WA Referendum 71 Petitioners join emerging national movement to suppress Public Records and Disclosure
WhoSigned.org plans to make Referendum 71 public records accessible to the people of Washington State. How the people of this state use these public records is, as with everything, their decision and unlike Referendum 71 petitioners we have faith in the people's judgment and desire for civil and lawful discussion on our families urgent need for equal treatment under the law.
It's important for everyone to recognize that the court action to prevent the Secretary of State from releasing any public records on Referendum 71 isn't an isolated event. Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom, the law firm behind the court action temporarily preventing us getting access to the records, is the same firm behind the challenge to public disclosure of donors in California in the wake of Proposition 8. What we're seeing is an emerging national strategy of the aggressors painting themselves as victims and making public records secret to protect those who fund and advocate for our families continued second class status and treatment.
In past civil rights struggles is was white cloth and stitching that hid the identities of the intolerant from public view. In this generation's civil rights struggles it's shaping up to be a cloth of faux victim-hood stitched tight with threads of legally imposed secrecy and misinformation.
In Washington State there is nothing a voter can do to remove their signature from a petition once it's submitted. Paid Signature gatherers are not registered, how they are paid is not regulated, and per signature payment is well recognized as an incitement to fraud in other ballot initiative states. No wonder the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center gives Washington State a failing "F" grade in their July 2009 report card.
We hope to give voters who were misled a way to correct the record and discover the extent of signature fraud. When it may come down to just a handful of signatures placing Referendum 71 on the ballot, understanding what part fraud and paid signature gatherers might have played is essential in ensuring the integrity of the ballot initiative and referendum process.
We call on the Secretary of State to vigorously defend our public disclosure laws making public records for Referendum 71 available to all who request them, and to restore public faith in open government in Washington State.
July 30, 2009 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Seattle, WA
Washington Declines to Sign Referendum 71
Whosigned.org Refutes Intimidation Charges; Will Post Names of Petition Signers as Planned
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 8, 2007
WHOSIGNED.ORG REFUTES INTIMIDATION CHARGES; WILL POST NAMES OF PETITION SIGNERS AS PLANNED
Seattle, WA - Despite criticism that making public information more accessible to the public amounts to intimidation, Whosigned.org and its national partner KnowThyNeighbor.org announced today that they will proceed with plans to post online the names of Washington citizens who sign the anti-gay petition known as Referendum 71.
"These charges of intimidation ring hollow," said Brian Murphy, director of Whosigned.org. "People should be directing their outrage at the movement to eliminate basic rights and protections for LGBT families, not at the gay community for using its democratic rights to protect itself."
Responding to criticism from within the gay rights community, Murphy said, "Some think that by asserting our rights as gay Americans, we make others feel uncomfortable. Well, I refuse to compromise the security of my family to make those attempting to dehumanize me feel more comfortable. I don't want to be nice. I want to be equal. And I want to be equal now."
While some allege that petition signers will become the targets of organized harassment, Aaron Toleos, co-director of KnowThyNeighbor.org, says, "Such claims are irresponsible, incendiary, and totally untrue. There is no organized plan to confront petition signers. In fact, we have never advocated for this and don't think it's constructive. No one is going to be knocking on random doors. It just doesn't happen."
What does happen, says Toleos, is that conversations are triggered between people that already have a personal connection like friends, relatives, and neighbors. "These conversations can be uncomfortable for both parties," he said, "but they are desperately needed to break down stereotypes and to help both sides realize how much they actually have in common."
KnowThyNeighbor.org has partnered with grassroots organizations to publish petitioner information in states across the country including Oregon, Arkansas, Florida, and Massachusetts. "Citizens approach petitions more thoughtfully once they realize it is a public document," says Toleos, "and we believe this makes the system stronger."
KnowThyNeighbor.org's website has also been pivotal in exposing petition fraud and has led directly to civil and criminal investigations.
While he acknowledges that some find it surprising to learn that petition information is a matter of public record, Toleos says, "Anyone that is honest about wanting a clean, transparent process should welcome the scrutiny that our website makes possible. And if they don't, you should wonder why."
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CONTACTS
Brian Murphy, Director, Whosigned.org
(206) 313-1175 / brian.murphy.wa.usa@gmail.com
Aaron Toleos, Co-Director, KnowThyNeighbor.org
(978) 821-4620 / aaron@KnowThyNeighbor.org
Tom Lang, Co-Director, KnowThyNeighbor.org
(978) 335-0477 / Tom@KnowThyNeighbor.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendum_71_(2009)
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BAD DOGS BELOW
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Representative Matt Shea AND Senator Val Stevens (SEND THEM EMAIL)
Endorsements FOR Referendum 71
Watch The Videos
Senator Val Stevens and Representative Matt Shea encourage Christian Participation in Referendum 71 Petition Drive.
Here is the message from protect marriage wa
"At the founding of our country we made the conscious decision to promote marriage between one man and one woman above all other legal unions because of its inherent value to children and society. Signing R-71 will help us preserve that decision for another generation."
-State Representative Matt Shea
"One of our greatest founders, George Washington, said it well when he noted, "We can never expect safety for our nation and disregard the eternal rules of order." When our country was born over 230 years ago, our Founders made a point of acknowledging His laws in the Declaration of Independence. They understood that God was not only the giver of life, but also of order and standards of behavior, including standards regarding marriage. From the beginning, the Founders understood the importance of traditional marriage-that it is one man and one woman for life- and the dangers of trying to make changes to that standard, like the changes that the law we seek to overturn by this referendum has done.
How we respond to this latest attack on marriage will be a defining moment for Christians and those who believe in traditional values here in Washington State. We cannot afford to let this simply slide by. Future generations will be affected tomorrow by how we act today. Please sign R-71!"
-State Representative Jim McCune
"A domestic partnership diverts rights and resources from a family to an unrelated adult. These include benefits for dependent children, end of life decisions by older children for elderly parents, and inheritance rights of all surviving family members, just to name a few. The homosexual community emphasizes the fact that they have biological children, yet no child is ever produced by a same sex relationship. There is always an opposite sex partner involved and they can lose their rights as well. Please support genuine marriage and sign R-71!"
- Senator Dan Swecker
"In 2006 the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the legislature's right to ban same sex marriages. The passage of Senate Bill 5688 this year makes same-sex Domestic Partnerships equal to genuine marriage in every practical way. It's passage has essentially overturned our Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and thus diminishes the value of traditional marriage between one man and one women. I urge you to sign R-71 and help us roll back this effort to undermine marriage in Washington State!"
-Senator Val Stevens
Mission Preserving Marriage, Protecting Children
The mission of the new PAC is to organize the effort to gather the 120,577 required signatures for Referendum 71 by July 25, 2009 to bring the controversial Senate Bill 5688 before the voters of Washington State in November. SB 5688 is a 110 page document which includes the phrase "marriage shall apply equally to state registered domestic partnerships" 180 times.
SB 5688 was packaged and presented to the legislature as a Domestic Partnerships expansion of benefits. In truth, it will demolish the state's historical understanding and definition of marriage as that of uniting a man and a woman for life as Washington State will immediately become subject to litigation by same-sex partners demanding that the courts overturn the Defense of Marriage Act and impose "same-sex marriage" (as happened recently in California prior to Proposition 8).
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Why???? TAX ISSUE!!!!
"Churches may collect signatures for the referendum
in the church and pastors may state positions
on such legislation from the pulpit."
