SB Campaign finance: The big picture
For those of you who didn't see the story on B-6 reporting the latest campaign finance totals in San Bernardino, the brief is contained below ...
In our print story, we pay closest attention to the revelation - which we knew was coming - that both Marianne Milligan and James F. Penman received free legal services that bolstered their campaigns.
The Sun reported first, and often, the murky scenarios surrounding a suit filed by former Mayor Evlyn Wilcox against Milligan and city clerk candidate Joseph Turner.
Wilcox never told us the whole truth. She said she thought the "bill was in the mail" from Gresham, Savage, Nolan & Tilden, the big-whig law firm that brought a suit against Penman opponent Milligan, and Penman enemy Turner, for unlawful candidate statement language.
Later, Wilcox said it wasn't any of our, or the public's, business. Meanwhile, Gresham, Savage, Nolan & Tilden, a firm that has worked for over $150,000 in taxpayer dollars since 2005, has never returned a single call from the Sun.
Sources close to the firm say the partners never deign to speak to the press.
Anyway, Penman claimed more than $17,000 of the support came from legal work - work that was done free of charge for Wilcox and to Penman's benefit. More than $4,000 more in direct money came to Penman's campaign from the firm or firm partners.
For her part, Milligan reported $4,604 in non-monetary support from Redlands law firm Mirau, Edwards, Cannon & Lewin, the firm that defended her against Wilcox's suit. Penman took the opportunity Thursday to say that while he would never again hire his firm, Milligan may have a quid pro quo to feed her firm taxpayer contracts in gratitude for the political work in battling Penman.
As for the other races, the incumbents enjoyed decided fundraising advantages. Across all races, no one has more money on hand than Penman, with $77,402, albeit much of it his own money loaned to himself.
Others with big dollars: 5th Ward incumbent Chas Kelley has $34,312 on hand. City Clerk Rachel Clark has $11,732.
Rikke Van Johnson has $14,193. Wendy McCammack has $6,667. Milligan has $7,958.
None of the challengers have amounts anywhere near those of the incumbents.
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At 10:00AM, Monday, October 01, 2007, San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters has only one candidate listed under City Attorney here:
http://nf4.netfile.com/pub2/(S(u5cjtd55tvketxmyihnaon55))/AllFilingsByCandidate.aspx?id=776315&candidate=Marianne+Milligan
Has the opposition been found asleep at the wheel, again? Afterall, they must get awfully tired wasting gas & time going sign to sign, looking for that eternally elusive second instance they hope to find, so they can even begin to go this-for-thating in response to the MANY reports of Penman signs illegally posted, according to first-hand reports published here and elsewhere.
Susana Atanasova
The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters site shows BAD BDA Bette made it clear on 1.26.07
It also shows NOTHING for Jim Penman, but some for third wife Judi...
All this is here:
http://nf4.netfile.com/pub2/(S(q5h0cdix0k5ozg2xzxv31a45))/QuickNameSearch.aspx
Susana Atanasova
Penman signs are being removed from the places where they were lawfully posted. Penman's opponent's supporters are removing the Penman signs and putting them on other peoples' lawns. They must be getting desperate to resort to such a silly trick. Maybe they think that will cause the owners of those homes to vote against Penman. Guess what?
Not only are those property owners not complaining about the misplaced signs, they're leaving them up!
. . . and before we forget -"O Susanna", I remember when you ran for the 2nd Ward City Council seat in 1993, wasn't it? I apologize for bringing this up but didn't you finish last?
Haven't you tried hard to be accepted by the in-crowd at city hall since then?
Haven't you tried to help out, volunteering your time in their causes and doing what they've asked you to do? Your hoped-for ties to Mayor Morris and X Councilwoman (and parolee advocate) Susan Lien-Longville are sadly obvious.
But when was the last time the Mayor returned one of your phone calls? When were you last a guest in the Lien-Longville home?
Those people will drop you like a hot potato my friend when this election is over and they don't need you anymore. Look at the way the Mayor has treated John Longville, one of his strongest supporters in his bid for Mayor. Don't let these people mistreat you the same way. Please try and get over it. They are mean people. Read the etters they write (Morris and Susan Lien-Longville) to the newspaper. The venom drips from their pens in every sentence. You deserve better than to be treated by them the way they have treated you, not to mention what they say about you behind your back.
Come back over to the bright side, you can do it.
71 Year SB Resident
Dear 71 Year SB Resident,
You write as though you know me... I am at a disadvantage there. Send a clue, if you like ~ something not just anyone would "get", but I would. I don't know how else to "know you”, too.
That said, I am totally comfortable devoting my life's time to good works. I am not at all in this for any fame or glory. Knowing I am doing my absolute best is reward enough for me.
I can see that usually it is true, a person steps out of the shadows, does a good deed or two, then runs for office, but that isn't me.
It is true: I finally accepted the repeated invitations that I run for office in 1992. I did it because I truly felt in my heart I was the very best candidate for the position. The residents of Ward Two now see that, too. I have not run for office since then because Susan Lien-Longville was doing the job very enthusiastically ~ the reason she was re-elected for a second term prior to moving on to the arguably FAR more important position she now holds. I did not run against Dennis J. Baxter because, having known Dennis for many years on a civic level, I was certain he would devote adequate time the office to allow me to maintain my focus on my many pursuits. That has proven true.
Nobody knows what the future holds. I'm not saying I will, or will not, run again. I have been asked to, repeatedly and have demurred, so far. There was no reason to run against Dennis J. Baxter and there’s certainly no reason to try to unseat him.
I'm certainly a far more capably experienced candidate now than I was then ~ when my candidacy was the only one to garner the endorsements of 100% of the media ~ ALL MEDIA.
But that doesn't mean I'll run either. I have PLENTY to occupy my time and am content to do so out of the spotlight. However, if no competent candidate comes forward, and I am in a position to step forward and enthusiastically devote my time & energies to the office in a manner befitting the office, I would run for Ward 2 City Council, again.
Honestly, I don’t call the mayor about personal things, so there is no need for him to return a call from me ~ I have never called him. He’s a busy man with LOTS on his plate and I’m a busy woman with LOTS on mine. I get along just fine without calling the mayor and most others do, too. I feel calling him would be an obtuse imposition on his taxing schedule.
That said, the mayor and entire city is actively supportive of my efforts to better this city. That’s all I require of him on anything similar to a personal level and all I ask of The City.
The same holds true for the others you mentioned, among countless others. These aren’t “let’s all have lunch in the park and sing Kumbaya” types of relationships. I spend most of my time with like-minded people, out to make a positive impact. We interact and work well together. We set & accomplish goals. We communicate openly about matters of substance. When it’s time to hang out, I don’t call my mayor or a former elected official anymore than you, or just about anyone in their right mind, would do ~ I call my friends and family. I’m surprised you would speculate otherwise. You know, that prompts me to write that we, the people giving betterment our all, are the same as you, your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends ~ we just chose to devote energy, time, talent & effort toward our community’s greater good ~ any of us could as easily buy a DVD, or watch some TV ~ as MOST Americans prefer to “spend” ( I say waste/squander) their lives’ times.
Now that’s said, the signs are a real marvel! Some were speaking of just that last evening and today! Can you believe it? It’s marvelous to behold! All you have to do is walk up to someone’s door with a Penman sign in the yard and talk, like we “talk” here for a couple of minutes and bada-bing, they are taking down the signs and, in cases where they are available, replacing them with Marianne Milligan signs! It’s really a special part of this election season to behold!
I was noticing the tired Penman signs downtown today and commenting to someone about how they may be slumped and a mess, but the wires are still firmly inserted into the soil where they were planted a couple of weeks ago. Nobody has stolen them, though they be in very prominent locales.
All in all, I’d say that’s just another commentary on the MARIANNE MILLIGAN FOR CITY ATTORNEY supporters: We don’t accentuate the negative, or destroy other’s property ~ we’re all for a FAIR campaign.
Here’s to The Only SANE Candidate, Not The Same OLD Candidate Entering City Hall’s 6th Floor Offices Soon!
Your Friend & Apparently Someone You Know,
Susana Atanasova