Warning: Scam asks Dems to support a REP to replace Shelly!

[Liberty Belle]

There is an e-mail circulating that claims to have advice from informed voting rights activists, urging DEMS to call Schwarzenegger and ask him to appoint Ross Johnson as Secretary of State instead of another candidate who is supposedly a right-winger. The email claimsm Johnson coauthored some good voting reform legislation.

JOhnson is a Republican!

I suspect this group is a GOP-front to scam Democrats.
Please call your legislators ASAP and urge them to oppose ANY Republican nominee. Also call Schwarzenegger with the same message, and oppose any Republican.

Finally, please forward this warning far and wide so that nobody else will get scammed and support the next Kenneth Blackwell for CA.

Miriam R.

[Kip Humphrey]

1. This email circulated through the Kucinich groups today

[Peace Patriot]

2. Conny McCormack, DEMOCRAT, L.A. County elections registrar, and...

...wholly in thrall to Diebold, is more than likely going to be the new Sec of State, according to Andy. Bad, bad, bad appointment.

Some Democrats are BAD on this issue! Beware!

I'm not familiar with Ross Johnson's bills on election reform.

Here's his bio from Orange Coast College (he's a thorough-going rightwinger):

Ross Johnson (Inducted in 1995)
California State Senator, 35th District

A lifelong resident of Orange County, and a graduate of Anaheim High School, Ross attended Orange Coast College from 1958 through 1960 and was a member of the college's swimming and water polo teams. He completed his education at California State University, Fullerton and Western State University College of Law. Ross served as Republican Assemblyman from the 72nd District in North Orange County for 17 years. He earned a reputation in the Legislature as an advocate of tough anti-crime legislation, and is a strong supporter of the death penalty. He led the statewide campaign to remove Rose Bird from the California Supreme Court, and was coauthor of the "Three Strikes, You're Out" law. Last May, Ross was elected Senator from the 35th Senate District, which includes Orange Coast College. He is a member of the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Criminal Procedure Committee, the Insurance Committee and the Committee on Revenue and Taxation.

http://www.occ.cccd.edu/people/hall/people/johnson.html

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Comments on Johnson at the web site of his rightwing replacement (in the Senate): for instance, Johnson has been "fighting for taxpaying Californians."

http://www.campbellforsenate.com/press.php?id=1


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Comment from a gay web site: (--Don Perata said THAT?!! I'm amazed. They link to a SJ Mercury News article...need subscription.) (Perata's the new Dem majority Prez Pro Tem of the Ca Senate.)

February 04, 2005

Ross Johnson to replace Kevin Shelley?

Secretary of State Kevin Shelley looks to be on his way out, especially when the Democrat President Pro Tempore of the Senate is naming possible successors. Unfortunately, Perata's choice to replcace Shelley might be even worse:

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, the gatekeeper for any Shelley successor, said he would ``do anything I could'' to help former state Sen. Ross Johnson win confirmation if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger taps the Orange County Republican to take over the elections office.

``This is an off-the-rack guy that exactly suits the problem at hand,'' said Perata, an Oakland Democrat. ``We would be fortunate to have someone like Ross.''

Senator Johnson, as you may recall, was responsible for placing Prop 60 on the ballot last year in an effort to rebuff efforts to create an open Primary in California. A court later ruled that Johnson illegally tied the closed-primary initiative to an item to sell off surplus property. The would-be Secretary of State also had his hands in moving around the California primaries on several occasions in order to get around implactions of potential redistricting and campaign finance reform measures. He is a consummate insider's insider, proving himself more likely to represent the interests of Sacramento politicians than those who are supposed to be electing them.

http://boifromtroy.com/archives/003566.php

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Note: I'm trying to find out if this is the same Ross Johnson who has headed the most corrupt agency in Calif.--the Department of Forestry--but I don't think he is. The Ross Johnson being touted for Sec of State would have been in the Assembly during that period. It appears to be just a coincidence of names. The Ross Johnson being spoken of for Sec of State is bad enough as he is.

[Helga Scow Stern]

3. How is he arrayed with Conny McCormack? Will he support and

listen to her?

[troubleinwinter]

4. What "informed voting rights activists"??

I never got that annonymous email that is "circulating".

I don't know if Johnson is a right winger. Some days ago, I looked into his history regarding the voting issue in California, when I read that he was "one of the front-runners" for the SoS position.

Face it... a Republican will be appointed. Given that, what repub do you want in there? Look here:

__________________________________________________________

Ross Johnson, a repub. He appears to have a clue about electronic voting machines, and helped lobby Shelley to decertify Diebold. He is supposedly respected by dems., as someone they can work with.

...........

"With electronic voting problems buffeting several counties during last week's presidential primary, a bipartisan pair of state senators called Thursday for mothballing the new machines until all the glitches can be worked out.

Sens. Don Perata, an Oakland Democrat, and Ross Johnson (R-Irvine) sent a letter to the state's top election official asking that the new e-voting systems not be used in November's presidential election.

The pair also told Secretary of State Kevin Shelley they are prepared to push through emergency legislation to force decertification of electronic voting systems deployed in 14 California counties constituting 40% of the state electorate.

Although most counties reported no problems with the new systems, some of the most populous — Orange, Alameda and San Diego counties — experienced snafus that sullied election day and sent ripples of outrage around the state.

http://www.civilrights.org/campaigns/election_reform/de...

.................................................

"The latest skirmish started earlier this month after state senators Don Perata, D-Oakland, and Ross Johnson, R-Irvine, called on Shelley to decertify the electronic machines....
........

Perata and Johnson said they made the request because of the large number of voters who were disenfranchised during the primary. The machines should be decertified until all problems are adequately addressed, said Perata.

“Democracy is too important to leave up to machines,” said Johnson.

The senators cited an analysis conducted by the Los Angeles Times which reported that approximately 7,000 voters in Orange County alone were provided incorrect electronic ballots. Other widespread problems were reported in San Diego.

Other California politicians have weighed in as well, including U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who in February introduced legislation that would require electronic machines nationwide to produce a voter-verified paper trail.
.....

Asked at a press conference what counties that have already purchased and set up touch-screen voting systems should do in case the machines are decertified, Perata responded that “counties can simply use ...paper based systems.”

http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:VjSi4UI2yhoJ:elect...

[Helga Scow Stern]

6. Good to know. They are crabbing about how much the printers will cost:

Adding E-Voting Printers Could Cost $23 Million, Counties Say
# Some jurisdictions have paper-trail capability included in their costs already. Others will have to find the money, but may be reimbursed

snip--
The Legislature and Schwarzenegger called for the change last year after heavy lobbying from activists who say printed records provide security against fraud and equipment malfunction. The paper trail also can be used for recounts.

Once voters make their ballot choices on electronic machines, they will be able to view printouts to make sure they match the choices they made electronically. The printouts will be kept behind a glass screen so voters won't be able to take copies with them. Instead, the receipts will be stored and available in case they're needed for a recount.

"Electronic voting machines pose new risks that weren't present with our old voting systems," said David Wagner, a computer science professor at the University of California. "There's a new risk of wholesale fraud on a very large scale where one individual could affect hundreds of thousands or millions of votes.


EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT
--snip


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-machines7feb07,1,7749630.story?coll=la-news-politics-california

[Moderator]

7. Ojai Person

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.

DU Modertor

[Helga Scow Stern]

5. Listen to this interview with McCormack and Romero and Jones

http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:U_-iWPLHnd0J:www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/index.shtml+romero+%2B%22conny+mccormack%22&hl=en&client=firefox-a

Listen intelligently--it seems onesided while it is appearing to be nonbiased.

Secretary of State Kevin Shelley Resigns
< Listen >
Secretary of State Kevin Shelley resigned from office on Friday, and the California Democratic Party lost what most considered a “rising star” on the political scene. Shelley was plagued by investigations into campaign finances and his conduct in office. His resignation becomes effective March 1st. Experts join Host Larry Mantle to discuss the story and to speculate on whom Governor Schwarzenegger will appoint to take Shelley’s place. Larry's guests are: Bill Jones, Former Secretary of State; Conny McCormack, Register Recorder for Los Angeles County; Gloria Romero, State Senator representing the 24th district; and Sherry Bebitch-Jeffe, Political Analyst and Senior Scholar at the School of Public Policy Planning and Development at USC.

[Helga Scow Stern]

8. New SoS named--McPherson, a Moderate R from Santa Cruz

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1230240

It all depends on whether or not he listens to Conny.