New Eyman initiative would protect petitioners

"Harassing"...  How is it defined by this law?  If you tell a signature-gatherer to "F...off and get out of my way" as you brusquely stride past, will you be in violation?  Harassing could be interpreted pretty broadly, and therein lies a danger to this.

Aren't there already laws protecting us all from harassment? Why do signature gatherers need a special law?

Where is section that states that the general public cannot be harassed by signature gatherers? Then again that is easily fixed. No paid signature gatherers. You believe in a cause than you get your butt out on the street and recruit others to do the same. 

 

It is inevitable that paying people to gather signatures can only result in fraudulent signatures, it's no different than commission sales at a used car lot.

While I don't normally agree with much Tim Eyman does, I have a few comments to add to this pile:

 

First, the Initiative process is open for ANY citizen of Washington State to use, that's why it's there.

 

Second, signing a petition does NOT mean you support the issue, it only means you would like the PEOPLE of Washington State to have the opportunity to vote on the issue.

 

After all, isn't that what democracy is really about?

The only thing Tim has failed at is combining too much stuff together. Two ideas vs only one. Can't do that it appears when it comes to Tim. Yet our self appointed leaders do it ALL the time. EVERY TIME! And that's ok?

 

Tim got us 30 dollar tabs for our vehicles, and what did the liberals do? They added 'fees' (not to be confused with taxes) so their income would be the same. Same thing with the lottery and supporting schools. Syphon it off to the general fund, and devise other fees to make up for the lack of self appointed 'revenue for schools'.

 

There's a good reason why we call sheep stoopid. At least pigs are smart enough to survive. They work at it. If no one gives them food, they'll go get it. Sheep keep waiting for the master to fill the trough.

 

At least Tim tries to do right by the people. What has Christine done in the last 8 years? Shove it up our back sides.

Time and time again...

 

One word:  Unconstitutional. 

 

Didn't Tim learn back in the 90’s about unconstitutional initiatives/propositions.  You cannot have two completely unrelated things on a single ticket.  “$30 car tabs!  $30 car tabs!  $30 car tabs!  Oh and this other law that requires blah blah blah voting to happen” was unconstitutional.  In this one, he has “don’t bully gatherers and those signing” and “everyone gets to vote on initiatives even if there are lawsuits against it”  

 

Tim Eyman does *NOT* serve the interests of Washington residents. This is incontrovertible fact. Last year's efforts to pass I-1185 was chiefly subsidized by the Beer Institute, Conocophillips and BP Oil; three entities based in DC or Chicago. This information is freely available on Washington State's own Center for Public Disclosure website.

 

While his initiatives look good to the average voter, they are in turn exploited by large businesses to avoid taxes and thus deny funds in the state's ledger. They are NOT used to protect individual taxpayers.

 

Look at the fact and draw your own conclusions, but when there's this much money thrown at Eyman's initiatives from such national entities, it's hard to continue belaboring under the illusion that his efforts are for YOU.

I'd support an initiative that would put Tim Eyman out of business. Because that's exactly what his business is: he makes a living on initiatives. Let's keep the six month limit and do away with paying signature gatherers. Ban them from actively soliciting signatures...let them sit outside stores, malls, wherever, at tables with banners telling us what we are signing, but keep them away from me as I walk into a store. 

 

Frankly, I feel harassed by signature gatherers. Where's the law that keeps THEM away from ME?

Though I don't think we need petitioners to have special protections, I do feel that people putting down the initiative process here better do a reality check.  Other states, such as NY, have no such process and are therefore constantly having politicians decide what's good them as opposed to the people deciding in a fair vote.  Count your lucky stars for this democratic initiative process that is not available to all of the "free".

First he abused the process big time and cost us million$ or billion$, and now Timmy I'm-an-Idiot wants to set the rules for the very process he has abused so badly. When will this shark just go away?

I think the initiative process works just fine without these changes. No one should be protected from harassment for stating opinions about someone elses politics. Kind of encroaches on the 1st Amendment.

I believe Eyman has served a useful purpose. Had he not been active over the last decade or so, I believe the WA legislature would likely have overspent far more than they have. He has remided legislators and governors that we don't need huge government.

I do not believe this new initiative has any merit though. Voters need to actually consider each initiative rather than voting for evrything Eyman puts forward.

I wish he'd put forth an initiative to force the WA State government to put the state lottery money towards schools like it was suppsed to when it was originally passed to allow gambling in the state. 

Tim Eyman, if you want to make laws, then run for office. I voted for someone to represent me and my district. I have no desire to keep using our tax dollars on anymore of your initiatives that only tie the hands of those we pay to represent us.

The only initiative I will sign will the one that bans initiatives.

Go home Timmy!

Tim please don't disturb the northwest sheeple when their grazing...

Can we get more protection FROM signature gatherers?

I would rather have initiatives challenged in court prior to them coming to a vote, then to vote on something that has not already had “most” of the kinks worked out if it.

 

On that note I don’t support most of Mr. Eyeman’s initiatives because it makes it harder for the government to actually govern. Sure I don’t like having my taxes raised anymore then the next person. I also understand the benefits some of the programs provide to people in need and I am a solid middle class person who would never qualify to take advantage of any of those programs even though a good chunk of my tax money go towards them.

Time for the aging Frat Boy to get a real job and earn a living. Enough of this guy...

Geez.  all Eyeman is doing is making it easier for him to get enough signatures for his pathetic 'let's paralyze Olympia instead of actually doing things to fix the problems' initiatives.

 

We don't need another 6 months to be pursued, harrassed or bothered by people getting paid to collect signatures.

 

If the initiative can't gather enough signatures in the time they already have, then the initiative isn't popular enough to get to be voted on.  It's pretty simple.

 

And there's already penalties for harrassing people.  We don't need more laws that duplicate existing laws - or make it so that we can't tell a paid signature gatherer that they need to tell the truth about what they are trying to get people to sign. 

 

Eyeman is a false God.  He is NOT willing to do the hard work to fix Olympia - he only stirs up the hornets nest and then sells people on a magic elixer made up of snake oil.   And the results are what you'd expect - a mess, nothing really gets changed and he then blames 'guv-mint' and not his failure to try to fix the actual problems.

 

 

 

Since previous initiatives have been thrown out by the courts for dealing with more than one issue, won't this fall under the same rule?  It deals with (1) the amount of time allowed to gather & turn in signatures, (2) requiring all initiatives to be put on the ballot, and (3) the anti-harrassment part.Three very different parts, so I am hoping they throw it out.  We do not need another Eyeman initiative.

I met Tim once. He was an obnoxious blowhard.

 

Eh, I think this is one measure that doesn't need to be passed.  Petitioners already have the same right to defend oneself as any other person and that's the way it should stay.  No more special treatment of ANYBODY.

Does he not even bother to gather signatures in downtown Seattle anymore? Seriously haven't seen anyone with an eyman initiative here in at least a year. Where the heck did all these signatures come from?

 

Also, annoying crybaby man who pays for his signatures incorrectly.  I wish the judge had allowed the horses behind measure to go through.

Those signatures need a team to be analyzed for fraudulent/duplicate signatures, from someone who is championing themselves as anti-tax or against government waste, he sure is hvaing a lot of tax payer money going into his initiatives every year.

GO AWAY TIM! We don't want your BS measures anymore. You are a pestilence that needs to be put down.