Watching The Last 46,000 Ballots

My day began with a welcome email from Walter Moore. The election isn't over, well not completely, and as Walter's missive reminded me, 46,000 provisional ballots remain to be counted.
The City Clerk's Election division is also willing to allow members of the public to observe and so, at Walter's suggestion, I went back to where it all started, 555 Ramirez Street in Downtown Los Angeles.


I was met by Lucy, one of the many helpful workers at the Clerk's Office. My first question was "What is a provisional ballot?" Lucy was kind enough to explain (if only the DMV were so helpful) that these are basically
1) postal (absentee) ballots that were handed in at polling stations,
2) ballots that were cast by persons whose name could not be found at the polling station, or
3) ballots cast by persons who should have voted by mail, but turned up polling stations and claimed not to have cast a postal ballot, and
4) ballots that are damaged or unclear.
There are probably more reasons why a ballot might be considered "provisional" but you get the idea.

The first step, Lucy explained, is to check that the signature on the ballot matches a signature of a registered voter. Below is where that process takes place.



And they really check! Here you can see one of the election workers actually looking up a ballot and comparing the signature in their database to the signature on the ballot.



Once the signature match test is passed, the ballots go to this big room where further examination is carried out:



There's even a section where damaged ballots are repaired so that they can be counted:



Then the hard task of trying to discover the voters' intent begins for those postal ballots where, for example, the dot's in the wrong place - perhaps between two candidates, but more over one than the other. Or, a dot for one candidate has been 'x'ed out and another dot placed for another candidate.



It's a painstaking process,



requiring a skilled eye to make determination.



Postal ballots that were mailed after the deadline, but which arrived postmarked before the day of the election are considered "provisional" and will be counted too, as long as everyone is satisfied that the postal voter has not also cast a ballot at a polling station.



Finally, when all the provisional ballots that have passed all the tests are ready to be counted, they will be taken to this sealed room where a number of counting machines will tally-up the final vote.



I left the City Clerk's Election Division full of praise and admiration for the hard work that all the workers put in to ensure fairness in the count. I am satisfied that when the final count is known, it will be a fair and accurate count. Now I also know why it is that we will not know the final count until March 24, as you can see it is fair from a simple process.

Buy the way, I asked if the May 19 run-off election will be counted here and it seems that the County of Los Angeles will actually count those votes as the run-off coincides with a statewide special election.

So there you have it, democracy in action.

Election Results - Live as they come in

KABC 790AM will be covering the election.

The City Clerk's Office website will have results updated every 20 minutes starting at 8PM

Here's the link

http://cityclerk.lacity.org/election/

VOTE!

A picture paints a thousand words, so what more should I say?

The Final Forum

The night before Election Day, KABC hosted a "Pitch Forks & Torches" Tour at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel at LAX.

The room was packed to capacity with motivated voters who gave me an uproarious reception!


My thanks go to KABC's Doug McIntyre and John Phillips for providing all the candidates with a final opportunity to "Pitch" their campaigns to the electorate. It was an important public service and a tremendous boost to all the candidates.

Thanks also to Nigel Skeet from The California Leader for following my campaign and providing me with splendid pictures that really tell the whole story.

Berger Leads NBC Poll

NBC's News RAW is holding a "Quick Poll" for the City Attorney race.

As of Thursday, I was in second place:


Today, Friday, I'm leading the polls:



If you haven't already taken part in the poll, please use this link to go to the New RAW website. When you see the "Quick Poll" box about halfway down the page, click on my name and you've voted!



I don't know how long the poll will stay open, so be quick!

Here's the link to the poll:

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/City_Elections.html

David Berger on NBC News RAW

NBC News RAW let me talk about my campaign for Los Angeles City Attorney

Campaigning Appeals to Kids

Nina and Emily had a great idea to help my campaign. Watch the video:

Thankfully my good friend Ardy had a video enabled cellphone handy to capture the moment!

News from the Campaign Trail

Tuesday, Westchester Neighborgood Council

With two weeks to go to Election day, I'm busy attending as many public meetings as possible. Often these meetings go on late into the night, but a couple of things impress me; Ordinary people care enough to come out and see the candidates, and my message - that they can kick out the career politicians and elect real people to do the job, is resonating.

You can see all the places I will be visiting on my website. Hope to see you there!

Hit The Road Jack!

It's been a busy week on the campaign trail, more details to follow, but the highlight of the week was Friday's interview by Doug McIntyre on KABC 790AM.

'See' the interview here:



Please share this with everyone you know!

Tune In To AirTalk on KPCC 89.3FM on Tuesday Feb 10

All City Attorney Candidates have been invited to Tuesday's live on-air Candidates Forum on AirTalk which 'airs' on daily NPR's KPCC from 10:00am to 12:00noon If you cannot tune in live, you can listen to a podcast later in the day from their website. Will Jack Weiss show up? Will he answer hard questions? Tune in and find out!

TWTWTW - That Was The Week That Was!

It's been a busy week with Neighborhood Councils throughout the City of Los Angeles hosting Forums and Meet the Candidates events.

I have been blown away by the warm and friendly reception at every event, without exception or reservation. Here are some of my observations and comments. First and foremost, however, I must extend a sincere "Thank You" to all the residents who gave up two or three hours of their time to find out about their choices in the March election. Second, to the officers of the Neighborhood Councils who hosted the events, I truly appreciate your efforts in hosting these important opportunities for voters to be better informed, and for making all of the candidates feel welcome.

Monday, February 2, 2009
North Hills West Neighborhood Council City Attorney Forum
All candidates gave the audience some spirited answers to tricky questions. When I say "all candidates" I have to exclude Jack Weiss, as he could not be bothered to attend. He's either too important for 'ordinary voters,' or he's scared of being confronted by me over his dismal record as Councilmember for CD5, and his unethical conduct in failing to repay tax-payers for the matching funds he received by using illegal money-laundered campaign contributions. The Forum was expertly conducted by David Hyman, the North Hills West Neighborhood Council Outreach Chair, who graciously allowed all candidates to be heard, and all questions to be answered.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Harbor Gateway Neighborhood Council Candidates Forum
Again, Jack Weiss was a no-show. The cowardice and spinelessness of the man who claims to be some sort of super crime-fighter is palpable, and so I used a photo of the tight-lipped disgraced soon-to-be former councilmember to the delight of the audience. Gang crime, graffiti and overcrowded rental housing seemed to top the list of concerns in this neighborhood, all of which are matters I would be delighted to tackle as City Attorney.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Chatsworth Neighborhood Council - City Attorney Forum
Guess what? Jack Weiss was a no-show again! Jack's speechless photo again entertained the audience as I questioned the self-professed super crime-fighter's arrogance, distain and utter contempt for homeowners. On a personal note, I truly appreciated the delicious food and coffee provided by Vicky as I didn't have time to eat as I battled the rush hour traffic to get to Chatsworth on time. I also appreciated some pointed questioning from Dan, who should seriously consider a career in politics - I'd vote for him in a heartbeat! I also appreciated the way that Judy Daniels conducted the meeting and moved things along with her inimitable style and sharp wit.

Even though the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council officers were kind enough to let the candidates speak before they conducted their important regular business, all candidates stayed to learn a little about the issues that concern this friendly equestrian community.

Thursday, February 5, 2009
South Robertson & Palms Neighborhood Council
This was a forum for Councilmember candidates seeking to win the seat Jack Weiss is leaving in disgrace. The meeting room at Hamilton High School was packed with standing room only. Of course it now goes without saying that Jack Weiss was not in attendance. While the audience struggled to decide which councilmember candidate they dare to trust to be their voice against over-development and billboard blight, every member of the audience that I spoke to were decided on one thing - they do not want Jack Weiss to be City Attorney. Music to my ears, as almost all the people I spoke to were interested and intrigued by my candidacy.

Happy New Year!

To all my supporters in the Chinese community, I too welcome the Year of the OxPeople born in the Year of the Ox are patient, speak little, and inspire confidence in others. I think I will need all those qualities for this campaign!

Had Enough of Weiss? See What A Real City Attorney Should Be

If you've just finished watching KNBC's Emmy-winning investigative report on Jack Weiss, and feel as disgusted as I do, then take a look at what I can do for Los Angeles. This is my interview on "The Legal File."

KPCC 89.3FM To Interview Candidates

A producer for National Public Radio station KPCC has invited me to participate in a live radio "candidates forum."

Larry Mantle the dynamic host of "Airtalk," a mid-morning current affairs program, will chair the debate.

I will post an update with the date of the broadcast as soon as it confirmed.

Sunday's Yard Signs

Yard signs are going faster than I can get them!

Perhaps it's got something to do with the campaign logo - some think it reminds them of a recent campaign....

I've asked people to send me digital photos of the "planted" signs, and here are a few of the ones I've received;











If you would like a campaign Yard Sign, please go to my website and send me an email. I'll find a way to get one to you.

Yard Signs Roll Out!

Coming soon to a neigborhood near you:



The striking Nigel Skeet inspired Yard Sign is an eye catcher.






Go to my website, click "Contact" and send me an email and I'll figure out how to get a yard sign to you.

Jack "No-Show" Weiss Ducks Questions

The Coalition of Homeowners Associations for Council District 5 held a Forum for Candidates for City Attorney. Now, you would think that Candidate Jack Weiss would be there. After all, he's been the elected Councilmember for Council District 5 for 8 years. Surely he would want to meet with the people he represents?

Take a look at this video from the Forum



It was no surprise to me that Jack Weiss didn't want to face the people that know him better than anyone else; his constituents - the people of Council District 5 whose interests and concerns he has consistently ignored in favor of developers and their associated special interests.

If Weiss won't face the people he represents as councilmember, how different will he be as City Attorney? My guess, and that of everyone else in CD5, is that he will be no different. He will ignore "ordinary" people in favor of Big Money. That's Jack.

CD5 Coalition Homeowners Associations rates me "Excellent"

On Saturday morning, January 10, 2009, the Coalition of Homeowners Associations for Council District 5 held a Candidates Forum for all five City Attorney candidates. I was rated "Excellent."

The forum consisted of an intense two-hour series of questions designed to probe candidates' qualifications, ethics and stance on issues. The goal was to find the optimal candidate who will fairly represent the concerns of homeowners.

Pictured above and below, from left to right are; Michael Amerian, David Berger, Carmen Trutanich, and Noel Weiss.
My thanks go to Marcia Selz for hosting the forum and to my fellow candidates for showing up and making for what was a lively and informative forum.

By the way, candidate Jack Weiss refused to attend. He was probably scared at having to face me in an open forum where I could fairly challenge him over his lack of ethics in receiving and keeping money-laundered illegal campaign contributions.

Protect Yourself - You Won't Hear About This In The Press

I don't want to cause a panic, but you should be aware of this.

So, while we have 26 less cops on the Westiside because the Mayor and Jack Weiss think that's "OK," and that despite the failing economy and time-proven statistics that show that crime goes up when the economy goes down, you might want to take a good look at the locks you have on your home, because burglars are getting all the information they need to "bump" the lock on your door.

The inconvenient truth for people other than elitists like Jack Weiss,, by which I mean ordinary people who don't have private security and certainly don't have the same level of protection from LAPD now that Jack Weiss has "approved" the reduction of police services in his council district, is that we're all more vulnerable to the inevitable increase in crime that will occur as criminals pay their bills by breaking into our homes.

Even if you don't vote for me on March 3, 2009, do please take a look at your personal security. Good locks, good lighting, and a strong bond with your neighbors are probably the best way you can protect yourself and all you've worked for.

Crime Down in LA? The Inconvenient Truth...

While the media headlines Chief Bratton and Mayor Villaraigosa's claims of their successes in reducing crime in LA, the rest of us know better. We see more and more ugly gang graffiti everywhere. As soon as it's painted over, it's back again.

Ask any expert on gangs and they'll tell you that gang graffiti is like an earthquake seismograph, it's a clear sign of what' is actually going on. And the clear sign here is that the gangs are getting bigger, bolder and more at ease in showing their colors, while the Mayor and his followers glad hand each other and try to palm us off with massaged statistics.

Mayoral candidate Walter Moore, a man who isn't afraid of confronting inconvenient truths, wrote a stunning analysis of the true state of crime in LA. I urge you to read it, then contrast what Mr. Moore says with what the Mayor says, or rather doesn't say.

The true statistics published by Chief Bratton show that you and I are almost twice as likely to be murdered here in LA, than if we lived in what was once the murder capitol of the USA; New York City. Yes, the murder rate in Los Angeles is 51% higher than that of New York City. Surely that should be a headline?

The fact is that in the City of Los Angeles, with a population of 4 million, there were 381 murders last year, that's 95.3 per million Los Angelenos. In New York City, with a population of 8.2 million, there were 514 murders in the same period, that's 62.7 per million New Yorkers. Do the math yourself, please don't trust me or Walter Moore. The murder rate in Los Angeles is 51% higher that New York City. Why?

Well we all know why. While we all know that Los Angeles is seriously under policed when compared to New York, and while Mayor Villaraigosa claims he's committed to increasing the number of cops in LA, the facts are wildly opposite to the Mayor's claims. Instead of hiring more cops, he increased his personal staff from 70 to 93 this year. 23 more aides to carry his bottled water, marker pens, pads and his Listerine breath strips.

As Mayor Villaraigosa's personal staff swelled by 23 more acolytes, the Mayor and his lap-dog in waiting, Jack Weiss, applauded a reduction of 26 cops on Westside so that they could be deployed at a new police station. The new police station in Koreatown had been built at a cost of $25M, but no money had been set aside for hiring cops to staff it, so they pulled vitally needed cops from the Westside.

All it would have taken is for the Mayor to suffer the inconvenience "only" having 70 personal assistants, and hired 23 cops to staff the new Koreatown police station. But, the Mayor and Weiss are determined to move on to being Governor and Attorney General, so they need aides more than we need cops.

In the meantime, we have to live (or die) with the inconvenient truth. The Mayor and the person he (only he) wants as his City Attorney, Jack Weiss, are more concerned with their political aspirations than public safety.

On March 3, 2009, you will have a chance to tell Weiss and Villaraigosa what you think of their abysmal lack of commitment to public safety. I urge you; vote Moore for Mayor, and Berger for City Attorney and let's put a stop to pretend play politics.