Targeting paid petition-gatherers

Mindful of Florida Hometown Democracy's near-miss in its slow-growth ballot initiative, business groups and their legislative allies have a new idea. They want to require all paid initiative petition signature gatherers to pay a fee, register with the state and be assigned a registration number to appear on petition forms (volunteers would not be affected).

The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on Tuesday heard lots of support and opposition to the bill (SB 2340), sponsored by Sen. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge. The Brevard lawmaker also sponsored last year's bill that allows voters to revoke their signatures from initiative petitions -- which is now subject of a lawsuit in the First District Court of Appeal initiated by Hometown Democracy.

Election-law specialist John French, representing Save Our Constitution, a group that fought Hometown Democracy, called paid signature-gatherers "gypsies" who "start in California and just go from state to state. We really need to know who these people are. We have to have some accountability," he said.

"Why do we need to keep making the process more difficult?" asked Jared Ross of the American Cancer Society, which used paid circulators in 2006 to win passage of a constitutional amendment that revived Florida's anti-tobacco education campaign. Opponents also included the Sierra Club, AFL-CIO, Florida PIRG and League of Women Voters, while the Florida Chamber and Florida Home Builders testified in support.

Comments

Leave it to the R’s to try to thwart the very process that makes our nation great.

… pathetic hypocrites

“Democracy…. We don’t need no stinkin Democracy!”

Let's see...

Pros = business interests.
Cons = We The People.

Who do the Republicans side with?

[Don Mott]

Why do you need to know "who these people are"? Maybe if you need to know these things you should go to China or Russia, they have the same mindset as you! Why do you need accountability for petition gatherers? So that you can try to dig up dirt and demonize them? Last I knew petioning the government was a 'democratic freedom' not subjected to scrutiny except at the polls. Maybe the GOP as a favor for all of those big business and developers donations would like to take us back to tyranny and iron-fisted rules where the people have no say! What a frigging joke!

[Campaign Manager]

While it is always possible to find a few people who meet that definition of "gypsies" traveling down from California, let's be clear - petition gatherers don't make enough money for it to be worthwhile to come anywhere. They are primarily local young people - idealistic and poorly paid.

In general, the exact opposite of the big vendors who spend millions on phone, mail, radio, and tv for and against these campaigns...

How come we can pass legislation to track petition gatherers who start all the way out in California… but we can’t seem to track illegal immigrants who start all the way out in California… hmmmmm…

[John Donson]

Sounds like a lobbyist came up with that idea!

Wonder what percentage of folks signing those Hometown Democracy petitions in front of stores and even government offices had any real idea of what they were actually signing their names to?

5:13

if people are too stupid to read the petitions they sign, they shouldn't sign them in the first place. That's no one's fault but their own.

[Don Mott]

Campaign Manager you are spot on. That is exactly why the bill is in the senate, there lies the money. The anti groups should be the ones required to register and pay fees so we can see exactly who is behind the attacks on freedom. They are usually shrouded in secrecy under a blanket organization but always end up being for the most part developers or someone affiliated with them.

Don Mott has no idea what he's talking about - he must work for the unions.

[A. Pinkerton]

Today was a tough setback for Big Labor - it's gotta burn them up to lose to the Chamber twice in one day. Maybe they need to think about broadening their support beyond Bucher and the Justice 2 Jesus guy.

This is not just a loss for the unions - it is a very big loss for all Americans.

The worst part is that this unfortunate hypocrite does not even understand that what he does is unAmerican and anti-democracy.

Bill Posey is the one who brought Floridians hurricane standards and requirements for redevelopment that are so stringent that homeowners are doing work without permits or just doing without roof upgrades altogether because they can not afford to pay. Way to go Posey - you tried to force your opinion on people and now they are worse off.

Just shut up and go home. And tell your mother that all Floridians are suffering because she didn't have the brain power to know what she was signing.

People of Rockledge - please do not inflict Bill Posey on the rest of Florida again and please do not send him to Washington.
We the people beg you.

"They are primarily local young people - idealistic and poorly paid."

Which is exactly why there needs to be accountability. Fudge a few petitions for a few extra bucks...

I've yet to meet a petition gatherer who could explain what they were asking me to sign. Which leads to the more important question -- which is worse, gypsy petition signers or homeless people begging for money?