By Antonio D. French
Filed Tuesday, February 05, 2008 at 9:03 AM
Petitioners gathering signatures to recall Mayor Francis Slay have been spotted all over the city. Along with the workers, there are also "Slay Must Go" signs at the polling places.
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Recallers Out in Force
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18 Comments:
I would be curious what petitions are being advanced today.
The anti-affirmative action petition most intrigues me. If it gets on the ballot, I strongly believe affirmative action meets its end in Missouri.
As for recall Slay, I am also curious, but less so in that if Slay has worn out his welcome, it will only come a little sooner with the recall.
More philosophically, should you sign a petition to put something on the ballot even if you disagree with the petition? While you may support Slay/affirmative action, you may also think that the people have a right to decide the issue through direct ballot.
Is keeping the question of the ballot a way of disenfranchising the advancers of the petition's goals?
Slay will eventually be on the ballot, though justice delayed can be justice denied. The anti-affirmative action measure will never make it to the ballot without citizen initiative.
2/05/2008 9:57 AM
I have signed petitions to get something on a ballot that I don't intend to support. This is what democracy is about, and it is when someone fears letting the people be heard through their votes that we should be taking a hard look at the motive of that person or agenda.
2/05/2008 10:27 AM
My view is I am not going to encourage wasting money on a initiative I won't vote for in the first place.
2/05/2008 11:33 AM
More votes for Slay!
I love it.
2/05/2008 12:00 PM
I often sign petitions to put things on the ballot even if I don't agree with the issue in question. Case in point: if canvassers had been at my polling place, I would have absolutely signed the recall Slay petition--not because I think recall is a good idea in most cases (serious ethical lapses or crimes excepted) but because it deserves the consideration of the people.
As Heraclitus notes, Slay will eventually be up for reelection. That is the appropriate time for us to address philosophical differences in how our City should be run--and the same people pushing for recall now should be standing in the forefront to remind the voters why Slay doesn't deserve to return to office.
2/05/2008 12:13 PM
Slay will prevail. The recall isn't going anywhere.
2/05/2008 12:27 PM
I too have signed a petition I do not intend to vote for.
There were no recall Slay persons at Shaw School today
2/05/2008 12:39 PM
That damn Slay will receive an indicator of the dislike the city residents have for him and his polarizing policies when Proposition S is defeated today!
2/05/2008 12:48 PM
When you sign a petition, you are counted as a supporter. For example, Charter reform proponents used the signature numbers as proof of the support for the amendments. The Post regurgitated the stat over and over again as proof that opponents were a tiny minority, which turned out not to be the case when the votes were tallied. More recently, pro stem cell supporters used the sig numbers to support their cause. Happens all the time. The sig gatherer will tell you it's only about giving voters the opportunity to vote but that's not true.
If you signed the recall petition, you will be counted as being in favor of recall, not in favor of people's right to vote on it. That's how it will be used by proponents and spit back out by the media.
If you support affirmative action but sign the anti-affirmative action petition, you will likely end up on some mailing lists for some GOP and right wing political junk mail.
For state petitions, you can find out what is in circulation by visiting the Missouri Secretary of State's website, the Elections link.
2/05/2008 12:58 PM
I just voted in the 28th ward, and there were no signs of any kind and no petition gatherers for anything.
Maybe the ward has been written off, or taken care of already.
2/05/2008 1:28 PM
It is true, Howard. Just because media/pr spin is put on it doesn't mean that signing the petition means anything more than that the signer is willing to see it on the ballot. And your own examples support my point, not yours.
2/05/2008 2:43 PM
From my polling place near downtown I don't see many voters or many canvassers outside of polling place. I wonder if the reported "high turnout" is really the case.
2/05/2008 2:45 PM
Recall = lower property values, more crime, less jobs, even worse schools.
Thanks!
More slums! More crime! Less jobs! Good idea!
2/05/2008 3:08 PM
They aren't at every poll, they are in the wards where they have the best chance of getting signatures. There aren't any in the 16th ward because they figure people there like Slay, for example.
2/05/2008 5:11 PM
Recall = higher property values, less crime, more jobs, even better schools.
Thanks!
Less slums! Less crime! More jobs! Good idea!
2/05/2008 10:10 PM
So Star Jones, I guess the fact that Proposition S passed easily even in a bad economy is an indicator the voters like Slay.
2/05/2008 11:26 PM
Star Jones = doesn't understand economics, business or government!
Star Jones = moron! Yeah!!!!
2/06/2008 8:46 AM
The passing of S is just an indicator that people vote emotionally--"more police and firefighters!"--without doing their research. So now the average citizen gets to pay more on our grocery and gas bills to make up for the fact that Slay banked on not having to pay into a pension fund and lost in the courts. Did he decide to stop tax abatement? No. Did he decide to stop using tax dollars to subsidize sports teams? No. He decided to ask the "little" people who don't give to campaigns to pay more for life's necessities. I voted no, it passed, so I guess I'll just shop in the County now. And I'll vote for another candidate in the next mayoral election.
2/06/2008 10:14 AM
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