Elections have consequences

◼ Multiple Humboldt Correctional Facility Inmates Released Into a Shiny, New Post-Prop 47 World - Andrew Goff/Lost Coast Outpost

On Tuesday, Californians passed Proposition 47 — AKA the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act — which reclassifies drug and theft crimes that involve less than $950 from felonies to misdemeanors.

Less than three days later, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced this morning that it has already freed eight qualifying inmates. There’s certainly more to come.

"It would seem that if you were running for City Council you might want to divulge that you filed a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy petition, just a little over 2 years ago...." UPDATED

◼ Is a Bankruptcy filing by a Eureka City Council candidate relevant information? - John Chiv/Words Worth

Kim Bergel and her husband filed bankruptcy in July of 2012 and listed $222,514 in unsecured creditors along with $233,794 in secured and priority creditors for a total of $524,248.

◼ Bankrupt? You too can pay off $524,248 with just $51,720 - John Chiv/Words Worth
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Soooo........

Here we are. In a year when almost every item on the ballot is asking for MORE money. Which means the budget is Issue #1.

So. This is sad. And yet it is very relevant. Because you're asking for a position that will oversee public funds, and which arguably will make decisions, or pass ordinances which will involve punishing people who don't pay their bills or follow rules.

I've spoken to John, who is working without a scanner, and he has transcribed the documents listed amounts.

And, on another note, I sit here shaking my head, thinking - what if?

What if this were the 'other side'? You'd be seeing interactive charts, complete with analysis, and comments threads with 1,000 denunciations.

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J. Eric Bergel Responds: It's interesting to note Mr. Chiv's obvious bias as evidenced by the fact that he didn't brother to report on Mike Newman's 2004 Chapter 7 (non-repayment) bankruptcy. I'd be curious to know if his pre-economic meltdown bankruptcy was a result of a nearly fatal accident as ours was. I'd also be interested in ascertaining whether or not he made an effort comparable to our nearly four years doing everything within our power to avoid bankruptcy.

We deeply regret the damage we caused to local business as a result of our misfortune. We only exercised our right to protection under the law as an absolute last resort after exhausting all other avenues. Then, against the advice of our attorney, we filed a repayment plan (chapter 13) rather than walking away from our debt (chapter 7) as we were legally entitled to do.

The unfortunate reality is that after all the damage caused by thirty years of trickle down, voodoo economics and deregulation which resulted in the latest devastating economic melt down, financial success can no longer be relied upon as an accurate gauge to measure a person’s intelligence, aptitude, work ethic or character. Because the playing field is no longer level, it makes it very difficult for working class people to achieve or even maintain the American dream.

I understand campaigning for political office often turns to blood sport, especially when a candidate is seriously threatened, but I really do believe in the golden rule as well as the adage that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Perhaps it could be modified in this case to state, those who have soiled there own reputation should not sling mud.

Did you know HumCPR has a show?

◼ Eric Kirk will be a guest on the HumCPR show tomorrow night tonight (the 12th) - SoHum Parlance II

Eric will join Lee Ullansey and at least one other guest to discuss this last election and its aftermath.... Thursday night at 7:00 – KMUD, 91.1 or 88.1 in the north county. ◼ LISTEN LIVE ONLINE

People are talking about it, so...What do YOU think?

◼ MATTHEW IN THE MIDDLE: Four More Years! Four More Years! Four More Years! - LoCo

At least two of the points are relevant here. Maybe more.

LOSERS-

The Paul Gallegos Legacy: when all four candidates campaigned on how bad of a job the current District Attorney is doing, no amount of Richard Salzman spin can help.

Richard Salzman: speaking of, when was the last time Salzman won an election outside of District Attorney? Considering he worked on the Kerrigan and Latour campaigns and went lone wolf on the Firpo campaign (Redwood Progressive email blasts, blog posts, radio call-ins), I guess he got his own version of a trifecta. At least now I don’t have to deal with his ego-drivel on any media source (newsprint, radio, blogs) for another two years.

◼ Election Day - Eric Kirk
◼ Election over. Thank goodness. Campaigns are hard. - Samoa Softball

Historic vote: Fleming to become Humboldt County's first female DA

◼ Maggie Fleming is slated to be the first woman to hold the position of Humboldt County district attorney with a decisive victory over a field of three other candidates. - Will Houston/Times-Standard

...Fleming said she talked with current District Attorney Paul Gallegos on Wednesday and plans to use the next seven months to "make the transition as smooth as possible" in order to "hit the ground running in January."

As a whole, Fleming said the success of the campaign was a result of a countywide focus.

"The community really did want to come together to address public safety, and they made that really clear with the turnout and the votes," she said.
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Let it be known: The DA's Office will soon be under NEW MANAGEMENT, and it will be safe to apply for a job here once again. You will have competent management. Let us hope all the lost positions are filled quickly.

Offer Paul a Golden Parachute. Set him free.

ELECTION RESULTS:

◼ FIRST REPORT 8:06

Maggie Fleming: 63.69%
Élan Firpo: 22.62%

Virginia Bass: 61.61%
Chris Kerrigan: 38.25%

Ryan Sundberg: 65.81%
Sharon LaTour: 33.97%

◼ SECOND REPORT 9:59

Maggie Fleming: 62.92%
Élan Firpo: 23.23%

Virginia Bass: 55.34%
Chris Kerrigan: 44.44%

Ryan Sundberg: 65.81%
Sharon LaTour: 33.97%

◼ The second report of the night has Kerrigan closing the gap on Bass, who still has a commanding lead. - The Journal

◼ THIRD REPORT 10:57

Maggie Fleming: 61.95%
Élan Firpo: 24.34%

Virginia Bass: 53.55%
Chris Kerrigan: 46.21%

Ryan Sundberg: 65.76%
Sharon LaTour: 34.03%

◼ THIRD RESULTS: Bass and Fleming Leads Hold, inc. updates and running coverage - LoCo

◼ ELECTION NIGHT FINAL REPORT

Maggie Fleming: 60.96%
Élan Firpo: 25.80%

Virginia Bass: 53.31%
Chris Kerrigan: 46.46%

Ryan Sundberg: 61.09%
Sharon LaTour: 36.67%

This is it. Election Day

Get out and VOTE!

Tomorrow - My Preferred Candidate Will Win

Or, more likely, two of them will go on for a final round in November.

My Preferred Candidate is AnyBody But Paul.

ABP will win tomorrow, and all of Humboldt County wins as well.

It's a good thing. A long time coming, but a good thing.

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San Jose pot clubs to offer voters free weed on primary day...

◼ California voters can expect to receive free weed from some pot clubs in the Bay Area city of San Jose for casting ballots in state primary elections next Tuesday that include local races and battles for governor and secretary of state. - Reuters

The city’s cannabis collectives, which have also offered up a voter guide to the races, are offering free marijuana and discounts when members show a ballot stub or an “I Voted” sticker on June 3.
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Hey! Isn't that illegal???

Yep. Illegal.

Codifying the ban on voter bribery, the United States Congress has prohibited the conspiracy to encourage illegal voting and stated that anyone who "pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

And that's not just cash for votes that's outlawed there! "Not only is a direct payment for a vote prohibited, but any other 'valuable thing, to or for the use of another.'" Like delicious ice cream, which is very valuable. Or pot which is illegal....

BUT... "California...allows voters to receive incentives for voting, so long as the incentives are not offered to induce a voter not to vote, or to vote, or to refrain from voting for a particular candidate or ballot measure, and so long as no federal candidates are on the ballot." Richard L. Hasen, Vote Buying, 88 Cal. L. Rev. 1323, 1355 (2000) (citing Cal. Elec. Code. § 18522(a)(1996)).

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People are calling about the Rio Dell 'debate'

Arnie has posted: Last night in Rio Dell: I went to a forum and turned it into a debate.....

Here's the ◼ AUDIO.

Here's the ◼ VIDEO.

Well worth a listen...

Apparently very contentious - Discuss.

(THANK YOU, RIO DELL TIMES)

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The political ping-pong ball

◼ Kerrigan’s largest donors were hardware store owner Bill Pierson, who gave his campaign committee $2,000 this period, and former pot doc/environmental activist Ken Miller, who gave $1,850.

No special interests at work here, nosireebob, uh uh, no way, no how.
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Both Kerrigan and LaTour are running because somebody is pissed off about the General Plan being re-examined.

Remember: As the General Plan was being wrapped up, the following passage was discovered, tucked into the County of Humboldt Climate Action Plan (CAPE) which is an Appendix U to the Draft EIR for our local General Plan Update, and may be included as a background document for the Energy Element of the General Plan:
"B. Family Planning

(Big Brother*) The County should support the notion that every woman and every couple should have the resources and the power to control their own reproductive lives. By ensuring that every child in the County is planned, the County will make significant progress toward solving unnecessary increases in local contributions to global warming impacts. The County Public Health Department should implement a program to address the potential of unplanned pregnancies which unnecessarily add to future population increases, which in turn add to further greenhouse gas emissions due to addition(al?) consumption.."

I submit that the people who are pissed off about the re-examination of the General Plan are either ignorant of this fact, or are worried that their other Easter Eggs will be discovered. And they want a chance to put it back in.

NOW - You can ask Ms. LaTour what she thinks about this. As a pastor, it will be very informative to hear what she thinks about government encouraging abortion, and acting like China. Ask Chris Kerrigan, too. Better yet - ask them what Bill Pierson thinks. And Ken Miller the pot doc.

But here's the real question - the General Plan is slated to be FINISHED by December, BEFORE either one would be seated if elected. IF they do get elected, are we to expect that the WHOLE damn process begins again? So they can reinsert that passage, or worse?

The Lovelace/Pierson/Faust/Miller/Kerrigan/LaTour camp created this game of political ping-pong. We should be glad someone stepped in to clean up the mess, and will pass it without crap like that added in there.

No 460 feeding frenzy?

So far, only one mention...

◼ Once again, Maggie outspends her opponents and raises almost twice as much as her opponents - John Chiv/Words Worth
◼ Nothing new here: LoCo's Humboldt Campaign Finances

◼ Ahh, there it is: Election Money, Down to the Wire: Kerrigan Outraises Bass Over Last Two Months; Fleming Dominates DA Contributions - Hank Sims/Lost Coast Outpost

◼ Maggie Fleming PDF
◼ Elan Firpo PDF
◼ Allan Dollison PDF
◼ Arnie Klein
◼ Chris Kerrigan PDF
◼ Virginia Bass PDF
◼ Ryan Sundberg PDF
◼ Sharon LaTour PDF

◼ United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 5 gave Kerrigan $500 yet he shops at WINCO for a fundraiser? - John Chiv/Words Worth
◼ Kerrigan campaign collects union dollars and spends at Winco? WOW! Union conundrum! - Samoa Softball

◼ Sharon LaTour does not file Schedule E, and has no expenses? Are she and Hezekiah Allen roomies now with same address? - John Chiv/Words Worth

◼ Candidates show us the money - Jillian Singh/Times-Standard