Thanks primarily to the generosity of people from this website, I will be able to pay my filing fee this morning. In return for your generosity, I can offer you -- well, at this point, only an update.
I'm Greg Diamond -- a member of this site since 2005, posting initially as "Major Danby" and since 2008 as "Seneca Doane." I raised $1,109 from noon yesterday until 9 a.m. today (pacific time) -- and, why yes, that will take you to a page with a contribution link! (Thanks, by the way!) Most of that money isn't yet processed, but it should trickle in over the course of the day. Unfortunately, I need it by 11 a.m, but the excess will be used to repay a $1,500 loan to the campaign coming from ... my rent money. My overdue rent money. (I notified my landlord earlier this week that I was going to be late. Sometimes it's best not to explain why.)
You see, I need to show up at the Registrar of Voters office with a check or money order in hand in order to get the papers -- including the signatures of 20 voters -- that I need to have filled out and filed by the 5:00 final deadline. I can't wait for processing to be complete -- so hello, rent money!
If you don't know about my sudden campaign for Orange County District Attorney, which came about only when it became clear that an expected candidate with almost $1,000,000 in his war chest was convinced not to run, then please read my diary from yesterday: I'm Running Against the DA Who Blew the Kelly Thomas Murder Trial.
And yes, I still need contributions. My opponent picked up $419,000 from fat cat donors in one evening in Newport Beach; I'm going to need to do more than just make a bunch of fiery, witty, and learned speeches to downtrodden voters in Santa Ana and Anaheim about what a large county district attorney should do to treat people fairly.
Of course, if you read this story about the acquittal yesterday of a police office who shot an unarmed and young fleeing Latino man in the backside, and then came up to him and shot him once more in the head to make sure that he wasn't a threat to the officer's safety -- you'll know that I'll have plenty to talk about. I was one of the primary "citizen journalists" (ok, bloggers) to cover this story from the outset from a legal perspective -- and I publicized and attended multiple rallies over this and a subsequent killing of the son of a woman who has since become my good friend.
Should someone with my views on the apparent summary execution of youth -- which had become a bad habit by 2012 -- be running for District Attorney here? Oh, I THINK SO!
We can't stand -- I can't stand -- the lack of a candidate who will be a strong voice of opposition. So here I am. On my way to pick up the rent money.
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