Leon DEC Elects New Chair

In a close vote of 59 to 66, Rick Minor has been elected Leon County Democratic Executive Committee Chair. There should be a newspaper article in today's Tallahassee Democrat.

Congratulations to Rick Minor. We look forward to working with both him and Jon Ausman, who remains the Leon County State Committeeman and a DNC Member, to better the local Democratic Party.

Crumpler Drops out of County Commission Race

From the Tallahassee Democrat:

Leon County School Board member Dee Crumpler is dropping his bid to replace Bob Rackleff on the County Commission.

Crumpler, 43, says he plans to officially withdraw from the race this week for personal and health reasons. He recently was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a treatable but chronic intestinal disorder. His doctor told him to reduce the stress in his life, and he said not running for office in 2006 will help him do just that.

"When you get news like that, you just reflect on what's important in your life," he said. "And my family is extremely important, and my health is."


Dee Crumpler dropping out of the race for County Commission will make it much easier for the local Democratic Party to unify behind Commissioner Radcliff. Many of us have worked hard to ensure that Schoo Board Member Crumpler was elected and would have been torn between these two candidates. The Leon County Young Democrats look forward to seeing Dee Crumpler's promising political star continue to rise.

LCDEC Elections at 7pm EST, Tonight!

A Friendly Reminder;

In about 11 hours from now, we will hopefully know that Rick Minor has been elected Chairman of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee!

Election Night for LCDEC Chair

Tonight!

Thursday, December 15th

At 7pmEST

At City Hall (2nd Floor Commission Chambers)

The election is sure to be tight and thus, if you are a voting member of the LCDEC, I encourage you and ask that you attend and cast your vote for change. If you aren't a voting member, I still encourage you to come to the meeting as I am sure it will be a very important night for our community as a whole. There is sure to be a lot of fireworks tonight.

Rick Minor was endorsed by the Leon County Young Democrats because we realize that change is needed in our local party and that the opportunity for change is right at our fingertips.

I look forward to seeing you tonight.

Also, Rick Minor will be holding a Pre-Election Rally at City Hall. Since it seems it will be raining, it will probably be just inside of City Hall, if not outside, again depending on the weather. The rally will start at 6:15pm and lead up to the meeting.

See you tonight!

Leon County and Ion Sancho Make National News in the ongoing drama regarding diebold

Wed. December 14, 2005: Due to contractual non-performance and security design issues, Leon County (Florida) supervisor of elections Ion Sancho has announced that he will never again use Diebold in an election. He has requested funds to replace the Diebold system from the county. On Tuesday, the most serious “hack” demonstration to date took place in Leon County. The Diebold machines succumbed quickly to alteration of the votes. This comes on the heels of the resignation of Diebold CEO Wally O'Dell, and the announcement that a stockholder's class action suit has been filed against Diebold by Scott & Scott. Further “hack” testing on additional vulnerabilities is tentatively scheduled before Christmas in the state of California.

Finnish security expert Harri Hursti, together with Black Box Voting, demonstrated that Diebold made misrepresentations to Secretaries of State across the nation when Diebold claimed votes could not be changed on the “memory card” (the credit-card-sized ballot box used by computerized voting machines.

A test election was run in Leon County on Tuesday with a total of eight ballots. Six ballots voted "no" on a ballot question as to whether Diebold voting machines can be hacked or not. Two ballots, cast by Dr. Herbert Thompson and by Harri Hursti voted "yes" indicating a belief that the Diebold machines could be hacked.

At the beginning of the test election the memory card programmed by Harri Hursti was inserted into an Optical Scan Diebold voting machine. A "zero report" was run indicating zero votes on the memory card. In fact, however, Hursti had pre-loaded the memory card with plus and minus votes.

The eight ballots were run through the optical scan machine. The standard Diebold-supplied "ender card" was run through as is normal procedure ending the election. A results tape was run from the voting machine.

Correct results should have been: Yes:2 ; No:6

However, just as Hursti had planned, the results tape read: Yes:7 ; No:1

The results were then uploaded from the optical scan voting machine into the GEMS central tabulator, a step cited by Diebold as a protection against memory card hacking. The central tabulator is the "mother ship" that pulls in all votes from voting machines. However, the GEMS central tabulator failed to notice that the voting machines had been hacked.

The results in the central tabulator read: Yes:7 ; No:1

This videotaped testing session was witnessed by Black Box Voting investigators Bev Harris and Kathleen Wynne, Florida Fair Elections Coalition Director Susan Pynchon, security expert Dr. Herbert Thompson, and Susan Bernecker, a former candidate for New Orleans city council who videotaped Sequoia-brand touch-screen voting machines in her district recording vote after vote for the wrong candidate.

The Hursti Hack requires a moderate level of inside access. It is, however, accomplished without being given any password and with the same level of access given thousands of poll workers across the USA. It is a particularly dangerous exploit, because it changes votes in a one-step process that will not be detected in any normal canvassing procedure, it requires only a single a credit-card sized memory card, any single individual with access to the memory cards can do it, and it requires only a small piece of equipment which can be purchased off the Internet for a few hundred dollars.

One thousand two hundred locations in the U.S. and Canada use Diebold voting machines. In each of these locations, typically three people have a high level of inside access. Temporary employees also often have brief access to loose memory cards as machines are being prepared for elections. Poll workers sometimes have a very high level of inside access. National elections utilize up to two million poll workers, with hundreds or thousands in a single jurisdiction.

Many locations in the U.S. ask poll workers to take voting machines home with them with the memory cards inside. San Diego County (Calif) sent 713 voting machines/memory cards home with poll workers for its July 26 election, and King County (Wash.) sent over 500 voting machines home with poll workers before its Nov. 8 election.

Memory cards are held in a compartment protected by a small plastic seal. However, these simple seals can be defeated, and Hursti has found evidence that the memory card can be reprogrammed without disturbing the seal by using a telephone modem port on the back of the machine.

The Hursti Hack, referred to as “the mother of all security holes” was first exposed in a formal report on July 4. (http://www.blackboxvoting.org/BBVreport.pdf).

Diebold has insisted to county and state election officials that despite Hursti’s demonstration, changing votes on its memory cards is impossible. (Public records from Diebold, including threat letter to Ion Sancho: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/2197/10535.html)

On Oct. 17, 2005 Diebold Elections Systems Research and Development chief Pat Green specifically told the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) board of elections during a $21 million purchasing session that votes cannot be changed using only a memory card. (Video of Pat Green: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/2197/14298.html)

Over the objections of Cuyahoga County citizens, and relying on the veracity of Diebold’s statements, the board has chosen to purchase the machines.

According to Public Records obtained by Black Box Voting, Diebold has promulgated misrepresentations about both the Hursti Hack and another kind of hack by Dr. Herbert Thompson to secretaries of state, and to as many as 800 state and local elections officials. Stockholder suit filed by the law offices of Scott and Scott: and http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002153.htm

Diebold CEO resigns: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175001748

Permission to reprint granted with link to http://blackboxvoting.org/

St. Pete time weighs in on Gubernatorial Candidates at the Democratic conference in Orlando over the weekend

Finally, I am getting a chance to review the stories from over the weekend. This article (linked in the title bar) by Adam Smith caught me off guard. Of course the article doesn't endorse one over another, but it does come across as if the St. Pete times (believed by many to be the best newspaper in Florida and with a respected place of one of three media sources listed on Bill O'Riley's defamation list) located in Congressman Davis' backyard is giving him a warning as to where he needs to focus his outreach if he wants to secure the lead that he has held. Adam Smith says that the difference in their supporters is generational, with the younger siding with Sen. Smith over Congressman Davis. But I have every confidence that with Davis' current staff, and some of his recent additions, their will be plenty of young voter outreach.

New polls have been coming out, and neither candidate has managed to really break into the undecided bracket, 60% of voters still not sure who they are going to vote for... I am anxiously waiting to see what the campaigns are going to do in the new year to improve their name recognition and approval ratings.

This will probably be a race to the finish line, both the primaries and the general elections are going to be tighter then we have seen in several years in Florida.

Senator Skip Campbell, Eric Copeland and Alex Sink all did a great job... And they are lined up to take back our cabinet.

I encourage people to post their thoughts on the weekend in the comments section, and try not to hide under the bar of anonymous... If you don't have a blogger account choose other and you can make up a title, at least that provides more insight then nothing.

Florida Young Democrat Chapter of the Year Award Goes to:

This past weekend the Florida Young Democrats had several very successful meetings at the Florida Democratic Party conference. Today Matt Cole, Immediate Past FYD Chair, had these words to say:


Fellow Democrats,

I am honored to report that Omar Khan (LCYD member) has been elected to succeed me as Chair of the Florida Young Democrats. Omar's work as FYD Executive Director is greatly appreciated and I look forward to his continued contributions to the development of future Democratic leaders.

Over the past two years, right up through this past weekend, this administration:

Developed an executive structure based upon the Democratic Party and its nomenclature.
Instituted a chartering process that eliminated dues, encourages closer ties with county DECs, and prevents the possibility of competing claims of authority.
Established a Mission and Vision statement to more clearly define our goals.
Enacted the positions of Regional Directors to more plainly establish geographic regions and Outreach Directors to more formally target Young Democrat sub-groups.
Founded the Florida College Democrats as an associate group of the newly created Florida Young & College Democrats.

Our caucus was joined by FDP Chair Thurman, Congressman Barney Frank, and Governor Mark Warner. We were also joined by several local, regional, and statewide candidates including Jim Davis, Rod Smith, and Alex Sink.

The FYD Annual Awards winners were presented. They include:

County Chapter of the Year: Leon County Young Democrats
College Chapter of the Year: Florida State University College Democrats
High School Chapter of the Year: East Side High School Young Democrats, Alachua County
FYD Event of Distinction: Leon County Young Democrats, for the Democratic Legislative Staff Reception
Jeffrey Mattison Wershow Award: Stephen Gorham, US Navy Veteran
Young Democrat of the Year: Kristian Cosme
Democrat of the Year: Honorable Karen Thurman
Lifetime Achievement Award: Senator Bob Graham

The role of FYD Chair requires a great deal of time, energy, and diplomacy. There are scores of Young Democrats who have assisted me and contributed greatly to this organization over the past few years. It would be impossible to name every member individually, but in addition to Omar, I would like recognize: John Reid, Chris Gallaway, Michelle M'Sadoques, Gershom Faulkner, Alan Brock, Kristian Cosme, David Geller, Bret Berlin, Kristin Carter, Alex Patton, Dave Cutler, Erica Graves, Rick Minor, and Reggie Cardozo. State Representative Ed Jennings, Jr. and State Senator Dave Aronberg should also be acknowledged as both supporters of and role models for the FYDs. For her love and patience, I am also grateful to Carolyn Develle.

Although I have passed along these guiding principles to many of you already, they are worth revisiting: Be Local: Invite locally elected Democrats for discussions on current issues; Be Connected: Help members develop connections with local Democratic leaders, either elected or in your DEC;Be Social: Keep meetings lively and informal so that your members will enjoy this time with their political peers;Be Rewarding: Allow members to sharpen their political skills by presenting or debating a topic.In conclusion, it has been a privilege to serve you as FYD Chair. In my new Executive Board role as Immediate Past Chair, I look forward providing institutional memory and assisting Omar to the best of my abilities.

Democratically Yours,

MattMatthew Cole,
Immediate Past Chair
Florida Young Democrats

Union Organizer Training

Do you want to learn about Union organizing?Are you interested in becoming an organizer? Do you know someone who does?

The Application:http://www.unitehere.org/jobs/internshipapp2.asp

UNITE HERE is running a two-week paid organizing internship from January 20 through February 3, 2006.

This exciting internship puts participants (both activists from outside UNITE HERE and UNITE HERE members) being trained and working on a live airport food service campaign in Florida. Training will occur in the classroom and in the field. Work will include housevisiting non union workers, building lists, identifying workplace leaders. Some participants may be invited to continue working on these campaigns. Participants will be paid $550/week and housing, if necessary.

Transportation to the internship will also be provided.

Training Oppurtunity

New Organizing Institute

The mission of the New Organizaing Institute is:

To train and support a new generation of technology-enabled campaigners. To consolidate and disseminate knowledge gained in the field of political technology and online organizing. To conduct new research and post-campaign investigations that employ results-focused, systems thinking to make progressive campaigns and organizations more efficient.

The first Institute training with about 40 participants is mainly geared toward training online organizers for '06 political campaigns. This training is co-sponsored by MoveOn.org.

This intensive week-long training is modeled on EMILYs List's Campaign Corps' "Campaign Schools" a mixture of lectures, discussions, exercises plus a campaign simulation that takes place long into each night of the program. Graduates will be placed on 2006 progressive campaigns in key roles. After Election Day, they will help find participants another job, in the worlds of electoral politics, advocacy or charitable organizations.

Trainers will evaluate trainees' skills and progress throughout the week, deciding at the end who is ready to serve on a 2006 campaign. Positions will be arranged in advance with '06 campaigns, as well as some other progressive organizations and labor unions. The Institute will select exceptionally talented trainees, provide them with intensive training, and follow up with continued support throughout their early careers.

Their goal is to create a network of experienced online organizers and technologists committed to progressive values. In its first two years, the NOI hopes to inject hundreds of new, talented and trained online organizers and technologists into the job market - organizers who understand politics and people as well as the Internet and technology.

This program does not require you to have prior electoral campaign experience. However, they are looking for people who have demonstrated a commitment to progressive values in some form or fashion.

They are asking applicants to talk about leadership experience with campus or community organizations, prior internship or work experience, personal and/or political beliefs, and/or previous campaign or political experience.

NOI picks up the tab for training, pays for your travel to Washington DC before and after the training, free job placement assistance and continuing mentorship and support into your career. They are looking for recent college graduates - or people who are ready for a change in career and can uproot themselves onto a campaign for several months - who are passionate about progressive politics.

Campus or community leadership, or any kind of grassroots organizing experience, is a plus. Excellent writing skills and aptitude with Internet media or a technical background are required. Since campaigns are 24-7, you'd better have a strong work ethic. See the Trainee FAQ

NOI is also seeking trainers. They are accepting applications now for the February 24 - March 4, 2006 training.

The deadline for applications, resumes and letters of recommendation is December 31, 2005.

To complete the application process, you must ensure that two letters of recommendation are mailed or faxed to the New Organizing Institute. E-mail your resume within a week of applying to info@neworganizing.com. NOI also has plans for an advanced technology workshop in the Summer, 2006. http://neworganizing.com/index.html