By Howard G. Singer

At its Sept. 22 meeting, the Uptown Democratic Club was in the midst of a friendly endorsement of state Sen. Marty Block for his re-election to his 39th District seat. Suddenly, and without warning, a campaign staffer for Assemblymember Toni Atkins jumped in to say that Atkins was on her way to the meeting and asked that the endorsement be postponed. As the club’s president, I granted the staffer’s request.

When Atkins arrived, the Uptown Democratic Club was in the midst of a debate among Democratic candidates for San Diego City Attorney, held just before the club voted on an endorsement. Immediately, as a courtesy to Atkins, who is Speaker of the California Assembly, the debate was stopped and the assemblywoman was given the floor to speak to club members.

A friendly endorsement can only occur when an incumbent is running for the same office he or she presently occupies.

After hearing from Atkins, a magnanimous motion in good faith was made by former California assemblymember and Uptown Democratic Club member Howard Wayne asking that the friendly endorsement be moved to the Tuesday, Oct. 27 meeting. And the decision was made to include both Block and Atkins for consideration of the club’s friendly endorsement.

On Sept. 29, a check for $500 — from the same Atkins campaign staffer who managed to stop the Block-friendly endorsement one week before — was found on a table in the patio of the Uptown Democratic Club treasurer along with the names of 25 people with the caption on the checking saying, “25 new members.”

This blatant attempt to stack the deck in the matter of the Uptown Democratic Club’s friendly endorsement in the 39th Senatorial District race by the Toni Atkins campaign is unconscionable and insulting, especially considering the fact that the club bent over backwards to be fair to the assemblywoman.

Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, your campaign is not going to bully the Uptown Democratic Club.

—Howard G. Singer is president of the Uptown Democratic Club.