Oh what fun ...
Love him or hate him, City Attorney Jim Penman sure knows how to keep his opponents busy reading the rule books. Sounding a bit like the schoolyard basketball player who will call a foul at the drop of a dime, Penman has slapped a technical on Mary Ann Milligan over some campaign signs that may not have been legally posted (see story in Thursday's Sun). This following the spat - and subsequent lawsuit - over comments made by Milligan and city clerk candidate Joseph Turner in their candidacy filings that somehow broke state election law. Then there's his "request" that she allow her previous personnel records to be opened up. Our suggestion to Milligan: Wear matching shoes, lest Penman's dress-code enforcers discover otherwise.
Speaking of technical fouls, what knid of a 20 minute tirade from the Mayor would have come at Jim Penman if those would have been Jim's fouls? If Milligan cannot follow the minor rules of election campaigning, what would you expect of her in Jim's office? Of course, she would not have the problem of being called to the carpet if she was in that office because her mentor, the Mayor, would gladly sweep that kind of minutia under the rug, U N T I L, he was ever ready to replace her if she ever said or did anything contrary to hizhoner. There is no one that can wear Jim's shoes, let alone fill them. Again i ask, what is coming down the road that the Mayor does not want an honest City Attorney to discover? Why the big expensive push behind a green horn who the Mayor can bury so deep in manure that even if she did mature years down the line, it would be too late for the CITY's wellbeing.
I seem to remember some illegally posted signs near City Hall that belonged to Penman in the last mayoral election! Some of those campaign volunteers aren't very familiar with those litte techincalities. (At least that's what Penman blamed it on!)
Has anyone heard anything on the issues facing San Bernardino thus far from Penman in this election season? It would be refreshing to have him concentrate on the issues rather than spending all his energy on Ms. Milligan. If his strategy is to win based on smearing his opponent, it doesn't speak well of his concern for the citizens of SB.
Please stay tuned! Immediate prior California 62nd Assemblymember John Longville is teaching SBVC Poli Sci 138, Group Leadership, Tuesdays in HLS from 12:30 - 1:45, now through 12/11/07. ANYONE MAY ADD THIS CLASS UNTIL THIS FRIDAY!
The class is organizing the televised League of Women Voters' & Council of Negro Women's Candidate's Forum toward the end of October 2007!
If you've ever been frustrated at the need for a certain question to be asked of the candidates and watched a show pass with your desire unrealized, this is the class for you!
If you've ever wanted to become more intimately involved in the political process, this is the class for you!
Please add SBVC Poli Sci BY THIS FRIDAY!
See www.ValleyCollege.edu for more details!
Watch the listings - and I'll try to pop in here and post a notice of when the program will air, too - so that we may all experience witnessing the candidates respond to relevant questions about the issues.
Your Friend & Neighbor Supporting Local Community & Personal Betterment in San Bernardino,
Susana Atanasova
Jim Penman and Wendy MCCammack attended a neighborhood Watch meeting in the newly formed Campo Santo Watch group. If anyone has the moxie to invite Jim Penman and his opponent for an 8 minute recitation of their policies and their value at a similar neighborhood watch forum, you would be amazed as to why the Morris camp would want a rookie to take over the extensive duties of a City Attorney. To those blind to the good that Mr. Penman and Ms. McCammack have done for our City, you would have an eyeopening event. If you do not already know the benefit to holding on to these two good people, watch the Council meeting and attend real community betterment events, don't just spout it for the sake of plugging up good blogging space with your two and three page slanted rants.
SBNow Blog Readers,
Joe has asked “anyone having the moxie” to invite the San Bernardino city attorney candidates to a neighborhood forum. I, too, have been actively encouraging the electorate to educate themselves regarding the issues, in part through arranging such meetings with the candidates for all offices open this time around.
You were right, Joe! I was amazed! But not for the reasons you anticipated. In response to one of my communications encouraging neighborhood level leaders to host a meeting for their area, or membership, I was amazed to receive the following reply from a local community leader with almost two decades of devotion toward bettering San Bernardino. The author of this letter has been revealed to SBNow Blog for independent corroboration; extemporaneous text has been omitted; identity has been concealed due to this being a private letter sent only to me ~ since it was not written with the expectation of publication, I am not inclined to impose publication upon the author, who has been notified of my intention to post this as part of a commentary at SBNow Blog. Without further preamble, here is unintentional, reliable and unequivocal evidence that San Bernardino City Attorney James F. “Jim” Penman uses the color of authority during the conduction of official business to misinform the electorate and manipulate voters as he sees fit under the guise of “friendly free additional legal advice”, in my opinion :
“…actually, this came out of the Attorney's office, Jim Penman to be exact, in which he provided us some legal (sic) advise, that the neighborhood groups are not to be political, and if we ask one candidate to a meeting, we should ask them all… ….does that pose a conflict? Let's discuss.”
In the hopes that others will more capably focus on the impropriety and consequences of these actions, I will accentuate the positive, as is my wont in this life:
TO ALL SAN BERNARDINO RESIDENTS:
Despite Jim Penman’s admonishments to the contrary, you have the right to invite whom you like, to what you like, when you like, where you like, for the purposes you like, any way you like.
Commonly, these are referred to as “Coffee Klatches”. A neighborhood leader calls whomever may be of interest and schedules a date, time and location for the event to take place. Oftentimes, these are held in the evening, after school & work, or, on weekends. Then, the hosting party communicates to those who will be invited to attend that the event will take place. When the appointed time arrives, all gather and “Meet & Greet”, asking questions, voicing concerns, expounding, questioning, sharing and learning in an intimate setting among friends and neighbors gathered for the common purpose of becoming as informed as possible prior to casting their votes. There is NOTHING illegal, unethical or unadvised about this long-time method of meeting candidates.
I will now highlight one of the deplorable aspects of this, from my perspective:
Jim Penman chooses to be in contact with low-level groups as a political tool ~ there is nothing in his job description requiring him to leave his office and visit our church meeting halls, clubhouses, community centers, recreation areas and etcetera for the low-level grassroots and neighborhood meetings he attends. The naïve participants at these meetings think Penman’s presence is a boon ~ who couldn’t use a little free legal advice now and then? Penman uses the slightest opportunity to manipulate these well-intentioned people into believing the only way they can learn about the candidates first-hand is to conduct a candidate’s forum, or, a candidate’s debate. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
ANYONE may invite ANY candidate/s of their choosing to their home, or other location.
To say otherwise, as Jim Penman has done to one of the many long-time friends I hold dear in San Bernardino is despicable. It is my hope that someone will look into the impropriety of these actions. Robert Rogers, what are your findings on this matter?
Your Friend & Neighbor Supporting Local Community & Personal Betterment ~ AND THE FREEDOM OF THE PEOPLE,
Susana Atanasova ~ Encouraging everyone to use the following information to contact the candidate/s of your choosing and talk ~ (THEY WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!) Who knows? You may schedule a coffee klatch! After all, despite what Penman told above, it is perfectly legal to do so!
City of San Bernardino City Clerk
CLARK, RACHEL MENDOZA
San Bernardino City Clerk
(909)864-6220
rachel_clark@eee.org
TURNER, JOSEPH JAMES LEE
Businessman
P.O. BOX 91000
SAN BERNARDINO CA 92422
City of San Bernardino Council Member, Third Ward
BRINKER, TOBIN
Teacher
2462 S. DARTMOUTH ROAD
SAN BERNARDINO CA 92408
(909)825-5796
City of San Bernardino Council Member, Fifth Ward
AVILA, RICK
General Engineering Contractor
863 WEST 30TH STREET
SAN BERNARDINO CA 92405
(909)772-5036
http://www.rickavilaforsbcouncil.com
KELLEY, CHAS A.
Councilman Fifth Ward
5066 N. VARSITY AVENUE
SAN BERNARDINO CA 92407
(909)648-3506
(909)473-9729
chaskelley@charter.net
LEE, RANDY
Business Owner
(909)883-4317
TILLMAN, CAROLYN A.
School Administrator
(951)833-1095
carolyntillman1@yahoo.com
City of San Bernardino Council Member, Sixth Ward
ANDERSON, BETTY DEAN
Retired Educator
CUMMING, STEWART D.
Vocational Teacher
JOHNSON, RIKKE VAN
City Council Member
http://www.rikkevanjohnson.net
City of San Bernardino Council Member, Seventh Ward
MC CAMMACK, WENDY J.
Councilwoman/Business Owner
634 E. PARKDALE DRIVE
SAN BERNARDINO CA 92404
(909)883-0766
mackexpres@aol.com
MULVIHILL, JAMES L
Certified Urban Planner
407 W. 25TH STREET
SAN BERNARDINO CA 92405
(909)886-1663
SANBORN, PAUL W.
Fire Sprinkler Contractor
3559 GENEVIEVE ST.
SAN BERNARDINO CA 92405
(909)882-5978
(909)882-5978
City of San Bernardino City Attorney
MILLIGAN, MARIANNE
Municipal Attorney
(909)495-0674
ocmarianne@aol.com
PENMAN, JAMES FRANK "JIM"
San Bernardino City Attorney
(909)882-8986
friendsofpenman@aol.com
City of San Bernardino City Treasurer
KENNEDY, DAVID C
Treasurer/CPA
1700 N "E" STREET
SAN BERNARDINO CA 92405
(909)886-5048
Davidkennedycpa@aol.com
These listings are in the order listed by the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters. No contact information has been deleted; if there is no website, e-mail, phone or fax listed here, it is because there is none listed here: http://www.sbcounty.gov/rov/current_elections/110607/candidatelist/CndFilCst.pdf