Metro Election Commission excuse about as worthy as "The dog ate my homework"

Nashvillian Mike Peden takes upon himself to do what the Metro Election Commission should be doing: providing campaign finance numbers for local candidates so transparently (like online) that constituents can conveniently get them any time. Mike's been trying to get the latest numbers to post on his website since January 4, but after reading the lengthy email thread he sent me, I am beginning to wonder if Deputy Administrator Joan Nixon is doing the bureaucratic sidestep.

Over a month ago Ms. Nixon told Mike that he would be provided copies of 4th quarter reports for candidates and PACS (2011 cycle) on or before February 10. The reporting period starts October 1 and ends on January 15th (due January 25). Yesterday she emailed Mike that she would not be able to make "any copies of this magnitude" until next week as their copier is on the fritz. She told him she would let him know about the status of his request on February 15.

It's been almost 2 weeks since the beneficiaries were required to turn in their reports. And the Election Commission can't get a copier that serves the public interest repaired for a solid week (the printer for internal office use works fine)? Mike tells me he's wondering what kind of copier contract the Commission has. Probably the same one my kid's elementary school has: it went down for about a week not too long ago leaving her class without homework.

And here's a thought: why can't MEC scan and email the campaign finance reports as .pdf files when the copier is down?

What council redistricting is doing for voters

Late local election changes for your inconvenience:

Davidson County Election Commission

Updates Voter Database for Redistricting

At 1:00 pm today, July 1, 2011, the new Metropolitan Council districts and School Board districts were uploaded into the Election Commission’s computerized database of registered voters in Davidson County. This comes after weeks of preparation involving staff from the Election Commission, Planning and IT Departments. This step will allow the Election Commission to proceed with the following:

11,000 Nashvillians leverage August referendum that could check Mayor's power to demolish Fairgrounds

Supporters of a measure that would require any plan to demolish the Fairgrounds to get a supermajority of council member votes (27) got the minimum number of petition signatures needed to leverage an August referendum (6,700), according to the Metro Election Commission. And then some.

Not only did Save My Fairgrounds almost double the required number of signatures by turning in 11,000, but they got 22 times the number of petition signatures that Neighbors for Progress got on their petition in support of Karl Dean's demo plans. NFP, captained by former Tennessean reporter Colby Sledge, has a lawyer and appears to be posturing toward a court challenge. But their previous claims that Nashvillians do not care that the Mayor intends to tear down and sell off public property look embarrassingly false and stupid now. And their argument that the opposition, which turned out 3,000 people for a public hearing a few months ago, comes largely from outside of Davidson County was also an utter fabrication.

So, Neighbors for Progress (and behind the South Nashville Action People) are big losers in the MEC decision.

VIDEO: this drama just happened at the Metro Election Commission

CM Jamie Hollin captured this shouting match over the District 29 candidacy of Isaac Okuri-Baah, who wanted to be listed on the ballot as Isaac Baah. CM Hollin noted it would place Baah first on the ballot. Baah and his wife accused the Election Commission of racism. Security was called but the Okuri-Baahs left before being taken out against their will.

Further crowdsourcing Metro e-mails on Karl Dean's Fairgrounds plan sheds more light, spurs more questions

An Enclave reader read through the previously unpublished e-mails that I put up at Google Docs last week and e-mailed reflections and questions to me:

1. The economic impact study that Dominy cites when filing his bill to keep the track (50-60 million dollars) is “legit” and uses proper methodology, the Chamber of Commerce “Matrix”. Toby and the Mayor’s office are obviously VERY worried about this study, and instruct Buck to get it “ASAP” and “within the hour.” (pages 365-369). This is perhaps the most damning piece of information to those suggesting there is a “higher and better” use. Some will try to mislead you and say the racetrack generates pennies per sq. ft., but these divide and conquer tactics are falling on deaf ears. The Fairgrounds generates between $50-60 million dollars a year, as prepared by the Fair Board and their staff, using the same formulas the Chamber of Commerce uses.
2. The other email that has me scratching my head is an email from Robert W. Lowe and a cc: Chad Tuck of Cassidy / Turley Commercial Real Estate Services (page 483). They are requesting to meet with Buck the week of Oct 11. What is that about?
3. Page 485, Buck attached a Word document to the Mayor’s office with some talking points, and advised the Mayor to “stay away from any discussion of Tennessee State Fairgrounds expenses.” Our supporters have long said the expenses are a big reason the Fairgrounds appears to “lose money”. This suggests the Fairgrounds was designed to fail, even going as so far as to jack up the expenses.
4. Page 531, Marilyn Edwards sounds the alarm with Rita Roberts-Turner in Human Resources that some of the State Fairgrounds employees are not qualified to apply for some of the jobs they are being told they should apply for. Call in the SEIU.
5. Interesting that Karissa Barclay was “campaigning” for Buck Dozier to become the election commissioner. How does that work? Hopefully she wasn’t tearing down any signs like she was for Cong. Cooper.
6. Page 590-599 discuss FEMA damages in detail (down to the horsepower and model numbers for equipment) and whether to request an extension of time. Did Buck and the Fair Board submit damages to FEMA? If so, how much? We believe there was substantial damage to the Fairgrounds due to the flood. Now that the Fairgrounds will be open for 2 more years – will that FEMA money come to the Fair Board? That money SHOULD be used to rehabilitate the Fairgrounds.
7. I thought is was bad when Reibeling called Nancy Amons “Sophomoric”, but evidently no one in that office takes her seriously, they can’t even spell her name correctly (610-615)
8. Page 627 and 667 – examines the “culture of fear” the Mayor’s office is instilling in the Fairgrounds staff.
9. Page 655 – State Fairgrounds staff skeptical of Toby Compton and Mayor’s office, stating in an email to Buck “wish they would be honest about their real intentions” in response to a request by the Mayor’s office to contact the vendors directly.
10. There are 23,000 “customer accounts” in the system. We assume this is a list of vendors over the past decade. So in essence, up to 23,000 small businesses rely on the Fairgrounds. Makes the 10-County Chamber of Commerce’s 2,000 look small in comparison. I understand a Councilmember requested the same list and was given a list of a few hundred. Hmmmm (Page 657)
11. Page 666-667 – Clear coordination between not only Buck Dozier and the Mayor’s office, but the Mayor himself is attending SNAP meetings at the end of October to help build support for closing the Fairgrounds. When was the last time the Mayor attended other neighborhood meetings?
12. On page 668, Buck asks Kristi Harris to remove certain documents from her computer: Summary Report on Fair viability; 12 Yr Profit/Loss; AG opinion on the property, and the HH Lease to Council. Why?
13. Page 669 – Toby Compton responds to a request from the State Delegation on the details involving moving the State Fairgrounds. It appears our state elected officials also had some concerns about the Mayor’s plans. Wonder how long it takes SMF to begin emailing this list of legislators to keep them informed?

Deanieleaks #4: Mayor's Office e-mail correspondence on the State Fairgrounds

The next sequence of e-mail passing between Buck Dozier and the Mayor's Office indicates Dozier's interest in working wherever Dean staffers need him whether continuing as Fair Director or running for the Election Commission.

From: Dozier, Buck (State Fair)
To: Hinote, Greg (Mayor's Office) [Deputy Mayor]
Subject: Questions
Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 9:54:44 AM
____________________________________________

Who will be our point person on the move to Hickory Hollow? There are many questions and logistical problems still to be worked out. We submitted our best estimates on cost and what was needed to renovate the building to Alexia some time ago.

One of the traps that we could fall in is that the Hickory Hollow property would not be ready in January. Some of our biggest shows are in the first quarter of the year. Any thought as to keeping this property open for those events. My advice is to do so. If we lose those shows and vendors (including the flea market vendors), it will be very difficult to get them back.

Further, to complicate your life, if there is any desire to keep us open out here during the construction phase, we should make the announcement at the latest next Thursday, before the next flea market. Our February and March shows are booking now, and preparing their advertisement.

Lastly, I want to be where you all need me the most. The dealing is tomorrow on the Election Commission. However, I will not put my name in if you all need me to complete this project for you. I enjoy this work. But I see needs in Metro that I can help with often. Councilman Crafton is putting his name in for the Election Commission.

Sorry, for the length. Trying to keep things moving. Good move on the park in the flood plain.

I will continue to publish more e-mails in the run-up to Tuesday's council consideration of the Fairgrounds bills. (Jump to Deanieleaks #1. Jump to Deanieleaks #2. Jump to Deanieleaks #3.)

The Buck for the Lack of Alarms at MEC Stops at the Metro Office of Finance

CM Erik Cole asked General Services Director Whittemore at tonight's Public Safety Meeting whose call it was to leave the Metro Office Building containing MEC unalarmed. She replied that the decisions not to alarm the building were made by those responsible for construction: Real Property Services in the Office of Finance. So, as the party responsible for the lack of alarms, officials from Real Property Service (perhaps Assistant Finance Director Ken Maynard) should be appearing before this committee to answer questions about their decision not to alarm this and any other Metro Building that stores sensitive information. I also would like to know when General Services took over the building and why it did not consider recommending alarm installation to the Mayor when it did so.

Election Commission's Security Allotment Cut in Half While Metro IT Internal Fees Doubled

CM Mike Jameson asked Metro Director of IT Sandy Cole why the internal fees charged to the MEC by Metro IT (which has not control over MEC computer security) doubled from last year to this year (from $169,000 to $308,000) when, as Ms. Cole said, there was "no appreciable change" in services that Metro IT provided to MEC from year to year. Ms. Cole said that salary increases accounted for increase of service fees. Meanwhile, MEC's General Services security allotment was cut in half from approximately $400,000 to approximately $200,000.

Some Election Commission Laptops Have User Names and Passwords Attached to the Outside of Them!

The Metro Election Commission's Administrator Ray Barrett just told the Council's Public Safety Committee that some of the offices laptops have user names and passwords affixed to the outside surface of the laptops! He said he did not know whether the stolen laptops with full social security numbers had user names and passwords taped on. This is getting worse and worse the more we learn.

By the way, the Tennessean is reporting that the MEC does not have a formal policy for securing laptops. If that is the case, then the jobs of some Commissioners and Administrators ought to be in jeopardy.

Briley Demands Answers on Cora Howe

David Briley was at Cora Howe Elementary at 10:30 last night while voters were still waiting to get to machines hours after polls closed, and now he's calling for the Election Commission to explain the lines. Also, we learn that Davidson County had been warned by a watchdog group not to use the machines it did on November 7.

The Votes For Brooks from Wallace and Whitmore Still Do Not Add Up

The Tennessean has already pointed out that both Council members Ludye Wallace (District 19) and Ed Whitmore (District 21), who both represent heavily Democratic districts, were not dragged kicking and screaming to vote for Republican-backed conservative Kay Brooks as stand-in school board member for the summer (she won by one vote). It occurred to me that maybe the results of the sales tax referendum in September--which the Mayor would have used for increased school funding and which eventually got pitched as a referendum on Pedro Garcia and the School Board--could have made a difference in their assist of the conservatives and the Republicans who are seeking a clamp down on MNPS.

For instance, if the attitude in their districts matched the %70-%30 rejection of the sales tax by Davidson County voters (to be fair, only %6.5 of registered voters had shown up by 4:00 p.m. on election day, so it wasn't exactly a clear reflection of popular Metro-wide support or rejection), then I suppose that they might have a case for supporting a school board candidate who has been as vociferous in her attacks of the school budget and any tax increases as Kay Brooks has been on her blog.

So, I called the County Election Commission for the numbers last week. The results from Districts 19 and 21 came no where close to matching the lop-sided defeat in the County. In Ludye's district, only 16 votes separated the yeas from the nays (4% more voted against the sales tax than for it). In Whitmore's district only 14 votes separated the yeas from the nays (less than 3% more voted against the sales tax than for it). Both of those numbers are consistent with the fact that the districts are largely Democratic and with the general perception that Democrats (and progressives in general) were firmly ambivalent about this tax and that they split on the vote, if they showed up to vote at all.

So, both Wallace and Whitmore should have chosen more deliberate discretion, instead of the obviously cavalier and shortsighted approach with which they supported filling the school board vacancy. As far as I can tell, neither one of them bothered to do any research or fact-finding about the candidates before they voted. Neither of them notified their constituents about Michael Craddock's ante, and neither of them appealed to their constituents for feedback for a decision.

What's worse: Wallace seems to have based his support for Kay Brooks on a trade for a back alley. What's the worth of a school board seat in a city where it can be traded for a back alley?