Tuesday, April 24, 2007

[412] Your Autograph is desired. Collecting signatures from everyone in Allegheny County

[412] Your Autograph is desired. Collecting signatures from everyone in Allegheny County


Dear Eligible Voters of Allegheny County,

Your autograph and the autograph of your immediate family, friends, neighbors and co-workers is wanted on the attached form to insure that the democratic process lives for the November 2007 general election.

A concentration of power along with a lack of opposition is increasing our downward decline of both our population base and opportunities for other voices.

Your actions with this email and these forms will go a long way to insure voter choice and integrity in local elections in 2007 -- at a time when we need it most.

I've pulled together a slate of people to stand for office with me. Alternatives are needed as I don't want to give the ones in office now a "Free Pass" and further ignore accountability.

When you sign the petition, you agree we should be on the ballot and nothing more. You don't have to vote for me.

Money is not necessary. Just print the form (front and back) and just pay return postage -- or drop off to -- Mark Rauterkus, 108 South 12th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203.

The "official" election form is legal sized. Sadly, it only prints on paper that is 14-inches tall. Ouch. If you don't have paper like that loaded in your computer's printer, email me and I'll mail or drop of a form to your home or workplace. Provide your address. Furthermore, the form must be printed on front and back. Ouch again.

Directions: Sign the first box, P R I N T, the second box, so letters are apart. Include middle initials and Jr./Sr./etc. as registered on election department records. Otherwise, you are deemed less than human and your signature won't count. Ouch. Your street number and address plus boro and municipality is needed (i.e., Castle Shannon, NOT Pgh). Finally, the date.

One omission and the un-democratic lawyers will attack. Dragging me into court -- again is something I want to avoid. I hate that scene. The goal is to get 10,000 valid signatures to have a buffer against a legal challenge. More is better. Deadlines are in July.

Next hurdle (ouch) is to match signatures to the proper form. People in different voting areas need to sign different forms to make this more difficult.

I've limited this email to two choices:
+ voters in CITY OF PITTSBURGH (or) (petition-city.pdf)
+ voters in ALLEGHENY COUNTY. (petition-county.pdf)

If you can't print the form but would like to sign, send me an email with your address.

Return signed forms to:
Mark Rauterkus
108 South 12th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Thaks for your help.

5 comments:

Mark Rauterkus said...

Guy moves out of state and writes to me saying he can't sign the nomination papers now.

I ask him if I should take him off the email blast list. He writes:

No, leave me on. I am interested in what you are doing. I don't always agree with you, but I think you are a breath of fresh air in Pgh. politics. You raise issues and speak from perspectives that are usually marginalized or non-existent in the debate.

Maria said...

Wouldn't they have to get it notarized before mailing it back to you???

Mark Rauterkus said...

Notarized forms are better, welcome and would be great.

If you collect dozens and dozens of signatures, then I'd hope you'd notarize the form(s).

If you sign and mail a form back to me -- in effect making me the one who is circulating, then I'll notarize the form.

Maria said...

Mark,

If there's more than one signature on the form, then legally (and in reality) YOU have not collected them.

I would caution you to check into this as you could be providing ammunition for a challenge and as I know you are aware, third parties are already handicapped by being required to get a ridculous amount of signatures and these are challenged at the drop of a hat.

Mark Rauterkus said...

I know what the forms say, what's what, and what happens in court. Getting on the ballot is a major process and big hairy deal.

Can you get me some signatures?