Recently in 2007 Elections Category

When a candidate seeks a newspaper's endorsement, it's sort of a job interview. That's how The Sun's editorial board views it, to the dismay of 6th Ward City Council candidate Stewart Cumming ("I would work for the 6th Ward, not for you"). The sharpest response comes from 5th Ward candidate Randall Lee, who, in ending his editorial board interview, mused, "It's not like I'm applying for a $150,000-a-year job." The editorial board didn't need to remind incumbent 5th Ward Councilman Chas Kelley. "You know," he said, "this is sort of like a job interview." How'd they do? Stay tuned. The newspaper's endorsements will be published about the time absentee ballots are sent out in early October.

Is it a disadvantage to be a white candidate in San Bernardino's ethnically diverse 6th Ward? No, says Stewart Cumming, who is seeking the Westside council seat. In fact, he's insulted - nay, outraged - by the question. Cumming made that perfectly clear in his endorsement interview with The Sun's editorial board, his anger visible as he explained that society should "ignore" perceived racial divides. He later called the question "morally repugnant and socially irresponsible," and said "that as a society/community we may have focused far too much on multiculturalism and not enough on the common culture." The leading candidates for the 6th Ward seat are incumbent Rikke Van Johnson and Betty Dean Anderson, whom Van Johnson defeated in a close race in 2003. Both are African American. Cumming is white.

He was slow to publicly throw his weight around, lurking on the sideline for more than a month before announcing support with an invective-charged assault on "the city attorney" ....

City Attorney James F. Penman, facing a challenge for re-election in November from his former understudy, is asking his opponent to sign a waiver allowing details of her employment history to be publicly discussed ...

Marianne Milligan, who is challenging City Attorney James F. Penman in November, has brushed aside most questions regarding legal tangles with her boss at her former job in Costa Mesa. She has not offered much in the way of explanation, other than to say she acted as a "whistle blower" on wrong-doing in the office and that part of the legal conclusion stipulated that she couldn't discuss some details ...

As in years past, a few political street signs flashed by thousands of eyes at the Route 66 Rendezvous this weekend ...

So there has been plenty of fallout over the very suspicious looking arrangement between former Mayor Evelyn Wilcox and a big-shot local law firm that sued James F. Penman's opponent and city clerk candidate Joseph Turner to change their candidate statement language.
Now, it looks like we might need to look real hard at Milligan's legal representation, too ...

Although the Sun was not there due to the Route 66 Rendezvous' concurrent opening (Rendezvous trumped politics), the Sun was told by a high level official in Mayor Pat Morris' office that a certain councilman was on hand ...

The only questions approaching Thursday night's Marianne Milligan fundraiser were: How strongly would Morris condemn City Attorney James F. Penman and will the mayor also announce support for James Mulvihill, 7th ward council candidate ...

City Attorney James F. Penman responded to growing concern over whether Riverside-law firm Gresham Savage Nolan & Tilden worked for free on behalf of former Mayor Evlyn Wilcox when she sued to strike language from two candidates' - including Penman's opponent - ballot statements.
Penman said the firm will never work for the city again, but they have worked for the city in the past.
The firm has failed to respond to daily calls for comment.
It appears more likely than ever that the firm worked for Wilcox for free, but Penman insists it has nothing to do with its relationship with him or the city.

Marianne Milligan will have a star-studded campaign fundraiser Sept. 13 ...

The law firm that worked on behalf of Evlyn Wilcox to sue two candidates for city government continues to not respond to inquiry.

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Click below to see an excerpt of what a responder purports to be a verbatim passage from Mayor Pat Morris' advertising a campaign fundraising event for city attorney challenger Marianne Milligan ...

A number of calls came into the Sun following a Sept. 10 press release that had the familiar heading of Councilman Rikke Van Johnson with the contact number of Mayor's office staffer D'Ann Lanning ...

In what is surely a prelude to more vitriol in coming weeks, supporters of City Attorney James F. Penman and challenger Marianne Milligan are disseminating unflattering innuendo and reports like geysers of information ...

The fire union opted to take a safer road than their police contemporaries, endorsing longtime ally James F. Penman for city attorney and staying neutral in the Joseph Turner/Rachel Clark race for city clerk.
"For the most part we always endorse together," said Scott Moss, president ...

On Monday this Sun blog broke the news that Mayor Pat Morris was a lock to endorse the opponent of City Attorney James F. Penman.

Just had a colleague drop off the San Bernardino Police Officers Association newsletter he received in his mailbox.

Over the past few days, this reporter has done radio-style podcast interviews with most of the 14 candidates who will vie for city elected seats.

Readers have always been wary of the motivations behind the lawsuit against city attorney candidate Marianne Milligan and city clerk candidate Joseph Turner.

Days after the Sun reported the police union's list of endorsements, a number of candidates have come out slamming the union for not giving them a fair shake ...

Mayor Pat Morris' difficulties with his city council have been well-documented. The boiling frustration has led many to speculate about what he may do this election season, with regular combatants like City Attorney James F. Penman, 7th ward Councilwoman Wendy McCammack and 5th ward Councilman Chas Kelley all facing voters.