'Californians Vote Green' Fake Grassroots Group
School District, BEST Wallows In Sleazy Election Ploy
Who could have guessed the politics surrounding a school rebuilding effort in Emeryville could stoop this low?
The Measure J committee known as Building Emeryville Schools Together (BEST) and also by extension the school district, has partnered with a Los Angeles political consulting firm that is masquerading as a legitimate grassroots political organization and has been roundly criticized for deceiving voters state-wide in a bogus 'pay for endorsement' scheme.
Pay To Play
Pay To Play
The firm, Californians Vote Green is a for-profit outfit that will print endorsement slates for presumably any politician or proposition, for a price. Thousands of Emeryville voters received an election mailer endorsing Measure J and other propositions and candidates over the weekend, seemingly from the Green Party but was in actuality just paid advertisements. Even Republican Attorney General hopeful Steve Cooley has paid the firm and shares the "green" slate with Measure J.
The small print on the mailer informs voters Californians Vote Green is not associated with any political party organization and that Emeryville's Measure J along with the other propositions and politicians on the slate paid money to appear in the mailer.The real Green Party has said NO to Measure J, ironically because of what they called its phony grassroots nature.
A primary function of this group is to help its political clients build a (phony) green image with voters, an election tactic sometimes called 'green washing'.
Californians Vote Green has been around since at least last election cycle when they took $40,000 from PG&E in June to help them green wash their Proposition 16 campaign, the notorious $50 million losing campaign to make it virtually impossible for local communities to set up competing power companies.
Our Emery School District and BEST, the committee for Measure J has thrown their lot in with a company engaging in voter fraud. The Marin Independent Journal said of the company, "Californians Vote Green is simply a political consulting operation in Southern California, profiting on deceptive mail, with no ties at all to any green groups".Emeryville council member Jennifer West, a supporter of Measure J seemed discouraged by the fake slate; she said of the weekend mailer blitz, "Measure J makes sense on its own merits and we don't need to play political games like this...like paid political advertising on questionable slate cards".
Emeryville School Board member Josh Simon didn't return calls for this story but Berkeley School Board member and Green Party representative John Selawsky expressed annoyance at the mailer. He said, "This slate card doesn't represent the Green Party and I would warn voters to be wary of slate cards in general unless they come from a known local organization. They're not endorsements, they just represent who's paid money to get their names on the things". He added, "This phony slate card politicking is corrosive to the democratic process".
It is unknown how much BEST paid Californians Vote Green to appear on the slate and calls to BEST political operative John Gooding were not returned.
I got that mailer. It clearly says on it, "Appearance on this mailer does not imply endorsement of the others appearing in this mailer, nor does it imply endorsement of, or opposition to, any issues set forth in this mailer. Appearance is paid for and authorized by each candidate and ballot measure which is designated by an *."
ReplyDeleteI didn't think for one second that it was from the Green Party. It does not pretend for a second that it is from the Green Party. If you thought the mailer was from the Green Party, it is only because you did not read it. This blog post is probably more deceiving than the mailer. At least the mailer clearly states what it actually is. This blog often tries to portray itself as a legitimate news outlet.
By the way, I'm at least as progressive as the Green Party, and I'm voting for
Steve Cooley because he's more progressive on the the three strikes law than Kamala Harris and his management of his office is much better. The Los Angeles Times endorsed him and I know several very progressive people who work for the San Francisco Public Defender's office and they all told me they could not vote for Kamala Harris because of how poorly she runs the DA's office.
Ahh, republican hatchet man Lee Atwater. I haven't thought about him for a while. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Too bad about that deathbed conversion of his.
ReplyDeleteTalk about cheeseball. I want to help Emeryville's children, but all these sleazy tactics have me re-thinking my support for Measure J. I really thought Ruth Atkin and Josh Simon were better than stooping to trying to mislead their neighbors. Shame on YOU, Ruth. Shame.
ReplyDeleteTheres a serious conflict of interest between the school district and the pimping of measure J. EUSD resouces have been used in the pro Measure J campaign.
ReplyDeleteWas this a written or direct quote? "This slate card doesn't represent the Green Party and I would warn voters to be weary of slate cards in general unless they come from a known local organization. They're not endorsements, they just represent who's paid money to get their names on the things".
ReplyDeleteIf so, then I think you meant "wary" not "weary".
Good point! I meant "wary" since it was a direct quote from an interview. I have corrected my mistake, thanks.
ReplyDelete