Carl Sciortino

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

My apologies for posting this previously sans cut:



Folks, see below. For whatever reason, the media has not reported (or has reported very selectively) the fact that a bunch of Sciortino's signatures for the form to put his name on the ballot for re-election were stolen right out of his office on Beacon Hill. And judges have stonewalled his petition to have his place re-instated. So, now he's looking at doing a write-in/sticker campaign. It's all very bad ju-ju for one of our hardest working representatives. Hmmmm... the way he's being treated by the system couldn't have anything to do with the fact that he's an out gay man, now could it? *scratches thinking cap*

Announcement regarding Campaign Kick-off:

Dear Friend,

Four years ago, I was elected State Representative because of your efforts and support. Once again, with
your help, we will be successful this September.

Join us on Saturday, June 7th from 1 to 4 pm for our Volunteer Kick-off at our campaign office. I'm excited
to get started and would be honored to have your help.

Please help me reach out to families across the district, find out what concerns they have, and share some
of our accomplishments.

Spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends and neighbors. Hope to see you on the 7th!

Carl

P.S. If you can't make it, please let us know if you would like to be contacted for other volunteer
opportunities

Please Join Us!

Where & When

Date: Saturday, June 7

Time: 1-4 pm

Location:
Sciortino Campaign Office
78A Cameron Ave., Somerville

Comments

[ron_newman]

Good thing to post about, but could you please add a judicious lj-cut? Thanks.

[ron_newman]

First to get the obvious out of the way: If I lived in Ward 7, I'd happily support and vote for Carl, despite this misstep.

BUT, I haven't seen any evidence that the petitions were stolen, or that the failure to file enough signatures has anything to do with Carl being gay.

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

I do live in Ward 7. My commute is through Davis Square and I often have meals or go to the movies there.

I do think Carl's re-election is a topic of urgent interest to people involved in the Davis Square community.

[ron_newman]

I agree. I did not intend to imply that the post was not relevant.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Links please? At the very least an official announcement of those missing signatures? His office must have at least put out a press release.

[ron_newman]

Thanks for adding the cut. You don't have to put everything behind the cut. Consider moving the essential information (date, time, location) back out.

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

No, when I cut on LJ, I go whole hog. Thanks for the advice, though.

[chaiya.livejournal.com]

Actually, had I not seen the original stuff about the stolen signatures, I would've skipped this post. I knew about the campaign kickoff (I'm on a mailing list), but I didn't know about the signatures. That's just awful!

[miraclaire.livejournal.com]

Here's a link to a Globe article: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/24/judge_unmoved_by_state_representatives_signature_plight/

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

I'd really like more info about the stolen signatures and what Carl plans to try to do to stay in the race. I've supported him before and plan to do so again, but I want to know a bit about the strategy before I commit to getting too involved.

I won't be able to come to the kick-off, but I will e-mail his campaign (I'm on his e-mail list) about other volunteer needs.

[ron_newman]

With his name not on the printed ballot, he's going to run a sticker campaign.

[unsi-sempai.livejournal.com]

What a bizarre parallel to the Sciortino/Ciampa race of 2004...

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

Hopefully, someone on his campaign staff will be able to help you. From what I have been told, they're looking at the model of Sen. Dianne Wilkerson's successful sticker campaign of a year or two ago:

http://www.diannewilkerson.com/home.html

The whole thing about the theft of the signatures is really quite bizarre--especially how cagey Sciortino has been about it. I would have announced it from the rooftops had it been my campaign, but then, I'm a cranky old scuttlebutt with little patience for post-Puritan niceties.

The news stories state that the complete complement of signatures had been registered in some Medford city office, but after the theft, his only recourse would have been to get "affidavits" from the people who had signed and whose papers were stolen ... like I said, it's all the stuff of a bad political soap opera ... life goes on in the Brave New Millennium!

[ron_newman]

Although, many of us who support Carl here in Somerville would probably have supported Dianne's opponent if we lived in Roxbury ....

[cos]

I think that if he's been going to the courts to try to get on the ballot, it would make sense for him to say as little as possible about it in public until the court process is done.

[elements.livejournal.com]

As I understand, he has only been quiet about the issue because of the court battle to get on the ballot using the certified signatures that he submitted to Medford & Somerville and notarized voter testimony. Now that he's exhausted the court options, he's been quite open about what's been going on.

Stolen?

[derekp.livejournal.com]

He needed 150 signatures. As the current office holder, collecting 500 should have been a trivial task.

I find it mighty suspicious that someone would steal just one or two of his sheets and I think it much more likely that they were dropped, misplaced, or what have you. Your insinuating that he's receiving unfair treatment from the courts on this because he's gay - the very same courts, of course, that became the first in the nation to give him the right to marry.

It's an unfortunate circumstance for Carl to be sure, and I wish they would put him on the ballot (given that the city DID certify his signatures) so we could have an honest election (which I think he stands a good chance of losing anyway). But I hardly see this as some sort of homophobic conspiracy.

Re: Stolen?

[cos]

I think... that you should wait until you know what happened. As should the OP. But what you "find more likely" is based on wild guesses, as is what you find "mighty suspicious". You have no idea what actually happened and why Carl says they were stolen. I suspect once the court process runs to completion, more information will be available.

Re: Stolen?

[progressnerd.livejournal.com]

Signatures are usually acquired and certified in rolling batches. The alleged thief stole *all* the pages of the batch left in his office while the rest were still being certified by the city.

Re: Stolen?

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

On the contrary, I think Sciortino stands a very good chance of winning. This latest instance of dirty pool in Mass politics (I'd hoped we'd seen the end of that with Kerry Healey's departure, but evidently not) will be recalled at some point as a speed bump, nothing more. Onwards and upwards!

And on another note, I can't believe that Bob Trane thinks he has a hope in heaven of tainting Sciortino as an "elitist." The guy takes the same bus I do to work.

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

So, say these stickers don't materialize (or, more likely, I get one and lose it in this mess). What do we need to know, the correct street address? Mind posting it here?

[ron_newman]

I'm sure you'll be flooded with campaign material containing the stickers (and the address) by the time it gets closer to the September 16 election.

[progressnerd.livejournal.com]

Also, there will surely be volunteers for Sciortino's campaign at every polling location handing out stickers. That said, bring them with you to the polls!

[duffless2323.livejournal.com]

I have to say that making accusations that what happened is based upon his sexual orientation is irresponsible at best. Is there something I'm missing? Just my 2 cents.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

I have to say that Sciortino's assertion that his signatures were 'stolen' borders on slander. And I think people should think long and hard before repeating it as if it were fact. He had them, now he does not. The courts found no evidence of theft, and therefore refused to allow him on the ballot. The correct decision, in my opinion. It's unclear to me if he should have even had them in his State House office, as no political/campaign material or information is allowed in a public building. That being said, I think he messed up royally by not making copies, and by not turning them in immediately so as not to lose or misplace them. I don't think it says much for his competence, to say the least. My understanding is he has been to court twice already, but is filing an appeal. I think it's irresponsbile to tie up the courts a third time, expecting them to fix your problem. By the way, the cities certify that the signatures belong to registered voters, since it is a state election, the signature sheets must be received by the Secretary of State before they officially 'exist'.

Hey pot...

[nalz.livejournal.com]

Er - you do realize how you sound, right? While I agree that paperwork should always be taken care of immediately - if you're in Ward 7 and pay attention to the local politics, then you already know that Sciortino is very competent. If you aren't in Ward 7/don't pay attention to politics, than you're doing the very same sort of slandering you're advocating against.

All of the above being said - unless more detail comes out (and I'll admit, here's where I haven't looked into things..) - I don't see how anyone can say that someone claiming property stolen is lying.

To the OP or others in the know, is there another story with more detail as to why he thinks it was stolen?

Carl Sciortino's campaign problems

[carlos111.livejournal.com]

In response to the assertion that Carl's campaign problems can be traced to his being an openly gay man: this is unlikely since his court case was heard by Judge Linda Giles, an openly gay judge in the Superior Court system.