On September 15, Americans Elect start circulating its petition to be a qualified party in Oregon in 2012. This news is from an Americans Elect press release sent to Oregon newspapers. The press release says that Americans Elect has already been certified in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Michigan and Nevada. The press release also says that Americans Elect has either finished petitioning, or is petitioning now, in eight states. The release then mentions seven of them: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, and Utah. It is possible the eighth state is Maine.
Keep that train rolling.
Well, petitioners are paid by the hour in Oregon so I assume that they will offer minimum wage! What jerks!!!!!
Wasn’t Missouri another one they did or are doing?
#3, good catch. Americans Elect did circulate a petition in Missouri. However, the law says petitions for new parties must include the names of a presidential candidate and candidates for presidential elector, but the Americans Elect petition in Missouri did not do that. Everyone was hoping the part of the law saying the presidential candidate, and the presidential electors, must be on the petition, would be repealed. The whole requirement is because of a typographical error. But the bill to repeal that requirement didn’t pass this year. Americans Elect has never submitted its Missouri petition.
I don’t think Maine has started yet. They may start in November.
Could Oregon actually be the other state?
At least they will have the labor board as as recorse when Arno tries to cheat them.
Last time they did one in Oregon, Petrillo misplaced a decimal point on an entire payroll, resulting in ripping off 90% of their pay. According to Arno and Petrillo, it was an honest misake, however they held the money of anyone who had been vicimized by the ‘mistake’ while they made sure they weren’t being cheated by their workers.
I never understood the reason it took several weeks to reconcile (they use quickbooks) but some of the people who were owed money gave up trying to collect during the delay. Deliberate or not, Arno kept that money for himself, profiteering from the ‘mistake’.
Yet another example of an ‘Arno Formula’ that resulted in unpaid people, and the money to pay them in Arno’s pocket.
After what he pulled in California I can’t believe anyone who is not in debt to JSM will be willing to travel. Arno however realizes that just like the magazine sales, the siding appointments, the cable switchovers, etc there will be plenty of locals for him to cheat and leave empty handed while he scurries off to the next state.
“bolarm Says:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Well, petitioners are paid by the hour in Oregon so I assume that they will offer minimum wage! What jerks!!!!!”
The hourly pay rate on petitions in Oregon does NOT apply to petitions to put parties and candidates on the ballot.
I’m pretty sure that the “petitioners license” requirement on initiative and referendum petitions in Oregon does not apply to party and candidate petitions either.
“Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, and Utah. It is possible the eighth state is Maine.”
I’m pretty sure that a party can get on the ballot in Colorado without petitioning. I think that they can just be organized and pay a filing fee. I know that there’s a 1,000 signature petition requirement, but if you pay a $1,000 filing fee you don’t have to do the petition.
I heard that the petition circulators who worked Americans Elect complained that they got ripped off on their pay.
I heard that Americans Elect wants to petition in Maine in November so they can petition at polling places during a state wide election that is going to be held in that state.
#8
Andy,
He pulled his usual stunt. I posted additional comments following the sept 18th story about AE asking its delegates…
R.F.
“I heard that the petition circulators who worked Americans Elect complained that they got ripped off on their pay.”
Opps, I meant to say that “I heard that the petition circulators who worked on Americans Elect in ARKANSAS recently complained that they got ripped off.”
I was replying to the fact that Americans Elect just finished Arkansas but yes, I’ve heard that there are petition circulators who got ripped off in California too.
Arkansas too? What a shock!
#8, this year the Colorado legislature moved the deadline for an independent candidate for President from July to early June. Now Colorado has the 2nd earliest independent presidential deadline in the nation, behind only Texas. Americans Elect won’t have chosen its nominee by early June, so it is being forced to qualify as an entire party instead. This shows how Americans Elect is willing to spend money on petitioning, in preference to filing lawsuits.
So does the $1,000 filing fee option exist for political parties in Colorado? If they petitioned instead, it cost them more. Of course, it also enriched Arnos more too…
It is not clear whether the alleged ripoffs of petitioners in Arkansas and Alabama were by Arnos or Breslins, if they actually happened.
Given the ridiculously low pay rates left over for petitioners after Arnos take most of AE’s signature pay and Breslins take most of what’s left over, only very desperate petitioners (often times with bad habits/addictions) have gone to Arkansas and Alabama.
Most petitioners (if they are working at all given the prevailing pattern by the companies to keep the overwhelming portion of the money for themselves now) are instead choosing to work on initiatives in California or Massachusetts.
AE petitioners have less money on their boards (even though AE is paying Arnos exorbitant rates) and are working in non-access states with hot, humid weather. There is no rational reason to choose that over other work unless the pay is quicker in Alabama and Arkansas and they are desperate for money.
It is not clear whether the alleged ripoffs of petitioners in Arkansas and Alabama were by Arnos or Breslins, if they actually happened.
…or both Arnos and Breslins….
#13, the fee is $500, not $1,000. It has no application to qualified parties. Qualified parties don’t pay any fee to have their presidential nominee on the November ballot (in any state), and may wait until early September to tell the state whom their presidential and v-p candidates are. Being a qualified party in Colorado, as in virtually all states, is a huge advantage.
” Richard Winger Says:
September 20th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
#13, the fee is $500, not $1,000. It has no application to qualified parties. Qualified parties don’t pay any fee to have their presidential nominee on the November ballot (in any state), and may wait until early September to tell the state whom their presidential and v-p candidates are. Being a qualified party in Colorado, as in virtually all states, is a huge advantage.”
If this is the case, why would Americans Elect be gathering petition signatures in Colorado, or are they?