It looks like we’ve made it onto the state ballot.  I am referring to I-735, the proposed initiative that would overturn the Supreme Court case of Citizens United so that corporations are no longer “people” and money is no longer “speech”.  The minimum number of signatures required was 246,372, and as of Dec. 16, we have 271,816 signatures statewide.  There is always the chance that the Secretary of State will decide that some of the petitions are not valid, so the goal is still to get as many signatures as possible by the end of the month, which is the legal time limit to qualify for the ballot.  So if you still have any petitions with signatures, please fold them up, put on a stamp, and mail to the address that shows once you have done the folding.  Or give me a call at 376-4165 or email atdavidgeri@centurylink.net.  You can also contact me to sign.

Thanks are in order to many Orcas folks.  This summer at the farmers market we had good help from Sharon Abreu, Cathy Ellis, Brian Wiese, Barry Neville, Ben Pfeiffer, Sheila Gaquin, and Howard Barbour.  Helping me at the ferry this Fall have been Cathy Ellis, Geri Turnoy, and Fred Klein.  Thanks to the Co-op for letting us ask for signatures there.  Also gathering signatures on their own have been Laurie Liebman, Barb Mehlman, Andrea Hendrick, Mike Greenberg, Jean Lee, and a number of others whose names are not appearing in my mind right now.  If I have forgotten you, please forgive me but accept my thanks.

Please look for this initiative on next November’s ballot.  Sixteen states have already passed language to limit political contributions, and we hope to make Washington state the seventeenth in our quest to effect a constitutional amendment, requiring 38 states.  It’s a long process, but if we want to reclaim our democracy for the people, we have do it.