Gallegos switches to a professional management team for his 2014 campaign.
After several famous missteps, our district attorney’s handlers have lit upon one way to keep Paul Gallegos from plaigiarizing: They do all the writing themselves.
It works something like this. First, local gadfly and famously crazy person Elizabeth Conner suggests a “VERY ROUGH OUTLINE, PLEASE EDIT AND REFINE,” and then knocks out a basic thank-you letter to volunteers, supporters and staff:
Although the final election results are not yet known for certain, I want to thank all my campaign volunteers, supporters and staff for their hard work and belief in the concept that everyone is equal before the law and that both the accused and accusers have rights.
Because conceivably there are people out there who don’t believe in these things. Conner gets a little hung up when trying to put into words exactly why people supported Paul:
Most of all, thank you to those who voted for me and expressed your confidence in me and our team [OR A VALUE].
A value like love or puppies or good fashion sense, perhaps.
But let’s not fret over details, because as Richard Salzman notes when he sends the draft to Gallegos:
Remember that this is just the BEFORE, final results letter and that Evenson is going to work with you on a Guest Editorial / My Word, to follow the final results. But getting this out now will make it easier for me to raise money.
So the county’s most prominent attorney will have someone on hand to help with the big words then as well.
It looks like Team Gags thought of everything. What could possibly go wrong?
Enter Michele Shoshani, Paul’s secretary at the District Attorney’s Office.
Because while this tax-funded county employee was distributing a campaign letter to local media from work, during work hours, using work equipment, in violation of several FPPC regulations, she went ahead and left all the previous drafts attached, from concept to finished product.
You just can’t get good help these days, can you?
Fortunately, Kevin Hoover posted the whole damn thing on the Arcata Eye website.
Hurry on over there and get yourself a laugh.
Photo credit: Whoever’s facebook page we ganked these off of.
Filed under: Humboldt County | Tagged: Alison Sterling Nichols, Elizabeth Conner, FPPC violations, Gregory Conrad, John Regan, Larry Evenson, Michele Shoshani, Natalynne DeLapp, Paul Gallegos, Richard Salzman, that's gonna leave a mark on her performance evaluation |
The Humboldt Mirror 
Don’t you know that he and his goons are Above the Law?
Douche.
Bugs, you gotta quit using pictures of children in your posts. It’s totally uncool.
At least the e-mail trail didn’t out ot to all the media…I didn’t see the Lumberjack included.
Lodgepole, that photo was from Paul’s campaign website.
Ha ha. I put up a link to a photo of his kids on his campaign website, and they took the photo down.
Too funny.
Here’s the link to the soccer girls photo on his campaign’s Facebook page. Until they take that down too.
The point is, we’re not using original photography. We’re satirizing his.
Agree Bugs – photos are on his site. Gags may have violated child labor laws by using kids but its ok to be above the law.
Hey anyone at last Fridays soccer game when a certain 12 year old got ejected for telling her coach to “get fucked?”
read the email addresses again 11:43.
“thejack@humboldt.edu”
It went out to all the papers, minus the Hoopa Voice and Ferndale Enterprise.
I wonder if Ms. Shoshani has passed her probationary period? If so, it will be a little more challenging firing her than it was firing Allison Jackson.
“famously crazy person Elizabeth Conner”
Elizabeth Conner is not crazy. Nor are any number of other Gallegos supporters with whom I both agree on most issues and am friendly with.
In fact that is, for me, the central riddle of the Gallegos phenomenon: how there is just about nothing this man can do that these people will not ignore, excuse or attempt to justify. From plagiarism to resumé padding to taking credit for things he hasn’t done to letting people who have left dead bodies along the roadside off the hook to trumpeting “integrity” while consorting with the likes of Richard Salzman.
I was talking to another newspaper editor recently and mentioned that “there’s no there there” with Gallegos. The response was, “everybody knows that.” This appears to be true. But a majority of people have decided to stick up for him nonetheless.
With each new debacle of whatever scale, the Gallegos supporters tap their apparently infinite supply of cheeks to turn and other ways to look. What I don’t understand is why.
Kevin, one word–marijuana.
HumHon, two words; marijuana & money (lots of it)………….next.
We feel you, Kev, but we’ve seen actual craziness from the Elizabeth. First-hand. Like with our own single-lens compound buggy little eyes.
Chick was whack.
But we’ll consider the possibility of temporary insanity.
For you.
Hugs!
“the Gallegos supporters tap their apparently infinite supply of cheeks to turn and other ways to look. What I don’t understand is why.”
Has more to do with the opponents selected to run against him.Paul Hagen would have been a fine alternative,and many progressives backed him,some of which are regular targets for the bugs here,like Mark Lovelace.I can’t see why Jackson found it so necessary to run instead of backing Hagen,who could very well have defeated Gallegos in a one on one race.Jackson’s most ardent supporters gave no reason to vote for her without tossing in personal shots at Gallegos,Salzman,whatnot.Voters were never given any write-ups or pieces dedicated to her qualities,even Hoover’s write up in endorsing her,failed to give any reason to vote for her,it was all about Paul,and was hardly a motivation to get people off of their asses to vote for her.The chance to oust Gallegos was there with Hagen,but Jackson got in the way of that.
Actually, Mark, the voters got in the way of that. They resoundingly chose Jackson over Hagen. Your gripe, and sometimes our gripe, is with them.
If Paul does pull this out, it will be purely because of HSU students and their provisional votes.
Elizabeth Conners was called on her corruption in 2004 with a complaint to the FPPC. She resigned her City Council seat mid-term, right as they were announcing a further investigation of how she was voting on items directly connected to the monetary splendor of her Humboldt Bay Housing Development Corporation, another cash drop in the neoliberal Democrat non-profit money machine circuit.
Naturally, Kevin Hoover completely ignored this story, even when it was brought up at City Council meetings, as part of his string of cover-ups for the corrupt assholes in City Hall. And then he accuses us of covering up for Gags — incredible.
Can someone stick a sock in Greg Connors. Back to H’s blog heathen.
“If Paul does pull this out, it will be purely because of HSU students and their provisional votes.”
Ummm…he’s in the lead now,and those provisionals haven’t yet been counted.The only candidate set to benefit from them is Dave Meserve.
If (Opponent A) and Paul were standing next to each other on the Arcata Plaza and a homeless guy dropped dead in front of the them and (Opponent A) gave the guy mouth to mouth, brought him back to life and carried him on his/her back to the hospital while Paul looked the other way and slipped into the bar for a drink, the TS would run Paul on the front page as having saved a homeless guy because someone in the audience called 911 on a cell-phone… and Mark Konkler would tell us all about what was wrong with (Opponent A).
Using the County Office to send out his campaign materials as official press releases is a serious matter. Forcing his employees to perform for his campaign is as well. It is time people stopped hiding and started speaking out. Whispering from alleyways is not cutting it.
And I say again, Mark Konkler with his obvious Gallegos advocacy, should not have any part in touching any ballots in this race.
Sorry, Mark, I know it is your passion, but this one, you have proven that you are not unbiased.
Marky, mark. Mister K:
It’s so nice Paul has such a fanboy such as yourself.
Allison is more than able to over come the lead Paul was left with on election night when the mail in / dropped off ballots are counted – votes of people who actually are long term residents of Humboldt County. What no one will dispute is the probability that 90+% of the HSU student provisionals will go to Gallegos and could give him the win.
While I enjoy the energy students bring to the political process, their inability to think critically or to see through the manufactured Gallegos mystique leaves much to be desired.
“Using the County Office to send out his campaign materials as official press releases is a serious matter.”
Agreed there.
“Allison is more than able to over come the lead Paul was left with on election night when the mail in / dropped off ballots are counted”
Over the last few years the trend seems to be that those ballots skew to the progressive side,even in June Paul’s lead grew with the last of absentees turned in.
Rose wrote,”And I say again, Mark Konkler with his obvious Gallegos advocacy, should not have any part in touching any ballots in this race.
Sorry, Mark, I know it is your passion, but this one, you have proven that you are not unbiased.”
My Gallegos advocacy never went any further than what you read from me on these blogs.I never helped phone bank,knock on doors,none of it,he didn’t need the help from me and I have had enough reservations about him to have the desire to do so.My advocacy doesn’t extend much past my belief that he has done a decent enough job at running the office,and has made some fine improvements that were needed from 4 years ago.
And so you know,I haven’t touched one ballot from this election,although I do hope to be able to assist with the Transparency Project soon enough to ensure that the ballots which already have been counted were done so correctly.I have no bias in regards to ensuring the votes were correctly tabulated.I don’t deserve to be attacked for wanting to see that.
Agreed, Mark. Crnich runs a tight ship over there. We trust the integrity of the process and the people who participate in it until or unless we find they cannot be trusted.
Dicky Salzman, for example, cannot be trusted.
[…] Humboldt Mirror has it up, and of course […]
Agreed, Mark. Crnich, for all her lack of vowels, is the real deal.
Another shout-out to Secretary of State Debra Bowen. She has repeatedly distinguished herself with intelligence and professionalism.
With everything that’s going so wrong, we happen to have piercingly competent individuals in these key positions.
It’s a sad enough comment that people who simply do their jobs with serious commitment these days are considered extraordinary.
Mark or mresqan is such a complete *&@#$. If he had half a brain he’d take it out and molest it.
So who is going to push the issue on the Gallegos camp for violations ? Or is it that the rules don’t apply to him or his possee.
As for the DA election, why spend so much energy specullating. When the votes are all counted Ms Crnich will let us all know. And if the result is as I hope there will be a few DA office employees with an upset stomach, and maybe a migraine. And wifie will have to clear off a desk in her office for PVG.
“Elizabeth Conners was called on her corruption in 2004 with a complaint to the FPPC. She resigned her City Council seat mid-term, right as they were announcing a further investigation of how she was voting on items directly connected to the monetary splendor of her Humboldt Bay Housing Development Corporation, another cash drop in the neoliberal Democrat non-profit money machine circuit.”
True. This is but one of many things she has done and continues to do that are NOT GOOD. Does she care one iota for the homeless? Has she ever been seen by anyone at the soup kitchen helping anyone? NOT. She sure does alot in the name of the homeless while earning money for herself and her fav-o-the month non profit…and then runs off to ‘Mexico, of course’ to celebrate. She cares not about the homeless – just for herself and her causes. Public trough whore.
As for her being crazy or not; try and sit anywhere near her in a public meeting and actually be able to hear what is going on. Ms. Conners cannot be quiet so the discussion of the panel can be heard by anyone else in the audience.
Guess what she has to say is more important. Atleast in her mind.
“So who is going to push the issue on the Gallegos camp for violations ? ”
Maybe you should.
It’s Conner, not Conners. And Elizabeth is no more or less well-mannered than any of the other opinionated people active in Humboldt public life. She’s certainly more friendly and well-mannered than the faceless braying hyenas that populate this comment section.
This is a small community, and business and NGO leaders often serve on public bodies. Recusals are common, legal and appropriate. You want only elected leaders who have no experience with or connection to local business and advocacy institutions? That would be a very restricted pool of selections with limited qualifications.
Elizabeth believed, based on legal opinions she had received, that she could serve on the council without excessive conflicts of interest. It didn’t work out that way, so she stepped down. Scandal!
I’d like to ask the clairvoyant “Sam” how he/she knows what Elizabeth “cares” about?
“Braying hyenas”?
Be honest, Kevin.
Did you mean that as a compliment?
Good idea Mark. I think I will and let everyone know it was you that planted the idea in my head!
Maybe I should write a letter to the Grand Jury and ask that they look into it? Maybe to the FBI in San Francisco? Maybe the State AG, expecially if it is Steve Cooley ?!!
Good idea Mark.
Every single employee in the DA’s office should be asked under oath what they were told to do in the course of this election. From the “My Word’s” which obviously weren’t to the infomercials to… God only knows what else.
Kevin still hasn’t answered the Terrence McNally question — I’d say that’s the braying hyena in the room that no one will respond to.
I have four words for you …
Misappropriation of public funds, as covered in Penal Code section 424(a).
Additionally, Government Code Section 814 covers inappropriate campaign violations.
There is no statute for being criminally stupid.
Well Chris….actually there is It’s 647f PC..if you accept the premise that the campaign is unable to care for itself and constitutes a danger to itself and others. Additionally, as a policy matter there is also 10-30 communications that are commonly considered inappropriate in police or other paramilitary transmissions.
My guess is that given the assault weaponed, strike force mentality that is at least part, of the DA’s office and according to Michelle, also part of the regular office program of work, would be well, something other than without “fear or favor.”
Other than office holders using public resources to boost their campaigns, I really don’t see a problem here. I mean seriously, if Bonnie had a bake sale on the Courthouse lawn and if you buy a cupcake you get your project, who would object?
Felony stupidity, is its own reward
Would those be $10,000 cupcakes?
Let’s not forget what ten grand got for Bowman.
Rose
What do your think Pierson has paid for his cupcakes.
Now that’s some bake sale.
Heck…a few brownies at the North Country Faire ended up registering one oven load of new voters.
AJ disregarded the power of pastry
The interesting thing for me here is that PVG had his secretary send this. Frankly I don’t think it would have been that big a deal if he had sent this on his county e-mail; although clearly inappropriate, on the grand scale, meh. But involving a county employee, that manifestly crosses a line. And of course one then wonders whether this was an isolated incident. And, was this a deliberate act by the secretary? That is, did she know that she was sending all the attachments? Did she do it intentionally for some reason, like she’s sick of this stuff? And finally, how does the fact that PVG managed to send the entire thread to her fit into the “PVG is an idiot” theory?
Or was she already overworked – and ordered to send this out ASAP in order to “get it out for the weeklies”?
That office is in such disarray – and one DDA is trying to hold it together, and getting herself in trouble along the way.
You need to hope and PRAY that count turns around. Humboldt County cannot afford 4 more years. And it won’t take 4 months for you all to see it break wide open.
No doubt there was pressure within the DA’s office to support PVG during the election. Subtle or more direct we can only imagine or guess. Although some of the support may have been voluntary, Buttlickers in the DA’s office hoping to gain position, advancement, or maybe just to retain their job.
I have no illusions of PVG using his work time, and that of others, to further his campaign. I don’t think that would bother PVG a bit, as long as he didn’t get exposed or caught.
Any idea when the official count will be complete?
Before Thanksgiving, according to the TS article.
Hopefully Humboldt County residents will have an additional reason to be thankful. And that is a new District Attorney.
Happy Thanksgiving in advance
bugs…technically you should have requested our permission to publish the photo (imagine that!)
It’s one thing to have a photo on your face book but quite another for someone to publish it without the express permission of the (professional) photographer.
We took that photo five years ago and I agree with the poster that said he thought, although a funny idea, it was inappropriate to print the photos of children on a blog. Wish you had asked the photographer if it was alright because we would have told you not to do it.
FYI, those are under 6 girls…..not exactly fodder for a blog like yours or anybodies for that matter.
Barb, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Had you read the above you’d see they got it from Paul’s campaign facebook page. They don’t need your permission to publish it. They don’t need his permission to publish it. While I agree the photo is inappropriate, the impropriety is HIS. He’s the one who put it on facebook. Bitch elsewhere.
Barb bite me babe.
That Barb’s a spitfire, but her grasp of copyright law (and maybe political satire) ain’t all that.
Barb, we vetted the Facebook photo issue with the Mirror’s Dept. of Legal Affairs and have received every assurance that once someone puts a photo on an unrestricted Facebook page, which Paul’s assuredly is, copyright protections are forfeited. So if you wanted someone to ask your permission, probably it should have been him.
And we agree that a DA should not use a photo of little girls to promote himself. Reposting it here has gotten that issue at least a little of the attention it deserves.
For those not following along at home, here again is the link to the photo on Paul’s Facebook page.
The Barbster’s been cranky-pants since Jeffy got his diminutive ass handed to him in the primary. But she’s good people and so is he. Personally I wish he’d won, but as long as Neely’s gone I can live with anything.
First, folks, I am not a cranky pants about Jeff losing in the primary. In fact, I was semi-delighted we didn’t have to go through the summer with the exhausting and nasty business of political campaigning.
Second, I didn’t realize what a “noble” cause it was for you to invade Paul’s face book page and use this particular photo to prove what a bastard he is.
The nerve of the guy to have family photos on his face book!!
Obviously, you guys are the noble ones for taking the opportunity to re-print the photo of those young girls to uh, what was that again, oh, right, “Reposting it here has gotten that issue at least a little of the attention it deserves.”
That quote has more spin attached than anything Heraldo has recently put forth………methinks I struck a nerve.
‘nough said………:-)
Yeah. And the nerve of the guy to have his son sling beer at the age of ten. Or the great language used by his daughter at the last soccer match. Or using his kids whenever he thinks it might advantage him. Barb. Go bark elsewhere babe.
Barb, blow us. It’s from his campaign Facebook page, not his personal one. He used that photo for advertising, we’ll use it if we bloody well want, and we thinks you’re starting to sound like a shrew.
And FYI, we’re not exactly sure bugs even have nerves (or anything really to blow, for that matter). So there.
Hi folks. I’m back after making the newspaper and ready to argue again. What’s “the Terrence McNally question,” anyway?
Yeah we’re kind of at a loss about that too. Is Tad somehow involved?
The only one I can think of is, “Why is Terrence SO FUCKING AWESOME?”
He writes, he shoots, he designs, he bitches out the Tads and Salzmans faster than a speeding bullet PLUS he sings Priest in black leather.
The total package, that TMc.
And your question was…?
Terrace is a cool dude if you ask me. The real deal.
But he never calls, he never writes. Does he not want to be seen with us? If we had feelings, Terrence would be hurting them.
Jesus Christ, Barb. You should follow along instead of helicoptering in from time to time to shriek. If you’re now so enamored of Heraldo, why don’t you go bat-shit on that blog instead.
TMc in black leather? Hmmm. Nice visual.
Barb your defense of Gags and Heraldo is illuminating.
The bugs tell Barb Leonard to blow them? Do we need to get you into mediation?
Nah. I think we’re all comfortable agreeing to disagree.
My defense of Gags and Heraldo is illuminating? Wow, from what comment did you extrapolate that little morsel of bull crap?
My only intended defense was against using young girls as props for political satire. IMO, it is not appropriate to make family members of candidates, “collateral damage”.
Pretty simple premise and quite surprising that so many of you can’t wrap your anonymous heads around it.
Bugs, I think I will pass on “blowing you”, however we can agree to disagree if that’s your wish.
Barb so its ok for him to use his kids but not for us to respond? Yes illuminating, very illuminating.
If he can use it for political gain, we can use it for political satire. That seems like a pretty simple premise to us.
But fair enough on the not-blowing us. Wow . Unresolved disagreements and no sex–Barb, by any chance are we married?
I am still holding my breath about TMc in leather. Ooh uuh! Wow.
Icky.
Thus the truth about Anon posters, sick fucks.
Oh bite me CND. I’m waiting for TMc in leather. Sucks to be you bugs if you can’t appreciate that fine visual. Works for me!
We feel you, Anonymous.
We just don’t feel you.
See what we’re saying?
Buh to the Bye, Glasshole.
Oh sorry. Wrong post.
You don’t have to feel me bugs as long as I can see TMc in leather………sorry Hoover get over our fetish.
And Barb. Chill out.
Dude, I am very chilled out. Now that I no longer have a son in politics, I am practically euphoric.
…..and Bugs, I beg to differ with your premise. How exactly did Paul use a photo of himself as a coach of his daughter’s u-6 for political gain? Whose vote did it buy??
Seems to me everyone who ran for office or who has ever run for office has used photos of a personal nature to educate the public on who they are.
Jeff had family photos on his web page. Virginia was photographed with her son in military uniform etc etc.
The thing is, the families of candidates shouldn’t be collateral damage. Many of your “political satire” photo jobs are hilarious and all have been adults in the news.
This time you chose to make 6 little girls part of your vendetta against Gallegos.
What was up with that?….really
BTW, I wasn’t aware BJ’s are sex. When did that happen?
Paul’s handlers posted a years-old photo of him with a girls soccer team to project an image. That’s called advertising. And we don’t have a “vendetta” against Paul Gallegos. We simply think he is intellectually and ethically unfit for office.
That’s what was up with that. Really. It would have been better had he posed with Nicole Quigley’s soccer team, but this is the next best thing.
We’ve agreed to disagree, which is good, because we obviously still do.
No Barb. Gags used the kids as props and Humbug called him out. Bark about it all you want but it doesn’t change things. He has used other peoples kids before and had to pull the photos off of hiss website because it violated labor law. But ya know folks he IS above the law and us little people.
Barb, we don’t have your e-mail and would like to ask you something. Can you drop us a line here?