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Warren campaign signs may be possible election rules violation

by Melissa Corker, published on February 17, 2012 at 5:42 PM

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The June election is more than three months away, but one City Council candidate is already being accused of breaking election rules.

According to the city elections code, campaign signs cannot be put up until 90 days before the election – which for the upcoming June election would be March 9.

City Council District 2 candidate Allen Wayne Warren’s signs were on display in the windows of a building on the 2300 block of Del Paso Boulevard Friday afternoon.

Sources say the campaign signs have been in the windows of the building since at least Jan. 20 – shortly after he officially announced his candidacy.

The building is home to his campaign headquarters office.

According to city spokesman Maurice Chaney, Code Enforcement officers were notified on Thursday that the city 3-1-1 service received at least one complaint about the signs.

A Code Enforcement officer went to the site on Del Paso Boulevard Friday to alert Warren to the possible elections code violation, Chaney said, and confirmed the signs were on display. The officer will follow up Tuesday to see if the situation has been resolved or if further action is necessary.

Phil Giarrizzo, Warren’s campaign manager, called the accusations “bully politics,” adding that there are more important issues in the district to focus on.

“This is pure harassment by the Sheedy camp and the powers that be at City Hall that are misusing both the law and city resources,” Giarrizzo said Friday.

“This district doesn’t even have a supermarket, and kids get shot on street corners in the neighborhood, and the city has time to send out an investigator to see signs in a window?” he said.

Giarrizzo said the signs were put up to identify Warren’s campaign headquarters and that he does not believe that purpose is a violation of the intent of the elections code.

“This is political harassment – sheer and uncompromised,” Giarrizzo said, without denying that the signs were displayed.

City representatives from 3-1-1 did not identify the person or people who made the initial complaint, but said that the service regularly accepts and follows up on complaints from anonymous sources if the complaints are determined to be valid.

In addition to sign size restrictions, the campaign elections code (§ 15.148.600(k)) states that political or campaign signs “on behalf of candidates for public office or measures on election ballots ... may be erected not earlier than ninety (90) days prior to the election and shall be removed within fifteen (15) days following such election.”

There is no exclusion written in the city elections code for campaign sign displays for headquarters offices.

The Warren camp intends to appeal any citation for putting up the signs, Giarrizzo said.

Warren faces three candidates in the District 2 race so far – Kim Mack, Rob Kerth and Sondra Betancourt – however, additional challengers have until March 14 to file candidacy.

Incumbent Sandy Sheedy announced Jan. 23 that she will not seek re-election to the seat, leaving the field open to newcomers in the June election.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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February 17, 2012 | 9:34 PM
This is hysterical. Garbage all over the streets. Police who won't come out when your car is stolen. Parks that are a health and public safety hazard. People being shot in broad daylight on Del Paso. The city has no money for basic services, but there is money enough to send a city worker out to determine a campaign put a sign in the window to let people know where it is. Whoever is behind this should be billed for the taxpayer funds that went to paying for this wild goose chase.
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February 17, 2012 | 9:48 PM
I would think Sheedy’s effort to control this election would be the real story. She's sitting on $70,000 of campaign funds, and has been touting around a hand picked successor who didn’t even want to run ...we can guess where that money is going to end up. Very transparent! Tell me again why a candidate putting a sign in their own office window is more news worthy than a incumbent influencing the candidate pool?
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February 18, 2012 | 9:32 AM
Agree.
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edited on  February 18, 2012 | 10:49 PM
What is an incumbent who's decided not to run again expected to do w/ unused campaign funds? Are you implying it's either illegal or unethical to move, share or give funds among elected campaign accounts? Could you provide the quote to confirm the "successor who didn't even want to run" so we can come to your conclusion?
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February 18, 2012 | 11:02 PM
Most campaigns will donate any unused campaign funds to worthy civic charities
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February 20, 2012 | 1:26 PM
It's been very much NOT my experience that "most campaigns" (neither candidate NOR issue) do as TomRunge above opines... and FPPC records (among other sources available online) will offer FACTUALLY BASED DATA to support my statement. And my open question was about the perception of either ethical or regulatory restrictions...
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February 18, 2012 | 12:25 AM
Just out of curiosity, who is Kim Mack? She's never done anything in our community. I've never even heard of her. Probably just another wannabe politician.
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February 18, 2012 | 1:54 AM
She headed up Sacramentans for Obama...2008. Then somehow that orgs email list ended up being used by the mayor's SMI 1 group following Ms Mack's endorsement of it...imagine that.

Additionally, according the Sac County Recorders Office there is a Kimberly Mack, in this community, that has a judgement of about $20K against her from CREDIT BUR SANTA MARIA INC & CREDIT BURS SAN LUIS OBISPO & ETC (CREDITORS)

MACK KIMBERLY (Debtor)

http://www.erosi.saccounty.net/Inputs.asp

Last Name : Mack
First Name: Kim
Decade: 2010

20101227 1576

Then go to the office to see the doc.....maybe someone should ask Ms Mack if she is one in the same.

And on another note, Warren has actually relocated from his Palatial Carmichael Home?
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February 18, 2012 | 9:31 AM
That your snide dis is based on "never even heard of her" is more a reflection on your knowledge/motivation than hers dear aharvec.
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February 18, 2012 | 6:13 PM
Imagine that. In this economy someone has fallen behind on their bills. I'm sure the residents of District 2 know plenty of people in similar circumstances. That one of the other campaigns finds this scandalous or newsworthy is pretty laughable.
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edited on  February 19, 2012 | 1:56 AM
As a landlord, I review credit reports of prospective tenants. Some tell me up front about potential negative issues that might or will appear. However some act totally surprised when confronted with their report when they know full well what's there, like a repo or collection agency report or worse.

The applicant is paying for the report. If they're upfront with me, they know their credit history and if there are issues, they are cleaning them up, have a good ethos and simply had some unfortunate occurances like a lost job or such....In my book that's not going to be negative with regards to my consideration. But, you exhibit a pattern of being non-responsible, excessive expenditures and limited income and inflated claims of income...I don't need the headache...and the applicant should save their money.

Whatever is going on may be pertinent. How many Kim Mack's are in this region? She can clear it up pretty simply or choose not to.

I wish we would use more business tools for evaluating someones financial acumen as it applies to asking us to put our trust in their judgement to serve on our city's council. We have close to a Billion dollar budget. I have no desire to have people who can't handle their own personal finances run for a seat overseeing our city's finances. And Warren's got his own issues in that regard.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/11/10/story7.html

New Faze files for bankruptcy protection on three projects

And Tom, a debt of 20,000 or so may be laughable to you...if I had bills to pay, that I was relying upon that being paid...I wouldn't be laughing.
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February 18, 2012 | 12:39 AM
It's easy to attack the fact that somebody asked to have this looked into. Meanwhile, it's also not an auspicious start to a prospective career in local politics to have one's first semi-official action (after filing an intention to run) violate the election code.
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February 18, 2012 | 8:47 AM
Taping a sign in a window = "erected"?!? I thought sign ordinances like this were for lawn and ourdoor signs - you know, the ones that are erected on billboards or stakes.
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February 18, 2012 | 7:58 PM
I'm wondering exactly the same thing. Does the ordinance disallow a citizen from displaying, for example, a No On Prop 8 window sign on the interior of ones residence since the election is more than 90 days passed? Or an "I LIke Ike" bumper sticker on ones car in a driveway?
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February 18, 2012 | 9:19 AM
Allen Wayne Warren has done more these neighborhoods around here than Sheedy, Kerth (from the council like 15 years ago..) and that other person combined. Is it some city prank to waste resources on the first candidate who opens an office?
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February 18, 2012 | 9:31 AM
I agree with you 'aaronb'...I have been in this community for years...and have not seen Sheedy do much of anything; and whomever she endorses - I will suspect will repeat the same thing of 'NOTHING'. Allen Wayne Warren has been a figure in this community WITHOUT being an elected figure...and has provided improvements - without seeking attention or recognition.

We need to acknowledge him by supporting him. I am sure this effort to disgrace him...is only a way to find something against him. However, if this is all they have...then he must be doing pretty well...if they cannot find anything else.
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February 18, 2012 | 7:54 PM
An interesting choice of words to describe it as "to disgrace him" when it's a city code violation about signage restrictions.
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February 18, 2012 | 5:22 PM
This entire matter seems like an oversight rather then an intentional posting of campaign signs before they are allowed. However, the reporting of these campaign window signs sounds much like the work of Sandy Sheedy. She is known to have others do her dirty work. She has a history of doing unthinkable maneuvers behind closed doors. And many of those maneuvers have marginalized and regulated neighborhoods in her district to forgotten status. She made a wise choice not to run. Many of those marginalized neighborhoods were ready and able to sweep her out of office.
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February 18, 2012 | 7:47 PM
Examples or details, please, of these allegations and opinions...
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edited on  February 18, 2012 | 7:02 PM
Is this the same Allen Wayne Warren that is being sued by the city for failing to deliver on his promises? The same man who was ordered to pay the city damages (and who has not done so yet)?

If he truly wants to help the city, perhaps he could pay what he has been ordered to do instead of raising money for his campaign.
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February 18, 2012 | 7:46 PM
Where are details about this supposed suit, damages, and order to pay? Public record or news story?
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February 18, 2012 | 11:09 PM
http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-sac-council-candidate-sued-by-city-explains-financial-hardships-20111221,0,771312.story
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February 19, 2012 | 1:02 AM
Sacramento sues Del Paso Heights project developer:

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/print-edition/2011/11/11/sacramento-sue-del-paso-developer.html
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February 20, 2012 | 1:58 PM
A perusal of the 2 offered news reports shows nothing to support the commenter's claim of "ordered to pay the city damages (and who has not done so yet)" and some of the reporting suggests bankruptcy court settlements were decided in favor of the real estate LLP, and in negotiations w/ the (no longer alive) SHRA, which apparently now owns the development project. And it's seems ODD neither story offered $ info to bolster the relevance of the reporting (FauxNews-style as always)...
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edited on  February 22, 2012 | 8:49 AM
Here's the sac court document viewing site

https://services.saccourt.ca.gov/publicdms/Search.aspx

Here's the case number 34-2011-00112893
For the city's case against Mr. Warrens Nuevo Partners LLC and the Surety Insurance Co responsible for bonding the public works component of the project.

All the case docs are there. Looks like next court date is early March.

I would start with the initial complaint
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edited on  February 18, 2012 | 10:54 PM
If only many of the above claims were backed up w/ facts which could be verified by the article's writer... oh, wait, that would require the commenters to do more than simply cast aspersions, repeat rumors, and participate in gossip. If any of the allegations are based on facts, it would be so kind and useful for the commenters to provide them, or am I alone in this hope?
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edited on  February 19, 2012 | 1:27 AM
Midtown Squinter, Posted directly below my comment are two articles containing details and facts about the lawsuit mentioned in my comment. Are two sufficient or would you like additional sources?

Thank you to TomRunge and YouWantWhat for posting!
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February 18, 2012 | 8:57 PM
...in related news, the city code enforcement offficer was later seen interrogating the Mack Rd. offramp on a tip that the thoroughfare was illegally providing free advertising to Kim Mack's campaign.
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February 19, 2012 | 9:58 AM
Cogmeyer, thanks for breaking the story. Maybe the best solution would be to give equal sign rights to the other candidates by renaming the offramps at El Camino Ave. and Watt Ave. after Warren and Kerth for the duration of the campaign. I mean fair is fair.
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February 20, 2012 | 5:29 PM
"Citizen's arrest! Citizen's arrest!" - Gomer Pyle
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