Oakland Mayor's Race: The Candell Endorsement Problem

Dr. Candell - I didn't endorse him

Note: no endorsement for any mayoral candidate from this space, yet.

When this blogger attended the second Oakland Mayor's Race Forum at The Lakeshore Baptist Church, a sheet of paper was being passed around the audience. It was a petition to have the name of Dr. Terrance Candell on the ballot for the election for Mayor of Oakland. I asked what I was signing before I put my name to the paper; such a signature is not an endorsement of any candidate.

For some reason, my name is listed in the voter guide as endorsing Dr. Candell for Mayor. It's not true.

The news of this problem came from Oakland businessman and once-challenger of Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente (District Five - Fruitvale, Central East Oakland) Mario Juarez, who via Facebook asked if I'd lost my mind.

Of sound mind, certainly.

A call to the City of Oakland City Clerk Office did confirm Mr. Juarez's report. The person on the phone then said they would check the records for the actual paperwork and call back in 15 minutes, but never did. That was shocking.  I'm still waiting for a phone call.

Talked To Dr. Candell

Eventually, Dr. Candell was successfully reached via phone and to his credit, he apologized for any appearance of impropriety. He said his staff had nothing to do with it.  However, he pointed a finger at The City of Oakland.

I consider Dr. Candell and all of the candidates friends and remain pledged to providing fair and honest coverage of the race.  But I have not endorsed Dr. Candell for Mayor of Oakland.

Don Macleay 

But how and why my name is on the official endorser list is beyond me, and is a very scary development. The only blue card I've filled out, which is the document one uses to officially endorse a candidate and give permission for one's name to be used in campaign literature, is for Libby Schaaf, who's running for the Oakland City Council District 4 (Oakland Hills - Montclair) Seat.

That's it.

Planned To Help Don Macleay As Well

What's so weird is that Don Macleay personally asked if I would also help him get on the ballot and while I said I would, never made it over to his event to do so.   Too bad.  I wonder what the person who copied my signature or got the idea I endorsed would have done then?

Whatever the issue, the occurrence of this is disturbing.

Part of me believes that it may have been a conspiracy to do anything to take votes away from Don Perata. The other part of me is weirded-out that I'm such a public figure someone feels they have to do this.   In the future, no one gets an assist from this blogger in this way or in any way that doesn't involve the use of video.

Regardless, here's the word: I've not endorsed Dr. Candell for Mayor of Oakland.

Oakland Campaign Finance Laws Violated

From Pamela Drake-
Oaklanders who want fair elections and who believe that candidates for election to Oakland offices should not violate the laws that they have promised to uphold, should show up at the City Council Rules Committee tomorrow, Oct 1st, at 10:45 AM.

We're asking the Council to close the loophole that lets Don Perata's buddies violate the law on behalf of him and then announce that all bets are off on violating the spirit and intent of our campaign reforms.In what world does this sound remotely ethical; but it may just barely be legal unless we close that loophole now!
Please read:

Open Letter to the Mayor, Oakland City Council, City Attorney, and the Public Ethics Commission:

The Oakland Campaign Reform Act of 2008 was devised to promote good government and to protect Oakland’s electorate from the undue influence of money in the choice of our elected leaders.

Former Senator Don Perata has shown by his actions that he will not abide by those laws, even while he is running for the office of Mayor of Oakland, the position sacredly charged with guarding both the letter and the spirit of those laws.

Months before his TV ads were aired he had almost topped out on the spending limits he had agreed to stand by. Now his friends and employers (organizations that he consults for on an ongoing basis) have overshot the “independent expenditures” limits that were also established by the voters, thereby providing Mr. Perata with the excuse to spend even more money.

Out of the 9 other candidates for mayor, eight of them have pledged to continue following the law as Oaklanders intended it. Only Don Perata has thumbed his nose at his promise and at Oakland voters.

That’s why the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club joins with other Democratic Clubs and good government organizations to demand that: 1) the City Council, along with the City Attorney’s office, immediately enact legislation that corrects the loophole which is now being used to break the spending limits agreed to by all candidates, and 2) demand that the Public Ethics Commission move quickly to enforce all applicable laws.

The Wellstone Club has watched with horror while services in our federal, state, and local governments have decreased while ever more obscene amounts of money are poured into federal, state, and even local campaigns.

The effect of those dollars is the opposite of democracy. As more and more voters perceive that elections are just auctions to the highest bidder, fewer and fewer people choose to vote.

Oaklanders made a statement with this legislation that they did not want their city put on the auction block, and they do not deserve to have their desires ignored and their choices thwarted even by Don Perata.

Sincerely,
Pamela Drake, Local Politics Chair, Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club