ELECTION REFORMERS: Bob Fitrakis to speak in Michigan Jan. 8 and Feb 14

[meganmonkey]

"Is Michigan Next?
Ohio Election Fraud and the Diebold Debacle"

Learn more about these crucial issues:

November 2004 Election Debacle in Ohio
Creation of RON and Congressman John Conyer’s Hearing in Jan. 2005 in Ohio
Petition Drives to reform Ohio elections during 2005
Oct. 2005 US Government Accounting Office (GAO) Report on Ohio Fraud
Nov. 2005 Election Debacle in Ohio
Dec. 20005 Diebold Sued in Federal District Court on Securities Fraud


Bob Fitrakis is a lawyer and award-winning journalist and Professor of
Political Science in the
Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Columbus State Community
College. He earned his law
degree at the Ohio State University Mortitz College of Law, and his Ph.D in
Political Science from
Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. With Harvey Wasserman he is
co-author of HOW THE GOP
STOLE AMERICA’S 2004 ELECTION & IS RIGGING 2008, available at
http://www.freepress.org and at
http://www.harveywasserman.com, and, with Steve Rosenfeld, of WHAT HAPPENED
IN OHIO?, to be
published by the New Press in 2006.


Sunday January 8:

East Lansing, 1:30 - 3:30 PM, Unitarian Church Social Hall, 855
Grove Street,
East Lansing. (one block east of Abbott, about 2/3 mile north from the
intersection of East Grand
River Ave., Michigan Ave, and Abbott, on MSU's northern border of
campus. On the ground floor
-enter from the parking lot.) Contact: Bob Alexander, Email:
[email protected] Phones:
Lansing: 517-351-0965
Cell: 517-490-3415

Ann Arbor, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, Pittsfield Township Hall, 6201 W.
Michigan Avenue
(About a mile West of US-23), Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (sponsored by Washtenaw DFA)
Contact: Mary Shindell, Email: [email protected] Phones: 734-996-3963,
cell: 734-417-7036


Tuesday February 14

Pontiac, 7:00 – 9:00 PM, Board of Commissioners Auditorium, 1200
N. Telegraph Road,
Pontiac, MI 48341. Speaking at monthly Oakland County Democratic Party
meeting. This educational
event is open to all. Contact: Jayne Hamilton, Email:
[email protected] Phones: 248-335-0021,
Cell: 248-909-1493

[SharonRB]

1. I'm going to try to go to the February 14 event in Pontiac

Anyone else planning to go? If anyone is from the Royal Oak/Berkley/Huntington Woods/Southfield area and wants to drive together, let me know.

:hi: Megan!

[SharonRB]

2. Can we confirm the Feb 14 date?

The Greypanthers calendar has it as January 14.

On edit: I just sent an e-mail to the contact listed for the Pontiac event to verify the date. I'll report back when I hear from her.

[meganmonkey]

3. Well, Jan 14th is a Saturday, and it says Tues

so I am guessing February is right because the 14th falls on a Tues...

I got this info in an email from the Ann Arbor IRV group...

Hi Sharon!!! :hi:

[ray of light]

4. what is IRV?

[TahitiNut]

6. Instant Runoff Voting

It's a method of balloting that (virtually) ensures the winner achieves a majority vote. Voters cast votes for their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. choices. Voters could then "safely" choose third party candidates without the fear that the 'worst' candidate wins a plurality thereby.

Read here http://www.instantrunoff.com/
or here http://www.fairvote.org/?page=19

There are other proposed balloting/counting methods that address some objections to IRV. That there are objections to IRV does not suggest that it's not superior to our current 'winner-take-all' approach where the least desirable candidate can be elected because the opposition has split first preferences.

[SharonRB]

5. I'm assuming February is correct as well, but I'll let you

know what Jayne says when I hear back from her. I assume you'll be going to the one in Ann Arbor, huh? It would be nice to see you.

:hi: Megan

[meganmonkey]

7. Yeah, I am going to try to go tonight

But I just found out about this yesterday and I have to rearrange some things...

I've seen him before so I won't be heartbroken but I'd really like to see what exactly is going on in Michigan.

One of these days we'll get our SE Michigan meetup figured out! :)

[SharonRB]

8. Maybe we can do it in the next couple of months

now that the holidays are over.

[SharonRB]

9. Here's the response I got back from Jayne Hamilton

Sharon, Bob will be speaking FEBRUARY 14. He was originally going to speak in Pontiac on January 10. However, former Ambassador Joe Wilson was scheduled to appear in Troy that night, and Bob and our hosting committee decided to separate the two events as they would otherwise have competed for audience and media coverage. I'll attach an updated flyer. He's in E. Lansing and Ann Arbor tomorrow.
Thanks! Hope to see you February 14. Onward, Jayne

Nice to see that someone is paying attention to coordinating appearances that will draw from the same audience. I really wish I could go to the Marcinkowski event featuring Joe Wilson. How I would love to hear him in person.

[blue4barb]

10. Valentines Day with Bob Fitrakis-- I just checked out the

Oakland County Democratic Party website and couldn't find any info on this.
Anyone update SharonRB's confirmation from Jan. 8? Thanks.

(I've just emailed Jayne, and will post if I hear back.)

[blue4barb]

11. Yes, Bob Fritrakis is speaking in Pontiac on Feb. 14, 7-9 PM.

I just received a reply from Jayne.

[SharonRB]

13. I'm planning to go Tuesday night.

Anyone from around here want to drive together? (I can leave from home in Huntington Woods or from work in Southfield. Or, if anyone wants to meet up somewhere on Telegraph or Woodward, that might make sense.)

[mod mom]

12. Here is the press release:

Is Michigan Next?  Election Fraud and the Diebold Debacle

Bob Fitrakis, lawyer, professor and award winning journalist from Ohio, will speak on “Is Michigan Next?  Ohio Election Fraud and the Diebold Debacle” at the Tuesday, February 14, meeting of the Oakland Country Democratic Party meeting.  The 7 PM meeting is open to all.

Fitrakis says election reform is a timely subject for Michiganians because there are things happening in Michigan which parallel what went wrong in Ohio 2004, and include the recent introduction of “new election rules” which will change the voting systems in each state.  

Fitrakis cites Michigan’s Republican Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land’s just-released “Election Reform 2006, Michigan Elections: A Plan for the 21st Century; Easier for Voters, Better for Michigan” as an example. 

“The citizens of Michigan should be concerned by this plan for several reasons.  Among them is the move to centralize voting, which makes it more difficult for people to vote.  Another problem in the plan is that it unfairly targets voters and certain cities as main instigators of fraud.  It also contains misinformation about organizations which led voter registration drives in the state.  And there’s certainly more to look at.” 

Fitrakis will present evidence on what he sees as “moves by the GOP in Ohio, Michigan and other states, that are part of a political agenda.”  According to the election expert, “the Republican party has created a template that is being exported to other states.”

In addition to practicing law and writing, Fitrakis is Professor of Political Science in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Columbus State Community College.  He earned his law degree at the Ohio State Mortitz College of Law, and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Wayne State University in Detroit.  With Harvey Wasserman he is co-author of How the GOP Stole American’s 2004 Election and Is Rigging 2008.  He is co-author with Steve Rosenfeld of What Happened in Ohio? To be published by the New Press in 2006.

A book signing follows the talk.  Location is Commissioners’ Auditorium, 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac.  Plenty of free, lighted parking is available.