Foes of Davis recall post tactics on Web
Petition workers complain of intimidation
June 27, 2003
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in front of people before they reach the recall petition. People are hectored as they sign the petition, some circulators said.
TACTIC TO DISTRACT WORKERS
The memo to Davis supporters twice instructs them to engage recall circulators in conversation in order to distract them from their work. The memo was posted on the Web site www.stoptherecall.com.
In a section titled "Take Action," the memo says: "Complain to the store manager. Tell the manager you are a customer and you are offended by being harassed as you enter their store. Tell the manager you will take your business elsewhere."
Petition manager John Burkett, who has 100 people collecting signatures in Riverside County, said his workers have been approached and offered more money to work on the plebiscite. Recall petitions have been defaced by people writing "Recall Bush Instead!" on them, he said.
"A few weeks ago," said petition circulator Gloria Anderson, 48, who was working at a Home Depot in Redlands (Riverside County), "I had some guy walk up and try to yank my sign down. He called me a Republican bitch. I'm not even a Republican."
There have been numerous complaints as well about circulators misleading people in order to get them to sign. Several people have complained to The Chronicle that anti-recall workers are telling people their petition is to "save schools and colleges." Other workers have been caught circulating both petitions at once.
Wills, with the anti-recall effort, said anyone caught harassing circulators or misleading people should be fired. The e-mail and Internet posting tells supporters not to "provoke or get into a physical confrontation with signature gatherers. We do not want you to be arrested. . . . If you like to 'mix it up,' it is OK to debate or argue."
OTHER SIDE COMPLAINS, TOO
In interviews, plebiscite workers say recall supporters have tried to push them around as well.
Dustin Wefel, a 21-year-old anti-recall circulator, said he was hounded by a "blocker" who ended up following him throughout the day, even standing outside a Sacramento barbershop while he got a haircut. Another man confronted him while he collected signatures outside a Ralph's grocery store and grabbed his arm, he said.
"He said I was defrauding the people or lying to the people," said Wefel. "He was just basically making a scene. He came up to the person who was signing the board and said, 'Do you know what you're signing? It's against the recall.' He said, 'I know it's against the recall. That is why I'm signing.' It made him look real dumb."
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Internet posting by recall opponents
-- As you go about your daily routines (driving to and from work, shopping, going to the movies, the doctor, etc.), keep your eyes open for recall petitioners at all times.
-- The most important thing you can do is provide us feedback about where and when signature gathering efforts are occurring. Call us . . .
Engage the Petition Collectors - If you see recall petitioners, here's what to do:
-- Engage them in conversation; the longer they talk to you, the less time they have to collect signatures; they have a limited period of time to collect over 1 million signatures.
-- Ask what petitions they are carrying.
-- It is important to determine if they are only carrying the recall petitions or if they also have the anti-recall petition and others.
-- If they tell you they have the "Save Our Teachers" or "Evaluate the Recall Process" petition, ask them to show it to you.
-- Note: There is no "Save Our Teachers" petition. This is
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