In many states around the country, voters are becoming all too acquainted with slickly worded ballot initiatives that have appealing names that often hide the true nature of their intent. It turns out that there are several agencies with Right Wing agendas that are behind these bad laws being passed, including laws like the recent "Personhood" initiative that if approved, would most likely become the first challenge to Roe Vs. Wade.
But not so fast - it turns out that one group, Protect Colorado's Future has gathered enough information to prompt Reverend Daniel Klawitter and Reed Norwood to file a lawsuit as citizens against the Secretary of State, Mike Coffman to address the validity of the approval of this petition's place on the fall ballot. (Coffman, incidentally is running for Tom Tancredo's vacated seat).
more here...
Through their lawsuit, they list over 29 instances of fraudulent activity in collecting signatures for the Right to Work initiative. In just one of these 29 instances, over 53,000 signatures that were not valid.
These agencies circulating the petition also have been busy in many other states with their measures, in states like Nebraska, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Missouri. The Oklahoma Secretary of State has said this about one such group, the National Ballot Access -
there was "an unprecedented situation where large numbers of duplicate names and addresses were discovered well into the signature counting process"
These agencies, National Ballot Access, Kennedy Enterprises, and Lamm Consulting, are being funded here by none other than Johnathan Coors - of the Coors family.
A victory in this lawsuit could potentially lead to other petitions filed by these groups, including the Personhood initiative, the Anti-Affirmative Action initiative that is circulating in other states such as Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Arizona, and many other extremist initiatives.
Reporters have written already about how the GOP's hopes may well rely on these initiatives in the Fall election.
You would think that in times with $4 per gallon gas, record mortgage foreclosures, and a recession, these conservative groups would hold off on trying to pass Right to Work laws, but they won't be satisfied until a new feudal society is created.
Let's hope this lawsuit stops these groups from passing more of their deceptive laws in our states.
A word from Martin Luther King Jr. on Right to Work
" In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right to work'. It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights...It's purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions for everyone...Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer and there are no civil rights. We do not intend to let them do this to us. We demand this fraud be stopped. Our weapon is our vote."
It is my personal hope, that with the turnout expected to be very high with Obama as our candidate, that he can let voters know which initiatives he views as bad for the country on a state by state basis. So how about it? Do you know if he would issue such a statement?
hattip to David Carbrey