Published May 9, 2013 | 
Regarding this post regarding the Notices of Intention to Circulate Recall Petitions, a media contact from San Bernardino Residents for Responsible Government contacted me with the following information.
I was told that Wendy McCammack and Rikke Van Johnson’s notices of intention have not been filed, but they will be filed shortly.
The identity of the author of the petition is, as I guessed, Pasadena attorney, Michael Lee Allan. Mr. Allan was quoted in one of the Press Enterprise articles about the recall. As noted in the previous post to this one, Michael L. Allan is also the agent for service of process for MICA-PR, Inc., the public relations firm for San Bernardino Residents for Responsible Government.
Independent of the recall attempt, Michael Allan’s LinkedIn profile says, in pertinent part:
Mr. Allan is an attorney representing businesses and individuals since 1989. He has practiced in-house with a Fortune 500 company, was general counsel to a Fortune 1000 company, and currently practices privately.
Primary Practice Areas:
BUSINESS LAW, including: Contracts; Intellectual Property; Entity Formation & Counseling; Non-Profit Entities; and Administrative Law;
ESTATES & TRUSTS; Trusts, Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney, and related documentation; probateProfessional Highlights
* Serving as guest legal commentator for Fox News Channel, also appearing on KTTV 11, Univision Ch. 34, Telemundo Ch. 52, and KWKW radio;
* Serving as general counsel for a $250,000,000 company;
* Drafting and negotiation of multimillion dollar contracts;
* Standardizing corporate contracts for a Fortune 1000 company;
* Assisting standardization of national contracts for a Fortune 500 company;
* Negotiating and Drafting a nationwide lease of telecom facilities;
* Obtaining revisions to state legislative bills with language currently enacted, including pro-business amendments to AB 2449 the “Be a Manager Go to Jail” law and AB 2663 “Wrongful Occupancy of Property;”
* Representing a Fortune 500 company before the California Assembly’s committees regarding Women/Minority Business Enterprises;
* Coordinating private placements;
* “Individual Achievement Award” from corporate client;
* Letter of Commendation for outstanding arbitration skills;
* Letter of Commendation for outstanding general counsel services;
* Commendation from California State Legislature for outstanding public serviceLanguages: Mr. Allan is conversant in Spanish, and familiar with Italian, German, and French
Admissions: State Bar of California; United States District Court for the Northern and Central Districts of California; United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Specialties
BUSINESS LAW: Contracts; Intellectual Property; Business Formation, Counseling & Funding; Non-Profit Entities; Administrative Law; & Legislative
ESTATES & TRUSTS: Trusts, Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney, and related documentation; probate
Political consultant Christopher K. Jones said in comment to the Sun editorial that posted on May 7, 2013: “Maybe if Scott Beard and Larry Sharp had used local residents, instead of private investigators from Los Angeles County, to deliver their recall notices they wouldn’t have so much trouble making a routine service.” I was also told that it was the Michael Allan’s choice to serve the officeholders.
Choice of process server can be a very personal choice for an attorney. When I need to serve someone in another County, I look for someone who has experience in that area. For example, when I need to serve an out-of-state corporation in Sacramento, there is one Sacramento process serving firm that I use. I can imagine that Michael Allan has a Los Angeles firm that he likes to use since he is from Los Angeles County. However, in a political process such as this, the Charter does not require that a process server be used at all. It is my understanding in the earlier attempt, Tim Prince served Chas Kelley with his Notice of Intention personally.
Published May 3, 2013 | The San Bernardino Recall Site is live. Who is behind it? The site says “San Bernardino Residents for Responsible Government FPPC ID: 1356684 A Committee in Support of the Recall”
Who registered the domain name, and when?
Registered through: GoDaddy.com, LLC (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: SANBERNARDINORECALL.ORG
Created on: 16-Apr-13
Expires on: 16-Apr-14
Last Updated on: 16-Apr-13Registrant:
MICA-PR3831 Zaharias Ridge
Yorba Linda, California 92886
United StatesAdministrative Contact:
McKinney, Michael mckinnmw@sbcglobal.net
MICA-PR
3831 Zaharias Ridge
Yorba Linda, California 92886
United States
+1.7142990053 Fax — +1.7144852235Technical Contact:
McKinney, Michael mckinnmw@sbcglobal.net
MICA-PR
3831 Zaharias Ridge
Yorba Linda, California 92886
United States
+1.7142990053 Fax — +1.7144852235
Who is Michael W McKinney?
According to this LinkedIn profile, Michael W. McKinney is the “Managing Director, MICA-PR, Inc.” in Orange County, California The profile further states:
Government Affairs professional with over two decades experience in a wide-range of direct advocacy and public policy positions at the federal, state, and local levels of government. Core represented industries have included energy, land-use and real-estate development, environmental, construction, finance, and communications. Departmental, intradepartmental/cross-functional and coalition leadership teams have ranged from 4 to 16 direct reports.
Specialties:Government Affairs, Public Affairs, Lobbying/Advocacy, Regulatory Affairs, Coalition Development, Grass Root Campaign Management, and Communications Strategies for highly regulated industries needing to convey complex subject matters to various constituencies
What is MICA-PR?
According to the link on LinkedIn:
About MICA-PR, Inc.
MICA-PR, Inc. is a full-service public affairs consulting firm dedicated to successfully providing clients strategic counsel, developing communications strategies, and directly advocating in the areas of government affairs, public affairs, community outreach, market positioning, and crisis communications. Providing creative solutions to complex challenges the firm has assisted clients before the United States Congress, state legislative bodies, regulatory and media environments.
MICA-PR’s clients include a wide-range of energy (renewables), transportation, industry association, public agency, land-use, clean-tech, technology, and financial services clients.
Specialties
Public Affairs, Government Affairs, Public Policy Analysis, Legislative Advocacy, Political Strategy
What is MICA-PR, INC.?
According to the Secretary of State’s website:
MICA-PR INC Entity Number: C3356749 Date Filed: 02/02/2011 Status: ACTIVE Jurisdiction: CALIFORNIA Entity Address: 3831 ZAHARIAS RIDGE Entity City, State, Zip: YORBA LINDA CA 92886 Agent for Service of Process: MICHAEL L ALLAN, ESQ Agent Address: 2181 EAST FOOTHILL BLVD, SUITE 102 Agent City, State, Zip: PASADENA CA 91107
Published April 30, 2013 | As of the date of this post, I am only aware of one candidate, incumbent Robert Jenkins, who filed Form 501 on January 10, 2013 with the San Bernardino City Clerk’s Office. As mentioned before, the nomination period has not officially begun. Also, the City’s website, which I am using, appears to have been last updated on April 11, 2013, so perhaps it is not up to date.
Published April 29, 2013 | Who is running for the City of San Bernardino 1st Ward Council Member in the Municipal Primary on November 5, 2013? While the nomination period has not opened, Danny Alcarez has filed a Form 501 with the City Clerk’s Office on February 27, 2013. I do not know for sure, but I would guess this is the same Danny Alcarez that owns “Danny’s Towing” on Highland Avenue.
Published April 24, 2013 | As an update to my earlier post entitled “What You Need To Know About The City of San Bernardino Mayoral Primary November 5, 2013,” I placed a phone call to the San Bernardino City Clerk’s Office regarding which candidates filed Fair Political Practices Commission Form 410, Statement of Organization Recipient. I wrote elsewhere about Form 410, following that link will give you some information on when that form needs to be filed. Anyway, after talking to Linda in the Clerk’s Office and asking what candidates for the mayoral primary had filed Form 410, she retrieved the file and told me that two had been filed. One was Rick Avila, who has run for Mayor before, and the second was 6th Ward Council Member Rikke Van Johnson. I had heard those two names were definitely running before, but I do not report un-sourced rumors.
Going to Council Member Rikke Van Johnson’s website, it has this information:
You may make your contributions to
Rikke’s campaign by MAIL using
the following address:
Rikke Van Johnson for Mayor 2014
P.O. Box 7753
San Bernardino, CA 92411
or
ONLINE via PayPal
(you do not need a PayPal account.)[PayPal graphic deleted]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Rikke Van Johnson for Mayor 2014
FPPC# [None given]
2014 is the date of the general election should no one get a majority in the primary municipal election on November 5, 2013. It is also the date the mayor-elect (should Mayor Patrick J. Morris not run again, as reported) will be sworn-in.
Here is Council Member Rikke Van Johnson’s Form 501. If he indeed filed a Form 410, it is not available online as of April 24, 2013. The Form 501 is signed and dated February 22, 2013, stamped received by the Secretary of State on February 27, 2013, filed and crossed-out by the Registrar of Voters on some date (presumably sent from the Secretary of State to the Registrar of Voters, not realizing that the City Clerk is the elections official), and then filed by the City Clerk on March 28, 2013.
Other than that donation page and the footer that says “Paid for by Elect Rikke Van Johnson for Mayor 2014,” the site does not seem to mention Rikke Van Johnson’s platform for Mayor of San Bernardino.
Rick Avila does not appear to have a Form 501 online, but the aforementioned Form 410 is available here. Rick Avila does not appear to have a campaign website active at this moment. Most links I could find refer to earlier runs. For example, this post from this site, A Brief History of Mayoral Elections in San Bernardino from 1905 to 2013, Rick Avila has run twice before:
Primary Municipal Election 2005: Patrick J. Morris gets the most votes (11,249), James F. Penman gets the second most votes (6,648 votes), Chas A. Kelley (4,079 votes), Rick Avila (3,425 votes), Michael Ellison-Lewis (466 votes), 42 write-in votes leading to a February general election. (SB Registrar of Voters).
Primary Municipal Election November 3, 2009: Patrick J. Morris (8,349 votes) defeats James F. Penman (5,376 votes) and Rick Avila (1,205 votes). (SB Registrar of Voters).
Additionally, Draymond M. Crawford II filed FPPC Form 501 on March 13, 2013 stating his intention to run for Mayor in 2013. That completed form is found on the City’s website. He announced last year, and his website is here.
Also running according to the City’s website: Concepción M. Powell, who filed her Form 501 on March 27, 2013. She has a mayoral website.
R. Carey Davis filed a Form 501 on April 8, 2013.
Karmel F. Roe filed a Form 501 on April 3, 2013, but signed on March 19, 2013 . She has a mayoral website, http://yourmayor4prayer.com/.
So far, five candidates for Mayor of San Bernardino have taken steps towards candidacy.
Published April 24, 2013 | The City of San Bernardino Charter and Municipal Code sets elections in the City of San Bernardino. The City holds primaries, and if no one receives a majority in the primary, holds a general election. The next primary election for the Mayor of San Bernardino, First Ward Council Member, Second Ward Council Member, and Fourth Ward Council Member will be held on November 5, 2013.
According to the City Clerk’s website, nominations open on Monday July 15, 2013 and close on August 9, 2013. However, if an incumbent does not file within the nomination period, the filing period is extended five days to August 14, 2013. While City Hall will be closed on August 9, 2013, the City Clerk’s Office will be open. Last minute filers should call the Clerk’s office for an appointment, presumably before August 9th.
Mayor Patrick Morris has announced he is not running for reelection, so we may not know until August 14, 2013 the full mayoral field, unless he changes his mind. Because the nominations have not officially opened, no one is officially running for Mayor, though I believe that some may have filed FPPC Form 501s. Mayoral candidates need 20-30 signatures of registered voters city-wide, each person running for Council will need the same number, except registered in their respective ward.
The filing fee for Mayor is $1,788, $12 for Council, which is two percent of the first year’s salary for each office. In lieu of that filing fee, the candidate can submit a petition containing four registered voters for each dollar of the filing fee. That is 7,152 signatures for Mayor (city-wide), and 48 for Council members (in their ward). The first day to circulate the petition is May 31, 2013, 45 days before the nomination period ends. Once again, City Hall is closed, the Clerk’s Office will be open, make an appointment.
The last day to file a petition in lieu of the filing fee is July 25, 2013, 15 days before the close of the nomination period.
The qualifications for Mayor of the City of San Bernardino are to be a qualified elector and resident of the City for at least 30 consecutive days prior to filing nomination papers. You must be 30 years old. (The requirements are found in Charter section 50). Council members have to be a qualified elector and resident of their ward for at least 30 consecutive days before filing nomination papers. (The requirements for the 1st, 2nd and 4th Wards are in Charter section 13.)
Published March 13, 2013 | From the California Secretary of State, top two advance (Norma Torres, Paul Leon) to the May 14, 2013 General Election:
Senate District 32 – Districtwide Results
100.0% ( 448 of 448 ) precincts partially
reporting as of March 12, 2013, 11:39 p.m.
Candidate Votes Percent Paul Vincent Avila
(Party Preference: DEM)785 Joanne T. Gilbert
(Party Preference: DEM)2,134 Norma J. Torres
(Party Preference: DEM)13,295 Larry Walker
(Party Preference: DEM)4,232 Kenny Coble
(Party Preference: REP)1,989 Paul S. Leon
(Party Preference: REP)8,064 (26.4%)
Published March 6, 2013 | 
Here are the election night returns from the Los Angeles City Attorney primary, taken from the City Clerk’s page today:
CITY ATTORNEY Votes PercentCARMEN “NUCH” 80,587 30.17%TRUTANICHNOEL WEISS 23,045 8.62%MIKE FEUER 116,883 43.76%GREG SMITH 46,578 17.43%
It is always good to see “local boy makes good” news from San Bernardino.
Published March 4, 2013 | From a press release from Assembly Member Brown’s office:
The satellite office is located at Fontana City Hall, 8353 Sierra Avenue. The satellite office will be staffed Monday through Thursday from 9:00am – 5:00pm at the City Hall Conference Room.
The district office is located at the Vanir Tower, 290 North D Street, Suite 903 in San Bernardino.
I have not been in an a district office since the early 2000s, when their was a slew of them in the then-EDA owned building at 201 North E Street, which I assume was a way for state and federal office holders to spend state and federal funds in the district, and help support local municipalities, as well as to serve local constituents. The ones in 201 North E Street that I can remember from my visits to the City of San Bernardino’s Code Enforcement Department (as it was named during my tenure with the City) were Senator Diane Feinstein’s Inland Empire office, Representative Joe Baca’s district office, and Assembly member John Longville’s district office. When I was with the City of Redlands, I, as one of a number of staff, visited then-Representative Jerry Lewis’ district office on Brookside Avenue. It was a meeting with Jerry Lewis, but I think that’s the only time I ever have seen an elected official in their district office. However, it was also the only time I attended a meeting with an outside (non-City) elected official outside of a legislative body.
Published February 26, 2013 | According to the San Bernardino Registrar of Voters, $.65. However, that’s not correct because the latest postal increase, the first ounce is now $.46, and the second ounce is still $.20, so the total should be $.66. However, if you have a forever stamp, you can use that and a $.20 stamp.