Un-Democratic Voters Choice

As a public service to voters in Montebello I have tracked down more information regarding the slate mailer sent out by "Democratic Voters Choice."  I've found out that this slate mailer organization has a notorious reputation for deception and has been around for several years.

Here is a brief list of blog posts and news items which criticize and condemn "Democratic Voters Choice" for their unethical behavior:

Daily Kos
"Voter Info Switch on CA Initiative Flyer"
Nov. 8, 2005

Daily Kos
"The scumbags ar trying to steal our votes"
Nov. 5, 2006
[Please notice the similarities between the photo of the mailer in this blog post and the one I posted yesterday.]

The Sac Rag
"Ugly Flyer Tries to Fool Naive Voters"
June 2, 2008
[Features familiar photo.]

New Times
"Green bait: Supervisor Gibson and other candidates statewide had no idea their ads would appear with an endorsement for Prop. 16"
May 27, 2010

Odd time signatures
"PG&E buys lies in sleazy Democratic Voters Choice group slate mailer"
June 8, 2010

Mission City Lantern
"Democratic Voters Choice: SLEAZY BAILEY MANUVER NUMBER TWO"
May 27, 2011
[Another familiar photo.]

I think the most disturbing news about "Democratic Voters Choice" is found in the following blog post:

The Pragmatic Progressive:
'Kinde Durkee's "Democratic Voters Choice Guide" A SCAM'
Update 9/7/2011
[Kinde Durkee, a former campaign treasurer, was recently arrested by the FBI on charges of mail fraud!]


The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) identifies "Democratic Voters Choice"  as a for profit slate mailer organization.

"Slate Mailer Organizations are for-profit businesses that spend millions of dollars each election cycle encouraging people to vote for certain candidates and/or ballot measures. In many instances, committees representing candidates and ballot measures purchase space on a “slate mailer” as another way to influence voters. The more money a campaign spends on each slate mailing, usually equates to more room on the slate mailer profiling the candidate and/or ballot measure."

According to the FPPC, in 2010, "Democratic Voters Choice" was #4 on the list of "Top Ten Slate Mailer Organization that raised the most money during the 2007-2008 election cycle."

All of this information is readily available on the internet and should serve as a stern warning to all candidates to do your own homework, be careful who you do business with and please, ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS before turning over your own money, or your donor's money, to anyone!!!

Hopefully, these are lessons that future Montebello candidates will take to heart.