The Desert Sun and its online edition, mydesert.com, detailed the California Fair Political Practices Commission complaint against the Perez campaign for the 80th Assembly District for unfair practices during the California Democratic Party convention in San Jose.  For the entire article, refer to FPPC Complaint Alleges Candidate Skirting Campaign Advertising Disclosure.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission confirmed today that someone filed a complaint against 80th Assembly District Democratic candidate Manuel Perez accusing him of failing to disclose who paid for his campaign advertising.

The complaint was filed against the Coachella School Board trustee April 4.

“It’s obvious some people want to manipulate rules and don’t want to follow them,” said Greg Rodriguez, who filed the complaint. “I think everybody needs to be scrutinized by the rules they follow.”

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Rodriguez is a Greg Pettis for 80th Assembly District supporter, a candidate for the Palm Springs Unified School District board, and a Sen. Hillary Clinton delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this summer.  Pettis, a Cathedral City Councilman and former-Mayor Pro-tem, is the leading candidate and leading fundraiser of the four Democratic contenders for the 80th AD.

According to The Desert Sun,

Perez says he’s complied with the law.

“It’s one thing or another,” he said. “We’ve got more important things to do like walk the streets and talk to voters.”

Apparently one of the more important things that the Perez campaign has to do is voter intimidation in the Coachella Valley.  Perez’ Campaign Director, Amalia Deaztlan, was reported to intimidate one of Pettis’ Latino supporters and endorsers at the Democrats of the Desert Annual Banquet on Saturday, April 5, 2008, harshly pinching him in a manner usually applied by Latino adults to recalcitrant children, telling him after he refused to switch his allegiance from Pettis to Perez, “You are no longer one of us!”  In addition, Perez supporters have attempted to intimidate Pettis bloggers and diarists with threats and accusations.

Created with a ballot initiative in 1974, The Fair Political Practices Commission was created in a 1974 ballot initiative to investigate campaign violations of the Political Reform Act and imposes administrative penalties.

The FPPC will notify Rodriguez in writing by Friday whether the department will investigate or not, said Roman Porter, a department spokesman. Porter would not speculate on the merits of the complaint.

“One advantage of having a formal complaint signed under penalty of perjury is to reduce frivolous complaints,” he said.

State law requires disclosure on campaign advertising when advocating for or against a candidate or ballot measure.

Perez supporters created and distributed fliers advertising the Perez candidacy at the CDP convention in order to attempt to revoke the party endorsement of Pettis for the 80th AD which he obtained with over 70% of the Democratic Club votes at the Moreno Valley confab.  Perez supporters created the advertisements without any FPPC-required denotations as required for the mass production of campaign materials.  Perez supporters to date have not reported exactly how many fliers were created for distribution.  Under FPPC regulations, mass-produced advertisements are often regulated when created in numbers of 200 or greater.

XPosted 4/13/2008 10:48 AM PDT on MyDesert.com in blog of BluePalmSpringsBoyz

The campaign Director for the Manual Perez, Democratic candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District seat to replace the termed-out, thank God, Bonnie Garcia, stood in front of the monthly meeting of the Desert Stonewall Democratic Club (DSD) and had the temerity to mislead the 45 or so members and friends of the club about Perez’ stated positions on LGBT issues, particularly Marriage Equality.

Yesterday, April 12, 2008, the DSD under the chair of George Zander, conducted its monthly meeting at the Desert Pride Center from 10:20 a.m. until approximately 12:00 noon.  During the course of the meeting, candidates and their representatives discussed the progress and status of their respective campaigns.  Amalia Deaztlan, campaign director for Perez, spoke eloquently about Perez’ campaign until she claimed that Perez supported Marriage Equality.  Sources from DSD and the Pettis campaign inform this writer that the group erupted in incredulous comments.  

As stated previously in this blog, Perez has had a number of occasions to speak publically on Marriage Equality and other campaign issues before the Coachella Valley Democratic Clubs and each time has refused to state that he will vote ‘Yea’ on the State Assembly Marriage Equality Bill.  On other occasions, for instance at the Sun City Democratic Club meeting and elsewhere, Perez has stated that he is not part of ‘the Alternative Life-style,’ thus pandering to those whom he sees as anti-gay and anti-Greg Pettis, the leading Democratic candidate for the 80th AD and an openly-gay Cathedral City Councilman who clearly and unequivocably supports Marriage Equality and will vote ‘yea.’

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Pettis spoke to DSD about his full support for and plans to vote on the floor of the State Assembly for Marriage Equality, protection of students’ rights in the schools when faced with discrimination and hate speech based on their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, same-sex adoptions, domestic partnership in the face of inability to marry, and other LGBT issues.  Pettis drew clear distinctions between his clearly stated positions and planned votes and Perez’ equivocations and non-specificity regarding his voting intentions.

DSD members registered their disbelief during and following the presentations (e.g., GZ, RS, BCG, GP, RO, TT, et al.).  Perhaps the campaign director ought to check with the candidate on how wide his stance is on LGBT issues rather than making assumptions based on her own clear support for LGBT issues.

Perez’ lack of support on LGBT issues forms the basis for the fact that not a single Democratic Club in the 80th Assembly District has endorsed for State Assembly, while Pettis enjoys the endorsements of the Desert Stonewall Democrats, the Palm Springs Democratic Club, the Pass Democratic Club, the Inland Empire Stonewall Democratic Club, the San Diego Democratic Club, Desert Hot Springs Democratic Club President Will Pieper, Desert Hot Springs Democratic Club co-founder Chuck McDaniel, Palm Springs Democratic Club co-founder Lisa Arbalaez, Palm Springs Democratic Club former Co-chair Robert Lee Thomas, Pass Democratic Club President Jacqueline Atwood, and Sun City Democratic Club President Arnie Kaminsky.  In addition, the Victory Fund, the Nation’s largest LBGT Political Action Committee, endorsed Pettis for Assembly.

Pettis also has the support and/or endorsements of most of the LGBT community leaders and activists while Perez has little to no support in the community.  Supporters and/or endorsers of Pettis in the LGBT community include U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, State Assemblyman Mark Leno, State Assemblywoman Carole Migden, Cathedral City Councilman and Candidate for Mayor of Cathedral City Paul Marchand, Desert Hot Springs City Councilman Karl Baker, Palm Springs City Councilwoman Ginny Foat, and Palm Springs City Councilman Rick Hutcheson.  Not a single LGBT current elected has announced support for or endorsed Perez for Assembly.

LGBT community activists supporing Pettis include Palm Springs Democratic Club Co-Chair Sandy Eldridge, Palm Springs Democratic Club Co-Chair David Pye, DSD Treasurer Bob Silverman, DSD Steering Committee Member Donald W. Grimm, Ph.D., DSD Steering Committee Member, Richard Oberhaus, DSD Steering Committee Member Lyn Worley, LGBT Community Activist Bill Cain-Gonzalez, LGBT Community Activist and Blogger Bond Shands, and LGBT Community Activist Steven M. Smith.  Very few if any LGBT community activists have announced support or endorsements of Perez.

Other Democratic leaders who fully support the LGBT community and who endorsed Pettis include Califorrnia Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, California State Controller John Chiang, former-State Controller Steve Westley, State Board of Equalitzation Boardmember Judy Chu, State Senate President Pro-tem Don Perata, State Senator Christine Kehoe, State Senator Sheila Kuehl, State Senator Darrell Steinberg, State Assemblyman Mike Eng, State Assemblyman John Laird, State Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, State Assemblyman Ted Lieu, former-State Assemblyman Paul Koretz, former-State Assemblyman Fran Pavley, former 80th Assembly District Candidate Mary Ann Andreas, Riverside Mayor Ronald Loveridge, Riverside City Councilwoman Nancy Hart, West Hollywood Mayor John Duran, West Hollywood Mayor Pro-tem John Heilman, former Coachella Mayor Juan DeLara, former Brawley Mayor Orbie Hanks, El Centro City Councilwoman Sedalia Hanks, El Centro School Board Trustee Diana Newton, and Palm Springs School Board Trustee Meredy Schoenberger.

Pettis enjoys widespread support in the LGBT and LGBT-friendly communities because of his clearly stated positions and his commitment to vote ‘yea’ on Marriage Equality.  Perez equivocates and has never stated in a public forum that he supports Marriage Equality and will vote ‘yea’ on the measure when it again hits the State Assembly floor for a vote.

LGBT community members and activists know equivocation when they see it.  LGBT members also know not to trust someone who does not fully commit to the issues in advance, knowing betrayal is not a pretty face to behold.  Ask Perez tomorrow on the Calitics podcast why he will not commit in public to vote ‘yea’ on Marriage Equality.  

LGBT Californians and our supporters cannot afford Perez’ equivocations on Marriage Equality and other LGBT issues.

Based on a Post 4/11/2008 6:02 PM PDT on MyDesert.com in BluePalmSpringsBoyz blog

My first exposure to Statistics was in undergraduate school. One of our textbooks was Huff’s “How to Lie With Statistics.”  (Before you question my Statistical knowledge, I also had two semesters, six credits, of Statistics in my Master’s program, and another two semesters, six credits, of same in my doctoral program.)  Oh, the perils of using statistics in either a naive manner or purposefully misrepresenting these little guys.  Seems that bethcaskie, aka soyinkafan, the former a new blogger to mydesert.com has intimate knowledge of this text and put it to good use in her first posting re the Binder Poll recently released. Shame on bethcaskie for her misleading blog title and for the loose interpretation of the Binder Poll.

Bethcaskie entitled her piece, dramatically claiming that Manuel Perez, Vice-President of the failed Coachella Valley Unified School District board and Democratic candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District, leads in the Binder polling. Then she articulated that Perez and Greg Pettis, Cathedral City Councilman, were actually tied in the poll! How then is Perez ahead? This is a shameful misrepresentation of the facts.

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According to Pettis campaign officials, the actual Binder Poll shows Pettis ahead of his nearest Democratic challenger by 7 percentage points amongst likely primary and general election voters.  Is this the same poll that bethcaskie referenced?  Seems a little askew.  In the Pettis campaign press release, Petts has 22 percent of the total vote and his nearest Democratic challenger has only 15 percent.  Supposing that it is Perez with the 15 percent, and this is a hasty assumption since I do not have access to the polling date, this is hardly either a statistical tie or a manifestation of Perez leading in the poll, even should he be the second-place finisher.

Then, bethcaskie claimed that with ‘education’ the voters dutifully voted for Perez’ candidacy to the detriment of Pettis’.  Just what ‘education’ meant, bethcaskie failed to enunciate.  Given the failures of Perez as Vice-President of the Coachella Valley Unified School District as board Vice-President, the threatened State sanctions due to CVUSD’s failure to meet the requirements of ‘No Child Left Behind,’ and the State placing CVUSD under trusteeship under Perez’ leadership, the Perez campaign is hardly the Great Decider in determining what ‘education’ might be.

Not a very clear argument for Perez being ahead in the polls since Pettis is clearly ahead in the poll amongst likely primary and general election voters, ahead of each of his Democratic rivals, and ahead of the presumptive Republican nominee, Gary Jeandron, another failed leader of another school district threatened with sanctions.  (Pettis leads Jeandron 41% – 39% amongst these likely voters in the Binder poll, according to the Pettis campaign staffer.)

How to Lie with Statistics? Ask the Perez campaign.

Seems that the electronic filing deadline for Election 2008 CA 80th Assembly District came and went without me making any comment on the results.  Well, whether you like it or not here comes my late bloomer blogging about the March 24, 2008, filing.

Greg Pettis, Mayor Pro-Tem of Cathedral City and Democratic candidate for the 80th AD lead all Democratic and Republican opponents in this filing.  Pettis raised $54,980.43 during this filing period, spent $52,371.86, and has $31,062.71 cash on hand.

Gary Jeandron, boardmember of the Palm Springs Unified School District and presumptive Republican candidate for the 80th AD raised $38,093, spent $39,754.34, and has $148,039.3 on hand campaign monies.

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Manuel Perez, Vice-President of the Coachella Valley Unified School District and Democratic candidate for the 80th AD raised $18,334, spent $22,788.90, and has $31,541.74 cash on hand.

Rick Gonzalez, Wells Fargo Community Development Corp. employee, raised $17,047.93, spent $16,317.41, and has $32,403.63 in available cash.

Richard Guttierrez, dentist, did not file.  Only candidates raising or spending $50,000 or more or who received a $5,000 donation are required to file electronically.  This means that Guttierrez raised less than $50,000, spent less than $50,000, and did not receive any donation in the amount of $5,000 or greater.

Overall, Pettis far-and-away outraised his Democratic and presumptive Republican opposition.  In fact, Pettis seems to have raised more money than his three Democratic challengers combined.  Pettis also outspent his three Democratic rivals combined according to the electronic filing.  Regarding cash on hand, though, each of the three Democratic campaigns have approximately the same funds in current accounts, though Perez at this rate is spending more each month than he is collecting in donations.

Even more interesting is the fact the Pettis outraised Jeandron in this reporting cycle.  In fact, Pettis raised fifty percent more campaign funds than did Jeandron.  Jeandron still has a much better campaign war chest as we head towards November.  In fact, observers have noted that Jeandron has begun to spend advertising monies on AirAmerica, a progressive talk radio station, that airs in the Coachella Valley on a local station.

At least in this reporting period, the donations in the Coachella Valley are mimicking those on the National level where Democrats are outraising and outspending the Republicans.  The difference is that on the National level, Democrats also have a huge campaign war chest.

In a brilliant parliamentary maneuver, the Victor Manuel Perez for CA 80th Assembly District campaign to replace the termed out, thank God, Bonnie Garcia (R-CA), the Perez forces by one vote were able to keep Greg Pettis, Mayor Pro-Tem of Cathedral City, from retaining the California Democratic Party endorsement for Assembly.  (Perez is Vice-President of the failed school board in the Coachella Valley Unified School District.)  However, the short-term battle victory may possibly cost the Democrats not only the 80th in the November general election, but also cost them the majority that they need to ignore the demands of the recalictrant minority Republicans in the Assembly.

A major factor developing in the campaign and one of which I have been consistently blogging on mydesert.com, the online edition of The Desert Sun, is the fact that Gary Jeandron, presumptive Republican candidate for the 80th AD is a boardmember of the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD).  Recently, the State of California Board of Education threatened actions and/or sanctions against 97 school boards across the state that failed to meet state academic goals and the requirements of the Federally unfunded ‘No Child Left Behind.’  As a result, California threatened sanctions against the PSUSD and the board for the academic failures in the District.  Jeandron, as boardmember, and running for the 80th cites his education background and experience as instrumental to his qualifications for the office.  However, the threatened sanctions are a major demerit and campaign issue.

This is relevant to Perez as he is Vice-President of the failed CVUSD board which according to the State, had more problems than any other school district in California this year.

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The state actions against the CVUSD and its board are much more severe as their failures were more significant.  The CVUSD District was threatened with state takeover but the state action only involved installation of a trustee to oversee and possibly veto any District and/or board action (State assigns trustee to CVUSD to improve test scores):

“Coachella Valley Unified School District will get a trustee and a state-approved team of independent experts to help improve student test scores, state board members decided this afternoon.

The state board named Riverside County Superintendent Kenneth Young as the district’s trustee, which will give him veto powers over superintendent and board decisions.

But Young said he will work collaboratively with the district.”

The CVUSD was the ONLY district to receive trustee oversight.  Perez as V-P and long-term boardmember bears major responsibility for the failures of the District, its teachers, and its students.  That the CVUSD is suffering such consequences for the academic failures not only raises the question of Perez’ qualifications for Assembly, especially in the area of education, but also blunts the criticism of Jeandron.

If Democrats in the 80th Assembly District choose Perez as the candidate, one of the major issues in the campaign against Jeandron is either removed from the table due to mutual assured destruction on this issue or becomes even more of an issue given the CVUSD is the only District in the state that was assigned a trustee.

Having a ‘well-spoken’ or ‘charismatic’ candidate will not soften the damage to the local Democratic campaign to re-take this seat in November 2008.  Style will not win where substance can win.  Greg Pettis, Mayor Pro-tem of Cathedral City, unlike Perez and Jeandron, is untainted by the failures of the CVUSD and PSUSD school boards and Districts.  In addition, Pettis has the endorsements of State Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-49), Member California State Assembly Committee on Education, El Centro School Board Trustee Diana Newton, and Palm Springs Unified School Board Trustee Meredy Schoenberger.

(re full disclosure, BlueBeaumontBoyz is a Pettis for 80th Assembly District supporter)

Just got this information alert in from the Desert Stonewall Democratic Club, George Zander, Chair, on behalf of the Pettis East Valley and Imperial County 80th Assembly District campaign.  The DSD club is devoted to advancing equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.  DSD supports the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates who support this mission.  DSD draws its strength from a nationwide network of individuals and clubs comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Democrats who are working to realize the following goals:

To educate the LGBT community and its supporters about the vast differences that exist between the two major parties on the issues of concern to the LGBT community;

To lead the Democratic party to improve its record on issues of importance to the LGBT community, and to work for the nomination of Democratic candidates from the local to national level, including qualified openly LGBT candidates who will be fully supportive of the fight against bigotry and intolerance;

To encourage the LGBT community to support and vote for Democratic candidates who are committed to defeating homophobia and prejudice; and

To work with the other local LGBT Democratic clubs and individuals to encourage and foster the creation of new clubs.

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The following is the alert from DSD:

Mr. Pettis’ campaign has continually taken the high road and has informed everyone connected with it to not say anything against the other Democratic candidates.  However, Victor ‘Manuel’ Perez has begun to get personal, and he has done it with the gay-card. Whispering to interviewing (Democratic) clubs that he is not part of an “alternative lifestyle…”

…(Pettis’) record in Imperial County and the Eastern Coachella Valley far exceeds any of his opponents, including Perez.  Greg Pettis worked as part of Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) on improving all grade crossings in Coachella and on improving Jefferson Road in Indio and La Quinta.

He chaired the Saving Immigrant Lives project in Imperial for two years and received an award from Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and other groups for his work.

Pettis led the effort in assisting in technical writing and lobbying the California Transportation Commission (CTC) on behalf of the Brawley bypass.  He also helped get money for Hobson Way in Brawley.

Pettis served as the East Valley’s representative on SCAG for six years and appointed East Valley councilmembers to all subcommittees.  He also served as ex-officio on the Salton Sea Authority.

XPosted 4/4/2008 7:45 AM PDT on MyDesert.com on BluePalmSpringsBoyz blog (re full disclosure, BluePalmSpringsBoyz and BlueBeaumontBoyz are Greg Pettis for 80th Assembly District supporters)

Manuel Perez, Vice-President of the Coachella Valley Unified School District and Candidate for the 80th Assembly District, and his campaign, have fun afoul with campaign violations in two campaign scandals, according to my mydesert.com blogger source at Palm Springs Village Fest last night.

First, someone who has endorsed Perez for Assembly, apparently has been using her office computer to mail out campaign materials for the Perez campaign.  My source is in possession of an original piece of email from the campaign worker.

Now, as anyone who has worked in an office environment in the past 15 years knows: “Do not use your office computer for personal use, otherwise your job is in jeapardy!”  Well, not only did this employee use her office computer to produce mass emailings for the Perez campaign, but she works for the County of Riverside!  Not only is her job in jeapardy, but she violated State of California campaign law in her endeavors.

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My source contacted Roy Wilson, Supervisor in the County of Riverside and a newsreporter at The Desert Sun.  According to my source, Wilson has conducted an investigation and found that two, count them, two Perez campaign workers have been using County of Riverside computers to do campaign work for Perez.

Wilson has instructed their supervisor(s) to conduct an investigation and to act accordingly.  In addition, thousands of County employees will receive or have now received emails from the County reminding them that it is against the law to use County computers, offices, etc. to conduct campaign work.

Second, the Perez campaign has produced and distributed campaign materials that omit the required by law disclaimers that are required on each piece of material.  Soyinkafan, blogger on Calitics.com and local activist with the Perez campaign was observed handing out hundreds of these particular fliers at last weeks California Democratic Party convention in San Jose.  Complaints about the illegal campaign materials were filed on Monday, March 31, 2008, with the FPPC.

Seems that the Perez campaign is in disarray without adequate leadership and direction.  An organized and well-directed campaign would not make these kinds of mistakes, first not instructing its workers to not use office computers, let alone County resources, to further the campaign, and second, not vetting the campaign materials for irregularities and illegalities.

What is going on over at the Perez campaign?