It’s a dangerous world. You never know when someone may be out there … petitioning their government?
In the past few months, citizens circulating petitions for an anti-tax referendum have hit Oregon streets. And with those citizens trailed a team of investigators. The Secretary of State had hired them, paying with funds provided courtesy of state legislators — the same politicians who passed the tax increases petitioners are seeking to block.
The surveillance proved almost as amusing as it is frightening. For four-fifths of the time investigators put in — at $40 to $70 an hour — they couldn’t even locate petition circulators to commence their stakeouts.
One government agent secretly infiltrated a training seminar held by Americans for Prosperity. The covert op filed this shocking report: “The training was very thorough and was consistent with the training provided by the Elections Division.”
In the end, investigators found no serious wrongdoing — none of the fraudulent activity that might justify secretive investigations of citizens who just happen to oppose the legislators’ policies.
Oregon politicians claim such tactics are necessary to “to protect the integrity of our electoral system.” But they’ve completely lost touch with basic democratic principles. Without any evidence a crime has been committed, citizens petitioning their government or engaging in other political pursuits should not be subjected to secret witch-hunts.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
5 replies on “Petition Police”
I wonder if Oregon has been investigating ACORN as thoroughly. Perhaps they are. I would hope so.
Thanks A.C.O.R.N. you’ve ruined things for the rest of us.
In 2003, I was in Oregon visiting my daughter, who was dying. While there, I listened to one of those “right wing fanatics” on my car radio. Seems there had been a referendum to increase the limits on dedutions in income taxes in the state. The voter-conscious legislature completely ignored the petition and went on their merry way collecting illegal taxes.
And some people wonder why I live in Texas when I used to live in Oregon!!!
This is indicative of a much bigger problem. Ignorence of the US Constitution and it’s violations keep moving us from a free people to being “subjects ’ of the state . The argument going on now concerning whether or not state and local govrnments can ignore 2nd amendment rights . EVERYONE seems lake knowledge of Article VI par. 2 of the Constitution . “This CONSTITUTION , and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Purusance thereof: and all treaies made , or which shall be made,under the Authority of the United States , SHALL BE THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND ;and the Judges of every State shall be bound thereby, Any thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding . (What more neds to be said”.)
This is indicative of a much bigger problem. Ignorence of the US Constitution and it’s violations keep moving us from a free people to being “subjects ’ of the state . The argument going on now concerning whether or not state and local govrnments can ignore 2nd amendment rights . EVERYONE seems lack knowledge of Article VI par. 2 of the Constitution . “This CONSTITUTION , and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Purusance thereof: and all treaies made , or which shall be made,under the Authority of the United States , SHALL BE THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND ;and the Judges of every State shall be bound thereby, Any thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding . (What more neds to be said”.)