(Updated) Signature Gathering Begins For Constitutional Prohibition Of Same-Sex Marriage
And Two Of Four County Recall Efforts Near Signature Goals
Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.
We didn't keep up with this rapid progression of the last few challenges before the courts gave final approval to initiative supporters to begin gathering signatures, so here's the link-laden rundown:
Despite a last-ditch effort to derail the proposed Constitutional ballot initiative to define marriage in Oregon as being only between one man and one woman, the Oregon Supreme Court refused a final ballot title appeal, securing an open door for initiative backers to begin collecting signatures over this past weekend.
Of course, Basic Rights Oregon has called for volunteers to help with their so-called "think before you ink" strategy in which they will "engage voters in public places, to counter the message of petition gatherers with a message of fairness, to gather 'NO' vote pledges and most importantly, to help monitor the signature verification process if the time comes."
Meanwhile, in inevitably-related news, the progress report on the recall petitions against four Multnomah County Commissioners indicates that with two weeks to go before the deadline for the efforts against Chair Diane Linn and Commissioner Lisa Naito, they have netted 33,000 signatures on the Linn recall petition (they are shooting for 45,000 signatures and need 36,786 valid ones), and 8,100 signatures on the Naito recall petition (they are shooting for 10,300 signatures and need 8,296 valid ones).
Recall petitions against Commissioners Serena Cruz and Maria Rojo de Steffey are not as far along (in fact, they aren't even halfway to their respective goals), but are also not due until the middle of July.
Update
As if all of this weren't enough, now John Belgarde is suing County officials for misuse of public funds -- meaning the County money used to pay for processing same-sex marriage licenses.
May 25, 2004 at 03:34 PM
Wait. Back that truck up.
Those licenses come at a $60 fee!
Does it really cost the county more than that to file them???
And could they really have spent more than they brought in, during the run-up to issuing them?
Maybe there really is a reason for recalling the commissioners...
May 25, 2004 at 04:41 PM
I wouldn't put it past some of the more rabit homophobes to claim that the percentage of the heat bill used to warm the air breathed by same-sex couples in the public building was a misuse of taxpayer funds.
Seriously, I don't know what funds they could claim they were misused, unless they are somehow claiming that was the actual license fees collected that were misused, in which case I don't think he would have standing because he wasn't taxed to get those funds.
Anything spent on the county attorney beforehand was within the job description of the attorney... to prepare legal opinions. And money was spent on an outside attorney for a 2nd opinion - but I doubt that was unprecedented.
This is America, and you can sue for anything. (And you can get your case thrown out on the 1st day, too... but the harassment lawsuit is the American Way.)
- Bob
May 25, 2004 at 04:46 PM
Where do I go to sue whichever school system "educated" John Belgarde?
How much government time and money was wasted on his failed recall of Vera last year? --Or on his campaigns to recall county commissioners who are running for a regular election at the same time?
And has he paid the fine levied against him for election law violations yet?
May 25, 2004 at 05:00 PM
Where do I go to sue whichever school system "educated" John Belgarde?
I can't tell you how hard I laughed at this.
As for his fine, I think he was appealing that to get a medical exemption of some sort. Of course, I think the fines were for a combination of two separate violations which occurred at two separate times, so I'm not sure if he's trying to argue that he just happened to miss two entirely different deadlines because of the same medical issue cropping up at just the right time. Once I would buy. I have a hard time with twice.
May 26, 2004 at 10:50 AM
Yes, it *does* cost more than that to file them. There where a LOT of extra costs tossed in there:
Security
Overtime
Just the dinero for folks workin' the counter and helping fill out the forms.
There were extended hours, if I am not mistaken, and that means more hours the building must be heated, more hours that security must be staffed, perhaps more janitorial.
Now, is it justified? Nope. But it just one facet of an attack coordinated by the Christian Coalition. Just wait, there will be more. This is by the "Book" for the CC.
Keep in mind, the CC isn't expecting to *win* this lawsuit...far from it. They will just want to keep it alive long enough to make it to court. That is when depositions occur, and the money really starts flying.
JJ