[pp.int.general] 120 Days Left for Utah in the USA

[Ray Jenson]

Jens Seipenbusch wrote:
> Hi Ray,
> 
> we have similar problems here in germany, i can only give you the advice
> to use the web like blogs, bulletin boards, community sites etc. to
> advertise it.

Been doing that to no avail.


> Of course, if possible, get some supporters to check out shopping
> centers or other crowded places.

People here seem to be afraid of representing us in a state which is
(and has always been) dominated by one of the two major parties here.
It's as though we're conspiring to mutiny or something.


> Maybe you can contact local groups of linux users or other tech-oriented
> clubs, which could bring you several signatures at once.

Okay, this just got very long. Apologies to everyone for the length I'm
about to write. I'm about to explain everything to date.

Tried that, too, and got an icy response from them when they had their
convention in September. It's as though I was asking them if I could
come in and advertise Microsoft or something, they simply didn't take me
seriously. Maybe they thought I was asking them for money. I don't know,
I can't think of anything else.

In addition, when I tried to get a permit to hold a rally (as I'm
required to by law because we're not an official political party yet and
not recognized by Utah), I was told I had to get USD$25 million in
insurance (which would only have cost me the equivalent of about a
thousand euro for the one day I wanted to do things). I was also told
that I wouldn't be allowed to bring in any kind of public address unless
I also insured it separately, and I certainly wouldn't be permitted to
give any kind of public address. I would be allowed to merely stand
there quietly until people came up and talked to me. If I did anything
otherwise, they would revoke the permit and the police would ask me to
leave.

I tried to post a paper on the public bulletin board in the town where I
live (an actual corkboard where I could have a paper), and they told me
that I couldn't post anything related to politics (though they didn't
appear to have a problem with the mayor's re-election campaign notice).

When I very first started doing this, I was volunteering at a homeless
shelter, and I recruited a homeless man to assist me. While out
collecting signatures for the petition for statehood, he was pelted by
apples. Walking through the neighborhood, I was not pelted the first few
times, until I started actively trying to collect signatures at which
time I was likewise pelted with these apples. The police officer told me
that although he couldn't prove it, it was likely that their parents,
who work for the local branch of a recording company and are members of
ASCAP (per a sticker on their front window), likely put the kids up to
it. Needless to say, I shudder to think of what lesson those children
might have learned.

Since then, we've issued 6 press releases, 2 opinion editorials (both
unpublished), and actually had one saboteur (who succeeded in destroying
the group that I had created in Utah so far).

Though we get great coverage through technical sources (such as
Torrenfreak, for example), mainstream media seems to largely be trying
to ignore us. These are the very people who need our help the most, and
they don't even know who we are. We need to do something about this, but
I'm at a loss as to what.

I have a slot at the local library for a two-hour class (just got it
reserved today, as a matter of fact), though I'm not sure that people
will even want to pay attention. I hope they will, though I'm not sure
how to accomplish getting the attention needed for it. We're going to
have a voter registration drive, and I'm going to give a presentation
based somewhat on Rick's speeches to Google and at OSCon. However, if
nobody is there to listen, giving a speech won't be really be practical.

I'm also going to be getting a Utah web site together, just as soon as
we can get everything else rolling.

There are currently 43 signatures that I've personally collected: not
quite enough for the 2000 that I need. I want to try a signature drive
online, as well, though the big issue I have is that the state requires
a lot of very personal, private information (such as street address and
voter registration number, neither of which I should think we'd need,
but it's a matter of ensuring that people don't vote twice, according to
the Lieutenant Governor).

Also, I was speaking to the Lieutenant Governor's office here, and I've
been told that the collection of this information is not only mandatory,
it's the least amount of information that any state in the United States
collects. Most collect a social number, driver's license or ID card
number, and the name of the employer as well ("...for security...").

I'm up against a tidal wave of corrupt politics and special interests,
as well, I've been told that a lobby group here in Utah who has been
known to favor the positions of the entertainment industry in, spite of
their claims to be unrelated, have started to try to lobby to prevent
new political parties from having such an easy time of it in Utah. They
want to double the requirement to establish the new political party, and
increase the percentage needed to maintain political party status. In
addition, this group has also decided that they will never confront me
directly, and refuses to speak to me. This group has a majority of the
senate seats already. In addition, they have gerrymandered the state's
political boundaries so as to maintain their control base.
Gerrymandering in the United States, by the way, is not only common
practice but also encouraged because it's not against the law.

I've been speaking to the candidates for political office here, as well.
Most of them have policies that agree with out positions. However, most
of them are also against the idea that another political party is
needed. They are blinded by the idea that their own parties, whomever
they may be, are the best solution possible to the current situation.
They consistently try to send me information that will "win me over" to
their side. Not one of them has offered me any assistance with regard to
patent or copyright issues, though one has stated that if he gets into
office, he'd be willing to listen to strategies for reform of the
current laws, even as he couldn't make any guarantees that they'd change
a lot because the President of the United States does not make the laws
for the people here.

The mayor of my city is corrupt. I cannot speak to him.

The person running against him, however, is a former member of his
cabinet, and she's been pointing out his corruptions, though the local
newspaper doesn't really care about her either. Speaking to her, she is
not going to be much better, simply because she doesn't have a concept
of what benefit transparency has to a local governing body.

Elections are on the 6th of November.

So... now that you know the ENTIRE story, any ideas about what could be
done will be welcome.

Thanks, and I hope to hear back again soon... with only 120 days left,
it's going to be a solidly uphill battle to get to the high ground...
even though the high ground already belongs to me, since I'm working to
expand the rights of people.

Sincerely,

Ray Jenson