Yesterday's
audit from the State Personnel Board certainly couldn't have helped
Kevin Shelley. Perhaps the most damning portion of the report centered on allegations that Shelley fudged results of a civil service exam from the son of a political donor so that the son could qualify for a job in Shelley's office.
Tha applicant,
Andrew Lee "appeared to have scored 23 or 24 points out of a possible 60" on the exam. But his score was marked down as 70 percent, high enough to qualify him for employment.
"According to my math, that's not 70 percent," Personnel Board Executive Director
Floyd Shimomura said, in reference to the minimum score needed for passage. But "when we looked at the examination paperwork, the numbers on the scoring sheet appeared to be scratched out and a new number was inserted." He did not say what the new number was.
The report was enough to prompt one Democrat to formally call for his resignation.
"I think he should resign," Sen.
Richard Alarcon tells the LA Times. "It is better for all involved given the level of trust we place in the secretary of state's office."
Alarcon's quote isn't exactly a
"Goldwater to Nixon Moment" but it is, in Dan Walters' words, another nail in the coffin.
For what it's worth, the Chronicle Editorial Board also
joins the call for the SOS's resignation, as does
the Mercury News.
The Chron's Mark Martin writes that
if Shelley testifies, as scheduled next week, it could hurt him in future potential federal investigations. "If I were representing him, I wouldn't let him anywhere near that hearing,'' said
Peter Keane, a criminal trial lawyer for 30 years and law professor at Golden Gate Law School in San Francisco.
Yesterday, we told
Political Pulse subscribers about a letter sent from Republican Senators on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to Chairwoman
Nicole Parra requesting a boatload of documents pertaining to the investigation of Secretary of State
Kevin Shelley. (You can
view the original letter here.)
Soon after our update, we received a copy of
a letter from Speaker Fabian Nuņez, who responded in lieu of the committee chairwoman, placing the blame for the delay in document delivery on Republicans' decision to attend the presidential inauguration. Nuņez spokesman
Steve Maviglio went on to add the senators were grandstanding, calling the letter a "publicity stunt." Will this little spat be remembered as historians write the tale of Kevin Shelley? Probably not. But in the meantime, it makes for some pretty good reading, if we don't say so ourselves.
For the complete story, check out the
next issue of Political Pulse (hey, we can't give
everything away for free).
From our
Measuring the Curtains files: If
Schwarzenegger appoints every Democrat's favorite Republican,
Bruce McPherson, to a hypothetically vacant Secretary of State's job, does SOS candidate
Debra Bowen vote again his confirmation? If she doesn't, how can she justify that anyone vote against McPherson in 2006?
The Board of Equalization just
handed Democrats a great budget issue, awarding $80 million in tax credits to companies that paid no state income tax.
"This is a sinkhole," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman
Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), a former chairwoman of the State Board of Equalization. "The state is hemorrhaging real cash. These are refunds for taxes not even paid. It is scandalous."
Democrats looking to score political points can't be thrilled that the deciding votes on the board were cast by two Democrats: Treasurer candidate
John Chaing and Controller
Steve Westly.Cuing
Phil Angelides press release in five, four, three ...
Attorney General
Bill Lockyer is suing the federal government over a new provision in the federal spending plan that
could cost the state billions if it enforces the state's abortion rights laws. "It's a backdoor way to try to repeal Roe v. Wade by using the spending authority of Congress to do that," Lockyer said of the bill amendment.
The good folks from U.S Term Limits are back, warning Schwarzenegger
not to monkey with legislative longevity. Jon Coupal apparently
didn't get the memo about
National No Name-Calling Week, but he does get our award for Headline of the Day with his entry "L.A. officials ignoramuses on finances". Congratulations Jon!
