Anyone else get an obnoxious fund raising call from the Senate Causus?

[dflprincess]

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from the (state) Senate DFL Caucus, they started out with a spiel about how important it is to retain a majority in the Senate (true). Then they asked if I'd donate $100 to the Senate Caucus. This money to be used for the state Senate races in 2006.

I told the woman ever so politely that I had very limited funds and anything I give this year will be going to defeat Bush.

So, she rambles on a little more and asks for $50.00. I repeated what I said before. So she asks for $25. Now I'm annoyed. I told her I was a party hack and that it wouldn't change who I vote for but that I thought this kind of hard sell would really turn people off - especially people who may have caucused for the first time this year and are getting pushed to part with their money for races we don't have to think about until after this year's election. I suggested that, a) they start out asking for a smaller amount or leave the amount open and b) when a person says no just accept it and move on.

She told me that their instructions are to make people say no three times before they give up.

Am I wrong to be peeved about this?

[mn9driver]

1. You can get a refund from the state for political contributions

up to $50 single and $100 married, I think. Still, I get annoyed at any kind of sales call.

[dflprincess]

2. True, but that's only once a year

and, as I said, there are candidates that need the money this year.

[dpbrown]

3. I don't like to be strong-armed for my tax deduction contribution

I got the same call.

We're going to be using the tax deduction money en masse as part of our progressive organization strategy coming up, as Minnesota for Kucinich morphs into a force for progressive Minnesota change.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[dflprincess]

4. That sounds interesting

will you be working with Wellstone Action?

[indigo32]

5. Sounds Cool

I wanna hear more....

[dpbrown]

11. There will be an informational session at the State Convention

The DK delegates and other progressives will be hosting one hospitality room, and are hoping to invite progressives from the State Convention to talk about the new two-part entity we're planning for harnessing progressive energy for change and education - inside and outside the party.

Then we'll be working over the summer to lay the groundwork to give it (them) a more formal organizational structure(s) - one inside the DFL, and one outside the confines of the DFL, to support the folks who are in the party, and to do outside education, teach-ins, demonstrations, and to collaborate with other progressive organizations.

The overall goals surround addressing the challenges we estimate that we face now:

1. Providing focus to concerned and effective activists (including the hundreds who did not become delegates to subsequent conventions).

2. Using teach-ins, demonstrations, community organizing, and other tools to educate our neighbors (“being the media”).

3. Making the DFL accountable to the increased awareness we produce through community education (“being the system”).

4. Mobilizing to elect candidates that espouse an awaked awareness of progressive values that reflect the community’s increased awareness (“creating representation”).

5. Creating a portable and effective communication network.

6. Leveraging and building on the Minnesota for Kucinich document and information cache to fuel the community education and activism work we must do (“building a collective consciousness”).

Summarizing what we intend to do is two-fold:

1. "Unionizing" within the DFL to leverage our influence, and

2. "Energizing and Organizing" outside the party to build concensus, do education, field and/or sponsor candidates, and all-in-all to "be the media" for our neighbors.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[Viking12]

12. Dan, are you a Hill Murray graduate by any chance?? n/t

[dpbrown]

13. Nope, I grew up in Jackpine Savage country in northern Wisconsin

Summer home to thousands of FIBs.

[Viking12]

14. Cool. I was just curious.

I hung out with a "Dan Brown" growing up in St. Paul.

[dpbrown]

16. We're like pennies

Always turning up.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota (currently)

[no name no slogan]

15. 7:00 Friday night before the convention, Skyline Room, Duluth Holiday Inn

Be sure to stop by the Kucinich hospitality room....we'll be discussing the contents Mr. Brown outlined above, and plotting strategy for the future (plus we'll have some neato buttons for sale to help finance our 'kickoff').

In my not-too-few years of party politics, I've never seen a more motivated movement forming than this one. We're really going to work for progressive change at all levels: locally, statewide, nationally and worldwide! Knowledge is power, and that's whate we'll use to be the change we want to see.

Wow, what a great year to be a progressive!

:toast:

[Zookeeper]

6. I just got that call about 20 minutes ago!

Very persistent young woman. I've already made my State Refund contribution, which I told her. Also mentioned that I am actively working to re-defeat Bush. She kept prodding me to donate, just in smaller amounts. I'm thinking about how to best use whatever money I have left to contribute (which I also mentioned two or three times), and the hard sell was a turn-off.

[bvar22]

7. Same call here. Same irritation.

The caller ID was a 320 Area Code. I wonder if our DFL outsourced their arm twisting.

[Viking12]

10. Meyer Associates Teleservices

Very likely that this is the source of the call. They are a mercenary telemarketer/pollster firm in Saint Cloud. The phone reps are paid on commission and are highly scripted. The management team is very hands on with "quality" control. Each phone rep is graded several times a week and coached to improve or face the "consequences".

In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Meyer one summer during college more than 10 years ago.

[Nobody]

8. I got a very nice woman who took "no" the first time

I told her that I was one of the people who lost their job thanks to Bush's economy and that hell would freeze over before I'd vote Republican. I also told her I was planning to do some volunteering this summer.

[truthspeaker]

9. Same call, 320 area code, it's a telemarketing company

They kept calling and not leaving messages. When I called the number back I got the voice mail for a telemarketing company.

When they finally got through I told her I always donate on-line and not to send me anything in the mail to save paper. She said that was a noble sentiment but wanted to send me the thing anyway because if I sent payment in the envelope it would help their record keeping. Asked me several times if I would "commit" to making this donation. My nose was bleeding from the nasal surgery I'd had earlier that day so I finally said yes to get her off the phone. Made sure to throw the envelope away as soon as it came in the mail. I'll donate online later.