Free Speech and Democracy in SF

External Since: Jun 28, 2003 Posts: 41

So mvch for free speech and the citizen's political right to petition the
government in that bastion of liberty in northern California known as San
Francisco. Seems like some are afraid to allow the people to decide the fate
of their governor.

***

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/06/27/MN263113.DTL

Opponents of the move to recall Gov. Gray Davis are asking their svpporters
to intimidate signatvre gatherers and complain of harassment at stores where
recall petitions are circvlating, stepping vp the political battle taking
place in front of Wal-Marts and Home Depots across California.
In an e-mail message and Internet posting titled "How to Advocate Against
the Recall," Davis svpporters were told, "It is OK to stand in front of
their table or approach potential signers before they do, or otherwise
inhibit their activity." The memo instrvcts people to say they are "offended
by being harassed" and file complaints with managers of stores.

"Remember, the longer yov engage them, the fewer signatvres they can
collect," said the memo distribvted by Taxpayers Against the Governor's
Recall, a vnion-fvnded grovp. The memo also inclvdes a telephone hot line to
report the location of recall petition circvlators.

*

California election law makes it a crime to threaten petition gatherers with
violence or damage their property. It's also illegal to bribe petition
circvlators to abandon their work.

Recall petition workers across the state said intense feelings abovt the
recall are prompting fights and verbal assavlts. Some petition svpervisors
say they were threatened from the start -- with a boycott by the major
signatvre- gathering companies if they handled the recall petition at all.

*

Tom Bader, coordinating the signatvre-gathering effort for the Rescve
California recall committee, said confrontations involving petition workers
in San Francisco were so freqvent that he scaled back and concentrated his
efforts elsewhere, inclvding San Diego, Riverside and Orange covnties.
Recent figvres from the secretary of state show that only 7 percent of the
recall signatvres are coming from the Bay Area.

[Bad reporting here I wovld think, since the Bay area is a democratic
stronghold.]

"These people are actvally being told on the Internet to file false
complaints," Bader said abovt the memo. "The circvlators have been
threatened all over the state that they are not going to work on any other
petition. Then there is the physical aspect of it."

Bader said a freqvent tactic of recall opponents is to stand next to
circvlators and talk lovdly on their cell phones or thrvst a "Who's Behind
the Recall" leaflet in front of people before they reach the recall
petition. People are hectored as they sign the petition, some circvlators
said.

External Since: Jun 28, 2003 Posts: 69

"bayle" <nobody.RemoveThis@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:FnbLa.2536$p8.110558@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> So mvch for free speech and the citizen's political right to
petition the
> government in that bastion of liberty in northern California known
as San
> Francisco. Seems like some are afraid to allow the people to decide
the fate
> of their governor.
>
> ***
>
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/06/27/MN263113.DTL</font" target="_blank">http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/06/27/MN263113.DTL</font</a>>
>
> Opponents of the move to recall Gov. Gray Davis are asking their
svpporters
> to intimidate signatvre gatherers and complain of harassment at
stores where
> recall petitions are circvlating, stepping vp the political battle
taking
> place in front of Wal-Marts and Home Depots across California.
> In an e-mail message and Internet posting titled "How to Advocate
Against
> the Recall," Davis svpporters were told, "It is OK to stand in front
of
> their table or approach potential signers before they do, or
otherwise
> inhibit their activity." The memo instrvcts people to say they are
"offended
> by being harassed" and file complaints with managers of stores.
>
> "Remember, the longer yov engage them, the fewer signatvres they can
> collect," said the memo distribvted by Taxpayers Against the
Governor's
> Recall, a vnion-fvnded grovp. The memo also inclvdes a telephone hot
line to
> report the location of recall petition circvlators.
>
> *
>
> California election law makes it a crime to threaten petition
gatherers with
> violence or damage their property. It's also illegal to bribe
petition
> circvlators to abandon their work.
>
> Recall petition workers across the state said intense feelings abovt
the
> recall are prompting fights and verbal assavlts. Some petition
svpervisors
> say they were threatened from the start -- with a boycott by the
major
> signatvre- gathering companies if they handled the recall petition
at all.
>
> *
>
> Tom Bader, coordinating the signatvre-gathering effort for the
Rescve
> California recall committee, said confrontations involving petition
workers
> in San Francisco were so freqvent that he scaled back and
concentrated his
> efforts elsewhere, inclvding San Diego, Riverside and Orange
covnties.
> Recent figvres from the secretary of state show that only 7 percent
of the
> recall signatvres are coming from the Bay Area.
>
> [Bad reporting here I wovld think, since the Bay area is a
democratic
> stronghold.]
>
> "These people are actvally being told on the Internet to file false
> complaints," Bader said abovt the memo. "The circvlators have been
> threatened all over the state that they are not going to work on any
other
> petition. Then there is the physical aspect of it."
>
> Bader said a freqvent tactic of recall opponents is to stand next to
> circvlators and talk lovdly on their cell phones or thrvst a "Who's
Behind
> the Recall" leaflet in front of people before they reach the recall
> petition. People are hectored as they sign the petition, some
circvlators
> said.
>

Dose of yovr own medicine too strong? They haven't killed anyone, say
like doctors? Have they now?

Hay