Well, on the bright side, we were not arrested....

[rainbow4321]

Did a voter registration drive this weekend (in Texas). A group had gotten permission from a coffee shop to set up a NON-partisan table for several hours outside in front and I volunteered for a time slot to help out.
Some of us walked over to the grocery store next to the shop. As people were going to and from their cars, we would hold up the clip board, show them the registration paperwork and ask if the needed to register to vote. We were having a good run of shoppers who were registering to vote. People very appreciative, those who were already registered were thanking us for doing what we were doing.

Then the assistant store manager came out and said that he had already called the police but he was giving us a courtesy notice that the strip mall's landlord didn't want us anywhere on his property. We were in the middle of registering a voter while the asst. manager was doing his threats, looking really pissed..the person registering was like "uhh..I need to finish this card and WHY can they not register people to vote". A few of us pulled out our county deputy registrar cards and the asst. manager gave us dirty looks and waved his hand in the air like "don't bother showing me".
Right as this was going down, a guy walked up to us and asked if he and his wife could register. I started to give him the paperwork when the asst. manager started telling me to stop. Now. I looked at the guy who had approached me, his car was parked right in front of our area.
I looked at the asst. manager, looked at the guy again, and asked "how about I get in your car and we do this"----ignoring the "if looks could kill" stare from the manager. Got in the couple's car. Had them both do their paperwork, apologized for any inconvienence, thanked them (alot) for letting me in their vehicle so I could register them.
So we all head back to the coffee shop. Police car circles by us, on her way, obviously, to go talk to the asst. mananger. Then she pulls back in front of us. Goes in and talks to the coffee shop people who tell her "yes, we gave them permission to be on the property.
The officer was VERY nice. Said basically "whoever it is that complained, THEY are not HERE, so I have NO ONE to speak with. I've got other things to take care of. Bye." I think I saw her grin as we asked her (on her way back to the car), "Ok, thank you...hey, are YOU registered to vote?"
What we had found out afterwards (and this is coming from the asst. manager so who knows..) that a shopper complained we were out there and went home and called the landlord. I don't know if someone in the store had given them the landlord's number or how it all supposedly happened.

Per the asst. manager, the only group allowed on the landlord's property are girl scouts to sell cookies.

Now for the landlord's name and his googled info. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Guess who has donated a LOT of money to Bush's campaign:

http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/fritz-duda.asp?cycle=06

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=TX&last=DUDA&first=FRITZ

http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Duda

--------
All's well that ends well. No one arrested. Best part is over 20 new voters were registered today, including an 18 yr old for the first time and a couple brand new US citizens who had yet to register!!


On edit: We had no partisan clotheswear or props. Just the voter registration cards, clip boards, etc...

[yellowdogintexas]

1. good job and good on you. and kudos to the police officer nt

[grannie4peace]

2. i bet obama's campaign is collecting stories like yours.

it will be part of history some day

[TomInTib]

3. Great work, rainbow. KnR

[drm604]

4. Good for you.

It's ridiculous that you should have to put up with such things.

I'm not a lawyer but it seems to me that, unless there's something about it in the lease, if the coffee shop owner wants you on his leased property then the landlord shouldn't have any say about it unless you're interfering with other tenants' businesses.

[drm604]

6. I should add

that this shows that, in spite of St. Paul, there are also good cops out there.

[lpbk2713]

5. Seems like the FBI should be made aware ...

that this guy interfered with you registering someone to vote. That man had a Constitutional right to be allowed to take part in the process.

[intheflow]

7. Wait a second!

The first two links seem to indicate that this man was reimbursed his $2K donation to Bush's 2004 primary campaign after Bush was sworn in. :wtf:

Wonderful story, r4321. You are literally kicking ass and taking names this weekend! :thumbsup:

[WhiteTara]

8. Have you heard of the Pruneyard Decision

We carry a copy of the decision around with us because it is unlawful to interfere with first amendment rights
http://retailtrafficmag.com/mag/retail_freedom_speech_mall/
http://www.greeninformation.org/PRUNYARDDECISION.htm

[IndyOp]

9. I am glad you got your voters - It is always a good idea to ask permission in advance.

Worst case scenario: You do get arrested.

Go back to the coffee shop as often as you can and call other places where you can get permission to register people.

And... Thank you! :patriot:

[pnorman]

10. Mall "private property" notwithstanding. I have an idea that such vote-related activity is LEGAL!

A while back, I was soliciting signatures for a "Raise The Minimum Wage!" campaign, sponsored by the King County (AFL-CIO) Labor Council. One day, they assigned me to "work" the Washington state ferry system.

I asked them if that was "legal", and they assured me that they had checked it out carefully and it WAS "legal". So I went aboard (paying my own fare), and made 3~4 round-trip voyages. I was careful to be COURTEOUS, and did very well. Since the ferry's engineers were in my union, I went down to the engine's control room and collected a few more. That of course, was "pushing it", but all went well.

Texas is "deep in the heart of Right-to-Workistan", but "almost" certainly you were engaged in "legal activity". Moreover, interference as you had described, "might" be in violation of FEC guidelines.

pnorman