To me, there is a distinction between allowing any solicitor (and these Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. employees fit into that category for me) into the Farmer's Market during market hours and allowing candidates who are running for public office to shake hands and talk to people on the weekend or two before an election.
This issue is getting dissected ad nauseum, but I contend that these political solicitors are not really any different than someone who might want to sell hot dogs or barbecue on Saturday or Sunday mornings if he or she is not a member of the Farmer's Market Association. Those folks set up shop across the street. Simple. Do contractors who work for political parties have more rights than someone who wants to make a living selling hot dogs? Isn't that what some (this time, I'm not saying WHO!!) people in this forum are saying? By the way, after taking 48 hours to consider Andy's scathing response to my original post on this subject, I just want to say that I remain perfectly comfortable with every word of my contribution. Dan Dobson's civil response to my question was most appreciated. Note to Andy: I DO know you from Adam. We chatted more than once (and at some length) when you were running for the City Council seat in our ward. And, I read some of your postings in this and other forums. So, maybe you're more of a public person than you realize. Next time I see you on the street, I'll re-introduce myself to you. I kinda like the "Mr. Gleeson" thing...........you're welcome to call me that when we meet. Waiting for corn and tomatoes to hit the market in St. Paul, Paul Gleeson Almost Andy's Neighbor -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Andy Driscoll Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 11:34 PM To: St. Paul Discuss Subject: RE: [StPaul] Farmers Market & free speech on 7/6/04 10:58 PM, "Paul Gleeson" wrote: > I was doing a little work related research on the Star Tribune website this > morning and ran across the following job ad: > > ACTIVIST Summer Jobs to Defeat Bush Grassroots Campaigns is hiring local > staff for the DNC's grassroots effort. Help win back the White House! Call > Sam at 651-641-xxxx $300-$500/week Four leadership positions > ($1,600-$2,500/MO) email resume: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Here's the link to company's web site: http://grassrootscampaigns.org/ > > In order to save you time here's a listing for one of the jobs offered on > that website: "Canvasser Door-to-door canvassing (fundraising) and voter > contact." > > I have no idea if this is the same company that employs the red t-shirt clad > solicitors at the Farmer's Market, but if I were a betting > man................ What's clear is that the DNC is outsourcing it's > fundraising to a business. Anyone know what percentage of contributions the > DNC gets from this company? If this is the future of political fundraising > in the post-telemarketing age, God save us. Are you serious? The DNC, the RNC, the GOP and the DFL, among hundreds of other organizations farm out their canvassing, surveying and fundraising work to dozens of private entities all across the nation. Why should we care one way or another? Why should you care, Paul? > > Back to the Farmer's Market discussion: I understand that the sensibilities > of this discussion group are mostly favorable to DNC solicitors at the > Farmer's Market. Allowing this marauding band of clipboard carrying PAID > solicitors at the Market is an invitation to any and every public interest > group to send in their own band of roving professional buttonholers. I > wonder how charitable Dan and Andy and Charlie and Mary and Eric and others > would be if the RNC or pro-life groups sent in their toadies to accost > unsuspecting market-goers? If you're REALLY wondering how charitable any one of us defending the enforcement of First Amendment freedoms at the Farmers Market would be - why don't you simply ask us, Paul, instead of implying that we would work to deny those groups their rights to approach shoppers with their message? Never mind. I guess we know the answer. You don't want the answer, you want to imply for our readers this evening that we would, indeed, work against their rights. Now, I speak only for myself when I say that your implication is an insult. Anyone who knows me knows I stand more on principle than I do politics (often to the unending chagrin of colleagues and soulmates) and that when I'm defending 1st Amendment rights, I'm defending them for everyone. Then again, you don't know me, so your speculation is there only to plant the phony seed. There's a food rule of thumb we in politics have come to trust: if a person, a political adversary, is prepared to accuse you of something you have never done or said, it is far more likely he or she is the one more capable of the transgression for which they are so willing to accuse you. Again, since you don't know me from Adam, Mr. Gleeson, I can only assume that that shoe fits your foot as well. Now if someone can prove to me that the law allows these exclusions, then who is prepared to tell Norm Coleman or Mark Dayton or Randy Kelly they can't politic around the Farmers Market? No one, you can be sure. Including Mr. Gleeson, I presume. In that light, there can be no selective enforcement without violating the very premise of Gerten's assertions. > > I was at the Farmer's Market on Sunday. A couple of the folks in DNC > t-shirts were standing right off the curb on the northeast corner of the > market. Others were across the street on the south side of the market. When > corn and tomatoes start showing up in the next few weeks, the market will be > mobbed most of the morning. Having these folks - and others like them - > hang out on the periphery makes a lot of practical sense - and no one's free > speech rights are being violated. > > Non-issue. Enjoy the summer. This would be utterly incorrect. This is no non-issue, especially in an election year. No, that is not how it's done in the United States, Mr. Gleeson. Privacy has its limits in public spaces. And practicality is not the issue. Andy Driscoll Crocus Hill/Ward 2 ------ _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
