Political Blotter: County Dems seek fees from endorsement applicants

http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-news/ci_21337198/political-blotter-county-dems-seek-fees-from-endorsement

An anonymous caller directed me to the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee's website, where candidates filling out an endorsement application are asked for a $50 contribution "to offset the cost of our endorsement process."

"It just seems undemocratic," said the caller (whom I assume meant that with a small "d"), acknowledging he's running for a local office and so declining to provide his name lest he incur the party's wrath. "I've been a Democrat all my life, and this is a little bit over the top; it's not like I don't already contribute to the president and other campaigns."

Chairwoman Robin Torello said the county party started soliciting such contributions from candidates in 2010, although it just raised the suggested ante from $25 to $50 "because it was not covering our expenses, plus this is a bigger year with more races."

Torello said her committee is looking at almost 200 Democrats running in more than 120 local races across the county this November. Vetting so many candidates for endorsement means spending on everything from printing, postage and phone costs to refreshments for the volunteer committee members who'll be sitting through five full days of interviews, she said.