Stop Ballot Harvesting -- Don't Wait for CAGOP "Leadership"

Be sure to check Steve Frank's California News & Views throughout the day for breaking news and commentary! Visit http://www.capoliticalreview.com/capoliticalnewsandviews/   Please follow on Twitter  @capoliticalnews Please forward to your friends: FORWARD Rep. Calvert Asks for Ballot Harvesting Legal Clarity March 7, 2019 By Stephen Frank 4 Comments (Edit) Congratulations to Congressman Ken Calvert.  Instead of complaining about dishonest elections, instead of saying you can’t do anything about absent ballot harvest, the practice of collecting ballots without a chain of custody, Calvert has begun the action needed to stop this practice.  He has sent a detailed letter to the Registrar of Voters in Riverside County asking 27 great questions.  This sets up a lawsuit to stop the abusive practice. While the Republican Party in California is spending donated dollars challenging the election of a Chair in the 66th AD, but NOT challenging the absentee ballot harvesting, at least a Member of Congress has started the action needed to end this vile practice—which the North Carolina Democrat Party was able to stop. ““As we’ve seen in North Carolina, the practice of ballot harvesting is ripe for voter fraud,” said Rep. Calvert. “The California Secretary of State and our election officials have provided little if any information on the rules and regulations covering ballot harvesting since Democrats legalized the practice in our state. As a result, we have seen an erosion of voter confidence in the integrity of California’s elections. When unknown third parties are handling hundreds or thousands of ballots with no transparency voters are understandably concerned. Our election laws should always be focused on what protects the confidence and integrity of our elections, not what gives one party an advantage over the other.”  The first priority of a political Party should be to assure honest elections.  Thanks to Congressman Ken Calvert, we have a champion in this effort.  Hopefully the California Republican Party will set this as a priority as well.  What do you think? Rep. Calvert Asks for Ballot Harvesting Legal Clarity Congressman Ken Calvert,  3/4/19 Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) sent a letter to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters seeking information on the application of the California law authorizing the practice known as ballot harvesting. As Democrats in the House of Representatives pursue significant changes to our election laws, many questions remain about the ballot harvesting legalities authorized by the state of California. “As we’ve seen in North Carolina, the practice of ballot harvesting is ripe for voter fraud,” said Rep. Calvert. “The California Secretary of State and our election officials have provided little if any information on the rules and regulations covering ballot harvesting since Democrats legalized the practice in our state. As a result, we have seen an erosion of voter confidence in the integrity of California’s elections. When unknown third parties are handling hundreds or thousands of ballots with no transparency voters are understandably concerned. Our election laws should always be focused on what protects the confidence and integrity of our elections, not what gives one party an advantage over the other.” The letter from Rep. Calvert to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters asks the following: When an individual obtains a vote by mail ballot from a voter and is designated to return it on their behalf, are they required to provide their name, the name of the organization they are working on behalf of or any other identifying information to the voter who is turning over their ballot? Are individuals who collect vote by mail ballots from voters required to document the ballot’s chain of custody in any way? If an individual collects a vote by mail ballot from a voter, are they permitted to turn over that ballot to another individual or organization before it is returned to an authorized voting location? If it is clear that a vote by mail ballot is being dropped off by a person other than the voter – e.g. the person is dropping off more than one ballot – and the envelopes are not signed by the third party, is that documented and is the ballot counted? What identifying information does the Riverside County Registrar of Voters collect from an individual who delivers vote by mail ballots on behalf of other voters? Does the Riverside County Registrar of Voters document and maintain a list of persons who collect and submit vote by mail ballots for others? If such a list is created, is it subject to public disclosure? Is there a numerical threshold in terms of numbers of vote by mail ballots turned in by an individual that triggers an identification requirement? i.e. Is an individual turning in 10 vote by mail ballots required to submit and disclose their personal information? An individual turning in 100 vote by mail ballots? An individual turning in 1,000 vote by mail ballots? What are the eligibility qualifications for an individual who collects and returns vote by mail ballots? Do they have to be an eligible voter? Are non-California residents eligible to collect and return vote by mail ballots? Are non-citizens eligible to collect and return vote by mail ballots? Are foreign nationals in the United States eligible to collect and return vote by mail ballots? Is there a maximum limit or cap on the number of vote by mail ballots an individual is allowed to collect and return? AB 1921 indicates it is unlawful for individuals collecting vote by mail ballots to fail “to deliver the ballot in a timely fashion.” What do you consider to be a timely fashion to return a vote by mail ballot once an individual collects it from a voter? Is a political campaign, including paid staff, allowed to collect and return vote by mail ballots? Is a non-profit organization allowed to collect and return vote by mail ballots? Are businesses, including corporations, allowed to collect and return vote by mail ballots? Is a labor union allowed to collect and return vote by mail ballots? Is a church allowed to collect and return vote by mail ballots? AB 1921 makes it unlawful for anyone to provide any form of compensation based on the number of vote by mail ballots collected and returned. Are there any other restrictions on compensating individuals collecting and returning vote by mail ballots? Are campaigns permitted to hire private outside vendors to conduct vote by mail ballot collection and return activities so long as they do not provide compensation based on the number of ballots collected? Are individuals collecting vote by mail ballots required to disclose to the voter turning over their ballot if they are collecting ballots on behalf of an organization or campaign? Are individuals collecting vote by mail ballots required to disclose to the voter turning over their ballot if they are being compensated to collect ballots? How can a voter that turned over their vote by mail ballot to an individual who indicated they would return it verify whether or not the ballot was returned? If a voter that turned over their vote by mail ballot to an individual who indicated they would return it believes the ballot was not submitted in a timely fashion as required by law, what recourse do they have? You currently document and make public whether a voter cast a ballot in an election and, if they did vote, which method the voter used to cast a ballot. Do you have a new category to document ballots cast utilizing the ballot collection methods authorized by AB 1921? When vote by mail ballots are returned by an individual, what procedures do you and your staff follow to ensure the ballots were not tampered with? If physical evidence, such as opened and taped envelopes or a high frequency of spoiled ballots, was present in a batch of vote by mail ballots returned by an individual, what steps would you take? Background: Two years ago, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law AB 1921, which legalized the practice known as ballot harvesting. Specifically, the law changed Section 3017 of the Election Code and allows any person to collect a vote by mail ballot from an eligible voter and turn in the ballot to a polling place or a registrar of voter’s office. The only restriction written into the law was a prohibition on compensating an individual based on the number ballots that person returns. Dear readers, please help my readership grow by passing it around. If some one sent this to you, and you would like your own subscription, you can sign up here: http://eepurl.com/UAspv Note: No trees were killed in the sending of this message,  but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

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"Begging the Question": Stuart Varney Calls Out CAGOP Chairman Over Dem Takeover of California

Stuart Varney on the Fox Business Network interviewed California Republican Party chairman Jim Brulte earlier this month.

He asked Brulte plainly: If Democrats are doing such a terrible job ruining the state of California, how come they continue to get elected? How come they have total power?

The Chairman trotted out the same hollow talking points about the massive demographic shift which has washed over the state of California.

There was no mention of the decaying public schools which indoctrinate students to have the United States and the rule of law. No one talked about the rapacious public sector unions which take from everyone else to enrich themselves, then use the same taxpayer dollars to buy politicians who give them more pensions and benefits.

There was definitely not discussion about illegal immigration, which has overwhelmed the state, ruined the quality of life, corrupted the voter rolls, and has undermined the legitimate franchise of all California citizens.

Add to this mess the fact that California Republicans are more interested in playing nice and losing with grace than actually winning anything. Local leaders in different counties have gone to great lengths to shut down dissent or remove "difficult" members who actually want to win elections and shape the culture of the state of California.

The "Demographic change" argument is stale and flat. The sheer laziness of Republican Party leaders, and the accomodationist attitude of elected officials has turned off so many voters. I have called Republicans in a number of contests, and they spend more time arguing with the internal staff or look to shut down conservatives rather than fight for political or cultural victories.

Republicans in Los Angeles County Central Committees don't seem interested in winning. They would rather lose but still get invited to all the "kool kidz' parties". The voters in the state of California need to revolt en masse against the political class in this state, or they need to invest in breaking out of California governance and setting up their own independent states.

The leadership from Chairman Brulte is not good enough. There is no voter registration. No one seems interested in making any kind of difference. They have no problem with drifting away from the from any kind of relevance. To keep blaming "demographics" is simply not acceptable. We need to get into the education system or devise some substitute to higher education which will shut down the indoctrinary poison in our universities.

I am fed up with the excuses, and I also find it offensive that people look at someone with slightly different skin color and automatically decided "it's hopeless". Not good enough. Stop begging the question, and starting giving answers, Chairman!

Domestic Violence in California: Lockyer's Wife Gets Locked Up

From The Nooner:

THE SAD STORY: I don't write on the relationship of former AG Bill Lockyer and Nadia Davis Lockyer, as it has been a sad story played out on social media. Since I'm Facebook "friends," I consider that non-public information. However, it's now gone public with Nadia's arrest on allegations of spousal abuse at a Tuolumne County vacation home on Thursday, reports the Bee's Adam Ashton.

Bill Lockyer served as Treasurer and Attorney General.

He was actually a fairly conservative voice in Sacramento.

He may have helped balance budgets in Sacramento, but his home life is very imbalanced:

Nadia, who has a history of substance abuse problems, reportedly had a blood alcohol level of 0.22%, and allegedly was throwing objects at Bill. A neighbor reported the situation, leading to the arrest.

As Adam notes, Nadia's Facebook posts have vacillated over the month from praising Bill on Father's Day to another post earlier this week that accused Bill of physical and mental abuse, repeating one from earlier this year. The post has been removed, and the latest is a posting by a "friend" with the Twelve Steps.

AA is a cult. The Lockyer family is in big trouble if they are resorting to Bill Wilson's loony, wanna-be spiritual program for help/

It's frankly very sad. We all know that Bill is short-tempered, particularly those of us who were at the Assembly "gate" in the Capitol at the end of session in 1996 in a fight over tribal gaming. It ended publicly before a couple of dozen lobbyists in the hallway with Bill yelling at Assemblyman Phil Isenberg, "Well, f*ck you Mr. Term Limited." 

Wow!

Lockyer needs to lock up his mouth, but the funny thing about this article is that ... the wife was arrested for domestic violence charges!

Nadia got arrested!

Readers should note that women attack their husbands, too. There are clear cases of women charged and convicted for domestic violence. No man should ever feel ashamed to report on his wife if she attacks him. Sometimes, it's the only way to ensure that she is locked up and put away forever.

It's the saddest story of a political couple in my career and wish the two and their kids the best.

Final Reflection

We are no descending into an epic chaos, in which the elected officials act more like undocumented politicians, with no regard for their private as well as their public lives. If a man cannot govern his own household, what business does he have serving in any elected office or under title of trust?

SB 96: The "Stifle Recall" Bill? The "Save Josh Newman" Bill?

State Senator Joel Anderson is launching the latest campaign against another bad bill in Sacramento.

Or is it?

Check out his eblast:

Dear Friends,   Some of my colleagues are trying to steal your voice by changing the recall election rules with Senate Bill 96.   If passed, this measure would put new obstacles in the way of qualifying a recall election for the ballot and make it hard for you to recall any legislator you believe to be unethical, corrupt or incompetent.   I believe that when Senators believe keeping power is more important than serving people, that breeds corruption. Here’s my floor speech on yesterday regarding the effort to game the system to protect those that are currently in power: https://youtu.be/sRDSX_phl7s I need your help. The vote for SB 96 is on Thursday. Will you call your legislators and tell them not to steal your voice?   As always, it’s an honor to serve you.   Sincerely,   Joel Anderson Senator  P.S. If you have family or friends who would be interested in receiving this legislative alert, please forward this email to them. If you were forwarded this email and would like to receive alerts like this in the future, please click here to sign up for my newsletter.   In case you missed it Stacking the Deck on Elections (Fox & Hounds): http://bit.ly/2rfUADo Democrats push new rules to help them win an election (SacBee): http://bit.ly/2sv2zAF Democrats seek a change in California recall elections, and it could help an embattled state senator (LA Times): http://lat.ms/2rp0h6d California Democrats push to change recall election rules (CBS): http://bit.ly/2syROx6 Website:  www.sen.ca.gov Email:  senator.anderson@sen.ca.gov El Cajon District Office 500 Fesler Street, Suite 201 El Cajon, CA 92020 619-596-3136 619-596-3140

I looked over one part of this legislation--at least what I received from reports.

Recalls are a part of the political process

This bill, if passed into law, would allow signatories to recall an elected official--to remove their signatures more easily if they changed their minds.

One source has told me that this move is not about the Josh Newman Recall, but actually it's about saving Democrats who will face massive recalls from the Nurses Union when the Democratic state assembly reps vote down the signle-payer bill SB 562.

Get out the popcorn, folks -- politics in the State of California is about to get a whole lot rougher!

Why California Democrats Rarely Stray in Sacramento: The Case of Rudy Salas

There is little independence for elected officials in Sacramento.

Especially if you are a member of the majority.

Republicans often allow individual members independence.

Democratic members, however, must do what they are told by the leadership and the corrupt interests running the state capital, not what the individual voters want.

It's truly shameful.

Once in a while a Democrat will NOT do what he is told ... and this is what happens:

Assembly Democrat stripped of committee chairmanship aftervoting against gas tax increase (from the Sacramento Bee)

Nearly two weeks after breaking with fellow Democrats to vote against a bill raising California fuel taxes, Assemblyman Rudy Salas of Bakersfield has lost the chairmanship of a prime legislative committee.

On Monday, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced that he had removed Salas from his position heading the politically lucrative Assembly Business and Professions Committee, which handles consumer regulations, occupational licensing and product labeling bills.

Something else worth nothing.

The same Speaker also has the power to remove minority party members from key committees.

It should come as no surprise, then, that there is so much cowardice in Sacramento.

Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, will take over as the committee chair, while Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, will get Salas’ vacancy. Salas was moved to the Assembly Rules Committee, which assigns bills to relevant policy committees and makes other decisions to administer the house.

HA HA! More members in Sacrmento should stand up to the Speaker, though. People claim that Washington is dysfunctional, but the truth is members are flexing their muscles and not allowing intra-party caucus politics to determine their votes on issues.

Rendon, who called Salas “a very good friend of mine, a longtime friend of mine, a very valuable member of our caucus,” did not directly address the connection between Salas’ vote and the committee changes.

Of course he wouldn't! No one ever connects the dots for the public. Ever. Another example of this? That the fas tax hike is not really for the roads, but for the welfare class that votes for a living.

“We’ve had a lot of success and I wanted to make sure we continue to have success,” Rendon said. “Obviously, it’s my prerogative to make changes from time to time.”

Discussing his vote publicly for the first time, Salas said in an interview that he opposed SB 1 because of a campaign promise that he would not support any new taxes unless they went before voters for approval.

A California Democratic assemblyman who keeps a campaign promise? I am shocked. Shocked I tell you!

Punishment is not uncommon for legislators who cross their party leadership.

Here we go ...

Former Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, was famously booted to an office across the street from the Capitol after abstaining on a budget vote in 2008. In 2011, then-Assemblyman Anthony Portantino of La Cañada Flintridge accused the then-speaker of slashing his office funding for being the lone Democratic holdout on the budget.

Portantino fought back and won.

Final Reflection

Now you see what Sacramento politicians don't do what the voters want.

Period.