Illegal Initiative Signature Gathering in Oregon
KATU Report
June 20, 2006
Is State Allowing Illegal Signature Gathering?
By Melica Johnson
PORTLAND - Oregon voters passed a law banning initiative campaigns from paying petitioners per signature, but one political signature-gathering firm may be breaking the law and doing so with the state's blessing.
KATU News obtained a copy of Arno Political Consulting's employee handbook which lists how much the California company pays its signature gatherers. Payment ranges from $13 for 9-12 signatures gathered per hour to $64 for 46-50 signatures per hour, clearly laying out a formula that the more signatures gathered, the more money a person makes.
Arno officials would not comment on camera, but a manager for the firm said their lawyers presented their plan to the Secretary of State about a month ago and their payment structure was given a green light.
The state's elections director, John Lindback, said his office did look at Arno's employee handbook, and at first glance, the company's payment arrangement appeared to comply with the state's ban on payment per signature.
But he said it isn't as black-and-white as it appears. The state had to adopt some regulations to allow signature-gathering firms to expect some sort of minimum quota from canvassers so that firms would not "have to keep them onboard if they're not performing at a certain level," Lindback said.
Patty Wentz, of Our Oregon, said the firm is clearly violating the law that was intended to keep signature gatherers from forging names. "If you know you're going to get more money for every signature you turn in, you're much more likely to forge," she said.
This payment formula appears to be more widespread than just one company as demonstrated by signature gatherer Shalisa who is working for The Hemp & Cannabis Foundation in an effort to get an initiative on the ballot.
"It's 10 dollars an hour, but if I get more than 10 signatures an hour, say I get 26 signatures, I get 26 dollars an hour," she said. In addition, if she gathers 250 signatures in the next three weeks she'll receive a bonus of $225.
"They just really want the signatures," she said.
Secretary of State Bill Bradbury declined to comment for this story, but just before air time, his office gave a letter to KATU News saying that it plans to send it (the letter) to Arno Political Consultants telling them that it is concerned about the company's payment arrangement and that it may be breaking the law.
Additionally, Patty Wentz of Our Oregon plans to file a complaint with the state, which in all likelihood will trigger a state investigation into the matter.
http://www.katu.com/stories/86998.html
posted by Pacific Northwest Project (PIN) @ 11:27 AM
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