Mail Mistake?

The following is a release from the Alliance for a Better California CALIFORNIA RECOVERY TEAM ILLEGALLY DISTRIBUTES CAMPAIGN MAIL WITH NONPROFIT POSTAGE “Yes On 75” Mailer Fraudulent; Breaks Law Sacramento – Today the Alliance for a Better California has requested an investigation by United States Postal Service (USPS) and announced possible legal action against the California Recovery Team (CRT) unless they stop violating the law by sending out campaign mail that illegally uses discounted non-profit postage and displays a fraudulent union bug. Both actions are violations of federal law. “CRT’s use of a non-profit permit to get cut-rate discounts on their blatantly political mailing is outrageous. This permit was either unlawfully issued or is being unlawfully used. Only organizations that satisfy special standards and have received official authorization from the USPS may mail items using the Nonprofit Standard Mail rate,” said Alliance Attorney Lance Olson. “CRT’s unlawful use of a nonprofit permit places the Alliance at a significant competitive disadvantage to communicate its dissenting views prior to the November 8th Special Election,” said Olson. “We have requested that CRT to immediately stop this illegal activity and if they continue, the Alliance is prepared to initiate legal action to require CRT to stop breaking the law. We are working with the USPS and expect a full investigation." By misusing the nonprofit mail permit, the governor’s campaign saved about seven cents per piece mailed. A single small mailing of one million pieces would have saved $68,000, while a larger six million piece mailing would have saved $408,000. According to the California Secretary of State, there are currently 15,839,327 registered voters in California. A fake union bug on the Proposition 75 mailer identifies the piece as being printed by a Allied union shop in Los Angeles (“9”), but no such printer exists. (Copy of bug is attached). “Union label #9, which Governor Schwarzenegger put on his mailer, is not authorized by the Southern California Allied Printing Trades Council. The unauthorized use of this union label not only raises the question of legitimacy about the governor’s mailer but further raises questions of violation of federal trademark laws,” said Howard Dudley, president, Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 14904, representing printers and mailers in Southern California, and delegate to the Southern California Allied Printing Trades Council. “The deceit perpetuated by the people behind Prop. 75 has always been fraudulent – but now they are breaking the law,” said Martin Ludlow, Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Labor Fed. “The California Recovery Team attempting to misrepresent themselves by putting a fake union bug on the mailer is outright fraud.” “This fraudulent action is representative of the whole strategy behind the ‘Yes on 75’ campaign: deceive voters into believing the measure actually helps workers, when in fact it will silence their voices and take away their rights to participate in the political process,” he added.