Democracy for America (DFA) has launched an exciting new project to help activists and organizers achieve their goals with a far more powerful set of tools than they would have otherwise. It’s called YouPower and it’s revolutionary.
Click through for details and to sign one of the first petitions started with YouPower.
On November 14th, a petition was submitted to the White House on their We the People website that said this:
“Those who sign here petition the United States government to secure funding and resources, and begin construction on a Death Star by 2016.
By focusing our defense resources into a space-superiority platform and weapon system such as a Death Star, the government can spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration, and more, and strengthen our national defense.”
The White House policy is to respond to petitions that 25,000 signatures within 30 days. This one has over 34,000 signatures so the White House responded. Their response can be read HERE but, it’s so epic and awesome, I’m reproducing it here on the blog (after the jump.)
Secretary of State Ruth Johnson filed a brief (pdf) with the state Supreme Court last week that gives me hope. In the case the Court is hearing in front of a packed courtroom today regarding the font size issue with the Public Act 4 repeal petitions, her office suggested that if the PA 4 repeal petitions are disqualified, the petitions for ALL SIX of the other ballot initiatives would also be disqualified.
Details after the jump.
Last Friday, the Detroit Free Press published a blistering editorial condemning the Michigan Court of Appeals judges who ruled to delay a decision on the font size issue related to the petitions to put the repeal of Emergency Manager Law — Public Act 4 — on the November ballot. The editorial, titled “Stall tactics bring shame on court” holds nothing back.
I find myself using the word “astonished” or “astonishing” a LOT lately when it comes to Michigan politics. My level of cynicism seems to be rising exponentially as each week passes when I see the outrageous and egregious things that Republicans are doing in our state.
But this might take the cake.
If you’ve been following this blog recently, you’ll know that the repeal of Public Act 4 — Michigan’s Emergency Manager law — is being challenged on a teeny tiny technicality. The challengers say that the font on one of the headings is just a millimeter or two too small.
No, I’m not kidding.
I’ve debunked this ridiculous assertion (HERE & HERE) but the Board of State Canvassers will meet on Thursday to make their decision.
That’s where YOU come in.
Yesterday, I took a look at the font size on the petitions to put the repeal of Public Act 4 — Michigan’s Emergency Manager law — on the November ballot. Recall that the group Citizens for Financial Responsibility is challenging the more than quarter million citizen signatures on a minor font-based technicality. As I said yesterday, it’s a desperate move and one that’s not even based on anything legitimate.
The rules (which you can read HERE [pdf]) don’t actually tell you what type of font is required. If you wanted to, you could use Comic Sans or anything else that is readable. However, the font choice makes a BIG difference in the height and width of font.
[More analysis with example fonts after the jump.]
I was cleaning up my office today and came across a couple Public Act 4 repeal petitions. I thought it would be interesting to see how wrong the fonts are. Recall that Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility wants to toss out nearly a quarter million petition signatures because they say the heading font is smaller than the required 14-point boldface font (state regulation HERE (pdf).) They aren’t saying that the petition language itself is too small, just the heading.
Follow me over the jump for photos and comparisons and all sorts of fonty goodness.
My breaking of the news about the anti-petition signing robocalls has received widespread coverage. In addition to the Rachel Maddow Show, several other news outlets have covered it, including the Herald Palladium, Michigan Messenger and WNDU.
Michigan Forward, the group who is working to put the repeal of the odious Financial Manager law on the ballot, has now issued a response.
You read it here first.
Michigan Forward “Stands-Up” to False Accusations and Misinformation Disseminated in Robo Calls
DETROIT – The blatantly false charges being spread in an anonymous robo call to voters in Western Michigan are a desperate attempt to stop the hard work of hundreds of genuine grassroots volunteers collecting signatures to repeal Public Act 4.
…
This is from our good friends working hard to repeal the anti-democratic Emergency Manager law, P.A. 4 (aka, “the Financial Martial Law Act”.)
Calling All Recall and Repeal Heroes,
500,000 folks will visit Art Fair next week. The Recall Snyder and Repeal PA4 (emergency managers) campaigns are linking arms to make the Ann Arbor Art Fair the biggest petition-signing event of the year. We need your help! Here’s how to be part of history:
1) In addition to the petition booth originally planned for Liberty St, we are expanding to cover many other petition sites surrounding the AF in public areas.…
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