I think this release from the California Term Limits Defense Fund speaks volumes…

QUALIFICATION TAINTED OF PERATA/NUNEZ INITIATIVE TO WEAKEN TERM LIMITS BY UNPRECEDENTED AND SUSPICIOUS UPWARD REVISIONS ON RANDOM SAMPLE SIGNATURE COUNTS

Sacramento- The initiative to weaken term limits sponsored by Senate President Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez has been based on deception of the electorate and manipulation of the political system from the beginning. But the abuse of power by Perata and Nunez has reached a new low with the manipulation of the random signature counting process to qualify the initiative in time for the February 5th election.        

If a full count had been required it is doubtful that it would be completed in time for the initiative to make the February 5th ballot and the measure would have to be placed on the regular June primary ballot.  That would mean that the entire purpose of the initiative – keeping the term-limited Don Perata and Fabian Nunez in office – would be defeated even if the initiative passed in June.  

The surprising, suspicious and we have been told, unprecedented, upward revision of the random sample signature count re-submitted by several counties regarding qualification of the initiative to weaken term limits raises serious questions about the integrity of the California elections process.

Normally, results are only changed for mathematical error.  But several counties which had already submitted their final and certified results on the random sample count  actually re-opened the process and came up with new numbers. It is also curious that the changes were all upward – none downward – and just enough to cover the margin needed to have the initiative qualify for Feb. 5th.   It is on the basis of these revised and recertified numbers that the initiative to weaken term limits has now barely made it for the February 5th ballot.

Political pressure has clearly been applied – and succeeded in obtaining the result desired by the two most powerful members of the Legislature. Several meetings and phone calls with local election officials initiated by representatives of the petition gathering firm and the Speaker’s team have been reported by several sources. The message has been delivered – and received: get the initiative qualified regardless of what it takes.

It does not seem coincidental that one of the counties – Alameda – is the home base of Senate President Perata or that another, Contra Costa County, is part of his sphere of political influence.  This latest manipulation of the process by the state’s most powerful legislators and their allies taints the qualification of the initiative to weaken term limits.

The California Term Limits Defense Fund is currently exploring legal options on this situation and will keep you updated. 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.