Reply #71: Could you elaborate on "getting signatures by cheating?" [View All]

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The signature-gatherers are paid and we call them "bounty hunters." It used to be that it was only people who were actually connected to the ballot measure in some vital way but not always anymore.

These people are often imported, and many times are armed with several petitions at once and each can be funded by a different outfit and can be unconnected to one another. I don't believe that's fraud in any way; it's just another example of outsourcing.

I always ask questions of the petition-people aabout exactly what they're proferring and 9 out of 10 say "Lady, I don't know, I'm just getting paid."

I never sign anyone's petition who answers that way because I feel it's usually a case of someone with big money subverting democracy for their own ends, just like Darryl Issa did.

This was in my local paper this week.

http://www.staronline.com/vcs/county_news/article/0,1375,VCS_226_2172356,00.html