"Petitioners claim foes play dirty"...DFA in CA fighting Arnie's petitions

[madfloridian]

So..in Arnie's CA if you oppose you are "playing dirty."

I love this sign she wore:
"The dust-up began when Rodriguez arrived Tuesday afternoon at Target, wearing a sign that read, "I'm a teacher against Arnold's special election. Ask me why."

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/11217821.htm

Petitioners claim foes play dirty

By Lisa Vorderbrueggen
SNIP..."Dueling signature-gatherers squaring off on the sidewalks of California's shopping centers create a potentially explosive mix that has already ignited in Pleasant Hill.

Members of California for Democracy, the state arm of Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean's grass-roots political network, accuse petition workers for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reforms of using intimidation tactics as both sides appealed to Target shoppers Tuesday night.

Two Democratic activists said their opponents made inappropriate comments and followed them to their cars, where they took pictures of or wrote down their license plate numbers.

The battle is over the governor's reform package, which would replace public pensions with private accounts, enact budget reforms, pay teachers based on performance and change how the state draws its political boundaries.

SNIP...."The dust-up began when Rodriguez arrived Tuesday afternoon at Target, wearing a sign that read, "I'm a teacher against Arnold's special election. Ask me why."

She also said she brought brochures that outlined her group's views and a petition asking the governor to cancel the special election.

A man already stationed at the store, where he was gathering signatures for the governor's petitions, accused her of interfering with his job and "told me 'I'm going to call and get 30 of my guys here. You won't last,' " Rodriguez said.

"Slowly, people started to gather," Rodriguez said. "They surrounded me. Some tried to pretend they were regular citizens and tried to goad me into a confrontation. They were doing everything they could to intimidate me to leave."

[glitch]

1. Ewwww. Invasion of the body snatchers, this time remade in reality.

street theater. Thanks for posting. This is the kind of thing people need to expect and prepare for.

[annabanana]

2. Brownshirts ON THE MARCH....

From now on, make sure you take a camera with you when you get signatures so you can chronicle the abuses. It sounds like good old fashioned thuggery to me.

[madfloridian]

3. Here is another article on this....Repubs are crybabies when you oppose.

http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203~21481~2778972,00.html

SNIP..."Hoping to derail Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's drive for a special election, a statewide network of Democratic activists has sent volunteers to disrupt the efforts of workers gathering signatures needed to put his measures on the ballot.

San Fernando Valley For Democracy, an offshoot of the statewide group, began deploying volunteers intermittently a week ago to sites where petitioners are seeking support for the Republican governor's constitutional amendments.

"It's not meant to be harassing," said Agi Kessler of Woodland Hills, one of the group's leaders. "We hope to drive home the point that these petitions will cause a special election that will cost us $70 million - and we can't afford $70 million."

They are monitoring DFA there closely, according to this statement. Gee, you oppose, you get monitored.

SNIP..."A spokesman for the pro-Schwarzenegger Citizens to Save California said they are aware of the attempts to interfere but they believe no laws have been broken so far.

Reed Dickens said the committee is monitoring the situation closely, and predicted the disruption efforts would fail. "We're not surprised at all that there are folks who are desperate to maintain the status quo," he said. "The opposition is only going to strengthen our efforts on the ground."END SNIP

It is NOT a disruption effort....it is opposition.We should not let them get away with using language like this.

[madfloridian]

4. A kick because they are being threatened for opposing Arnold.

This is serious stuff.

[madfloridian]

5. There is a diary on this at Kos...petitioners were all from Michigan.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/24/142521/243

This statement in the Kos diary about the petitioner who were threatening to the DFAers.

SNIP..."What is worse, they are all from Michigan!! They are paid by the signature and they have no vested interest in the welfare of California. It is ironic that Arnold claims to protect Californian's jobs, yet people are being flown in from other states to support his initiatives..."

[BrotherBuzz]

6. I will not be intimidated...

I haven't run into any Arnie contract petition gatherers but I support Christine Craft's very legal tactic to counter these operators. Christine Craft, a Sacramento progressive radio talk show host, and attorney, proposes writing a big NO with a red marker pen on the petition when it is offered to you. She says it's completely legal as long as you don't deface any existing signatures. Now, where's my red sharpie?

[madfloridian]

7. The big red NO sounds good. Arnie trying outdo Jeb in foolishness.

They are both dangerous men.

[proud patriot]

8. Ha ha , this is my neck of the woods

We are getting orginized and AHHHHHHH nold
der gropenfuror is going down .

[madfloridian]

9. Well, you have my blessings.

:hi:

Sounds like it may get a little more heated before it is over.