegations against him are true. But we're oooh soo willing for him to resign because of smears and rumors and for Ahnold to appoint a Repug.

We get the government we deserve.

Okay, standing in the corner and shutting up.

Beth

[11cents]

7. No one's preventing him from defending himself.

He's not being bodily dragged out of office; if he resigns it's because he *chose* not to defend himself. This business with the son of his backer is just one of many instances in which he's declined to give a good response.

It's unfortunate that the guy who invalidated the electronic voting machines also turns out to be unethical. Sometimes shit just works out that way. People have weaknesses. Because they're good in one arena doesn't mean they're blameless in others. Dealing with facts is better than incessant and unsupported assertions that the guy is being railroaded. I ask you again, if the GOP is setting him up, what was the mechanism. How did the Republicans force the Chronicle, not a GOP newspaper, to run those articles? *All* you've been pointing to is the timing -- but the original Chron articles represented an investigation that had been underway for some time.

[EFerrari]

8. We know two facts

1. He decertified Diebold.
2. He is being accused of daily waffling improprieties. Check it out. The story changes every day.

I believe there is a connection that could be seen with even imperfect vision.

So, no, all I'm pointing to is NOT the timing. It's the force of innuendo to remove Democrats from office. No one is forcing him to leave, true enough. But without support -- at least until these concerns have been sorted out in the courts -- innuendo is enough to drive an unsupported elected official from office.

I've never claimed this guy is clean. I don't know that he is.

As far as the Chron goes, it's not Dem or Repug. It's corporate.

What I am suggesting is that his resignation will have serious consequences for California voters.

[11cents]

9. "Daily waffling improprieties?"

Hardly. And the story doesn't "change every day." All that changes is that new allegations have been added that have are part of the same general picture. They are not "innuendos" and most of them are not trifling. He has failed to respond adequately to them. If they are in fact bogus and he in fact cares about the voters of California, he has a responsibility to respond and not to resign. He doesn't seem to be assuming those responsibilities.

His departure may or may not have serious consequences. That's neither here nor there when it comes to assessing his tenure and what he should do. And again, making charges you can't back up about him being railroaded doesn't help the cause of voting rights.

[yurbud]

11. Shelley resigning DEFINITELY WILL SET BACK VOTING RIGHTS!

Are you guys advocating Shelley resign stupid or GOP shills?

[Wilms]

13. "WILL SET BACK VOTING RIGHTS"

Does Shelley leaving let Diebold back in with hackable equipment?

[yurbud]

18. It lets Arnold pick his replacement

it's only another year until he's done.

[EFerrari]

15. Charges I can't back up? No, the charges against SHELLEY

are myriad, shifting but also unfortunately, snowballing.

Have you been watching this since last summer? I have except for right after the election.

First it was a campaign donation from someone out here in my own neighborhood that was made "improperly". But that didn't stick. Then he was a bad boss who had mood swings and shouted at people. Then he didn't spend HAVA money fast enough. lol Then, he recieved campaign donations at his office. Then I didn't pay attention for a while. Now, they're charging him with running his office as a "spoils" system.

And the smear is working. Today six papers called for his resignation even though there hasn't been a single hearing. Good going, California! Shake hands with Diebold!

First they got our governor so Enron wouldn't have to pay the state back. Now they're going to put in a Katherine Harris in the SOS office. At least the next time they steal a federal election, it will be easy for me to go to the demonstrations. :nuke:

[yurbud]

10. Punish Shelley by replacing him when term expires

[davidinalameda]

14. how is that punishing him

if a third of the allegations are true, he has no business being in office

hell, if any of these allegations are true, he needs to be replaced

[EFerrari]

16. Pretty big IF, isn't it? Meanwhile, the guys in the FLA

Brooks Brothers "riot" have staff jobs in the White House.

[yurbud]

17. it ends his political career without punishing the rest of us

Calling for his resignation right now is like shooting holes in your liferaft when the sharks are circling.

[mitchtv]

20. thanks yurbud,

you are speaking for me. Name Willie Brown as his successor. He'll teach the pukes how to count votes.

[Liberty Belle]

21. Gotta love Willie, one of Calif's all-time most colorful characters.

[yurbud]

12. frankly, allegations sound like business as usual with politicians

of both parties, including how Bush got into the Guard.