Donna Frye will appeal SD Mayor's Race: Needs $$$ fast!

[Liberty Belle]

All--

I'm proud to say that I personally talked Donna Frye's aide into persuading Donna to appeal the rip-off of her mayoral race in San Diego last night!! I told her about the power of the Internet and the many Democratic supporters in cyberspace who would love to help her win. But we have got to help Donna raise money ASAP! Please help KICK KICK KICK to keep this post up high.

Donna, a Democratic write-in candidate, was ahead of her two Republican opponents, including an incumbent mayor--until a judge ruled that ballots with Donna's name written in, but where the bubble was not filled in, can't count. This is an outrage! We believe there are enough of these ballots to give Donna a victory--if they are counted.

Our State Supreme Court tends Democratic, so there is every reason to think Donna can win on appeal. Please help NOW by going to Donna's website link below and send $50--or whatever you can spare. Even a small donation will help. For San Diego to have a Democratic Mayor would be a major victory in a GOP-dominated town!


Dear Progressive Friend-

Donna Frye, the progressive write-in candidate for mayor in San Diego is under siege. She needs the help of every progressive across the country. Battle lines are drawn every day in our fight to provide for a better future. For those of you "in the know" the battle is real and ugly and expensive here is San Diego. Due to our San Diego campaign finance laws, Ms Frye can only accept contributions from individuals in the maximum amount of $250. This was fine for the campaign, as she runs a tight ship, but there are THREE legal battles raging right now that would affect her right to be a write in candidate and voters rights to have every vote count. And she can not go back to her loyal supporters for additional funds because we already gave the maximum amount.

How can you help? It is very simple we are asking every progressive from every state to contribute $50 to Donna Frye's campaign. It is easy and painless. You can go to her web site www.DonnaFryeForMayor.com and use a credit card or you can follow instructions on how to send a check. If you can give more than $50, my hat is off to you. If you can only give half then we understand how tough the economy has been and appreciate whatever assistance you can provide. Just be sure to include your proper information so that Donna abides by all campaign reporting laws.

The basic crisis of this situation is that Donna needs to respond in court to every one of these lawsuits as a party of interest. Even though she has filed none of the suits, since they directly affect her, her candidacy, and the basic right to have every persons vote count, she must mount a legal defense in each case. Two are state court cases and one is federal. This effort is estimated to cost upward of $120,000.

As a founding trustee for Progressive San Diego I profoundly want positive change for our city. As a Donna Frye supporter I want her to win. As a citizen I want my vote to matter and the votes of each and every voter to be counted. But this will not happen without a court order. The latest controversy lies in the fact that three to nine votes in every precinct wrote in "Donna Frye" and failed to fill in the bubble next to her name. Where did I get those numbers you will ask? I am one of the observers for the Frye campaign who watched the election workers tally the write in votes. I saw the actual ballots with her name written in and yet were not counted (because they lacked a bubble). These votes are the difference between progressive victory and "business as usual". We have non partisan elections here, and the two establishment candidates on the ballot are republicans who both voted to underfund our pension fund, a strategy which has cost our city its credit rating. The injustice and decline of our society will continue if we do not fight to ensure those votes are counted.

For more information on our battle please visit Donna's website. I know the New York TImes and the Chicago Tribune did informative articles and Donna's web site can lead you to others. Below is also a copy of the Neil Morgan piece that sums up our feelings about the situation.

Thank you in advance for helping advance progressive politics.

Sincerely,
Anne Dierickx


Begin forwarded message:


From: Donna Frye for Mayor <[e-mail]>
Date: December 1, 2004 2:48:05 PM PST
Subject: Correction

Hello friends,

In my email to you earlier today, I neglected to credit the accompanying editorial to the illustrious Neil Morgan. Following is the same article by Mr. Morgan, and please accept my apologies for the oversight.

Keeping the faith,
Donna

The Frye Rebellion
Airdate: Friday, November 26 and Saturday, November 27, 2004
by Neil Morgan, from kpbs.org

The Donna Frye rebellion in our chaotic city election earns its own chapter in history.

It was outrage at the same old bungling of public affairs by self-obsessed career politicians. It was a resounding no vote against San Diego's two most prominent public officials.

Our system works when lazy voters become watchdogs and bite back.

The frye rebellion confirms the rising power of labor and the decline of this city's old guard. And our skepticism about advice from our own media.

It makes downtown more interesting for north county San Diegans who seldom bother to go South of Eight.

Andy Rooney said it was his first inkling that we could come in off the beach and gripe like city people.

This is no longer the old San Diego... that overlooked greed and paybacks for city hall favorites.

The new 2005 model of San Diego is more inclusive. It has a wider view.

We must demand that the mayor and council partner with the community... helping to recruit minds and money to reform a city that has lost its reputation... and its credit line.

The image of San Diego as beach resort has merged now with that of a university city... rich in science, adventurous research and knowledge... men and women who have come from around the world... drawn at first by the climate, and then by each other.

Mayor Murphy and other entrenched politicians have shrugged off offers from UCSD and others to help create neighborhood discussion groups... and offer modern technical and engineering support for the city.

Murphy is a college graduate, ...and a taxpayer. He understands the magic of such campus resources.

Yet city hall says, "No". The threat of outsiders looking over their shoulders gives politicians the willies.

With such bad habits, our enfeebled old guard and our stigmatic media don't understand that the new San Diego is growing away from them.

Their comfortable San Diego is gone.

Are they capable of serving our younger and far more worldly city?

Toward such a breakthrough goal, the Donna Frye rebellion is a warning to present leaders... and to those of us who elect them.

We can bring them down if we realize they are serving themselves rather than us. It's not them and us. It's all of us as a city, rising or falling.

They need watchdogs... and they will remember that we can blow Donna Frye's whistle again.

Two watchdogs are about to arrive at city hall...intending to restore order. Mike Aguirre, the aggressive new city attorney will be sworn in December 6. His aide will be another outspoken critic of city management, the attorney Pat Shea. You may remember Shea's wife Dianne Shippione, the whistleblower who forced the city to face it's financial nightmare.

These two men will land on city hall like a posse. The old cry will ring out again, "Remember Donna Frye!".


Donna Frye for Mayor Campaign
www.DonnaFryeForMayor.com