Supreme Court rules signatures are Public!

[Madeline]

Well, I think it was a correct decision. I'm not a big fan of marking government documents "top secret" and withholding them from the public. As for legitimate public use, I don't think any citizen needs to tell the government why he wants a document or what he plans to do with it, but here are a few:

* A reporter might want to go through and see whether anyone noteworthy signed.

* Any organization might want to use the list to help build a mailing list.

* A DA might want to know if a defendant signed if he was evaluating a case for a hate crime enhancement.

* A GLBT person might want to know whether any of his family or neighbors signed.

I could go on, but why? I can ask for the architecural drawings for any government building (a document I could never decipher nor use) and the government (mostly) has to give them to me. I think people lose sight of the fact that government employees work for us and their workproduct belongs to us.

 

[Sarah G]

Donations to candidates may no longer be anonymous with the new rollback of campaign finance restrictions. I want the light to shine on all of that.

Lets start with the lists from Obama's fund raisers. Names and amounts please.

Iraqi Oil for Food Billionaire and Fugitive Nadhmi Auchi funneled money to Tony Rezko who paid for the Obama's House and a $625,000 tract of land for which the Obama paid just over $100,000.

Let's start there.

Oh I C, we're going to use the talking points and not factual info. No wonder you concurred.

Let's see the facts Frank if you can't provide those facts, you're a lost man.

 

[fyrenza]

I agree with the decision, and would certainly appreciate investigative reporting ON the signators who might have some reason to want to hide their support.

i.e. If you're in the public eye, and you're telling everyone you believe This,

but every time a petition is offered, you sign the for the Opposite,

you deserve all the "harassment" you get

and your public deserves to know that you're a liar.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Remember Libbies, when you sign the petition to allow NAMBLA members to be Boy Scout Pack leaders, we're gonna know about it

 

[xotoxi]

Supreme Court rules signatures are Public!

I approve this ruling.

 

[rightwinger]

Remember Libbies, when you sign the petition to allow NAMBLA members to be Boy Scout Pack leaders, we're gonna know about it

Won't matter Frankie

They still won't allow you to be a Boy Scout Pack Leader

 

[Yurt]

By signing a petition, you are publicly and officially providing your support. How can a petition be anonymous?

Sigh.

You didn't read the case or the decision.

The State had access to the petition, the issue was public disclosure.

I would be upset, but I've yet to met a Progressive/Liberal/Tool would read an attachement even when they attach the article themselves

Doesn't matter

You signed the petition. It becomes a public document. If you are not willing to have your name associated with supporting the candidate or issue, you should not be signing it

really....so voting records should be public?

 

[Gatekeeper]

Sigh.

You didn't read the case or the decision.

The State had access to the petition, the issue was public disclosure.

I would be upset, but I've yet to met a Progressive/Liberal/Tool would read an attachement even when they attach the article themselves

Doesn't matter

You signed the petition. It becomes a public document. If you are not willing to have your name associated with supporting the candidate or issue, you should not be signing it

really....so voting records should be public?

These are NOT voting records, this is about petitions which are public knowledge and I agree with knowing WHO signed them, I am not seeing anything that says the persons actual SIGNATURES are being published, just their names.

 

[paperview]

Sigh.

You didn't read the case or the decision.

The State had access to the petition, the issue was public disclosure.

I would be upset, but I've yet to met a Progressive/Liberal/Tool would read an attachement even when they attach the article themselves

Doesn't matter

You signed the petition. It becomes a public document. If you are not willing to have your name associated with supporting the candidate or issue, you should not be signing it

really....so voting records should be public?

A petition is not a ballot.

 

[Yurt]

thomas' dissent is actually accurate, there are less restrictive means to ensure integrity of the voting process....unfortunately, his opinion is dissent

for all those who think your names should be public, do you also believe voting records should be public, that we should be allowed to publish who you vote for

 

[paperview]

Never thought I'd find myself agreeing with Scalia:

"A voter who signs a referendum petition is therefore exercising legislative power because his signature, somewhat like a vote for or against a bill in the legislature, seeks to affect the legal force of the measure at issue.

Requiring people to stand up in public for their political acts fosters civic courage, without which democracy is doomed. For my part, I do not look forward to a society which, thanks to the Supreme Court, campaigns anonymously [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook][FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook](McIntyre) [/FONT][/FONT]and even exercises the direct democracy of initiative and referendum hidden from public scrutiny and protected from the accountability of criticism. This does not resemble the Home of the Brave."

 

[paperview]

Oh, and Clarence Thomas, as usual, is a douchebag.

 

[paperview]

thomas' dissent is actually accurate, there are less restrictive means to ensure integrity of the voting process....unfortunately, his opinion is dissent

for all those who think your names should be public, do you also believe voting records should be public, that we should be allowed to publish who you vote for

Petitions and the names affixed are a matter of public record. Ballots are not.

(However, just as an aside, for a good part of our history, Ballots have not been secret.)

 

[Yurt]

Doesn't matter

You signed the petition. It becomes a public document. If you are not willing to have your name associated with supporting the candidate or issue, you should not be signing it

really....so voting records should be public?

A petition is not a ballot.

it is part of the voting process....if the petition is public, why not the actual ballot? it makes no sense

 

[Yurt]

thomas' dissent is actually accurate, there are less restrictive means to ensure integrity of the voting process....unfortunately, his opinion is dissent

for all those who think your names should be public, do you also believe voting records should be public, that we should be allowed to publish who you vote for

Petitions and the names affixed are a matter of public record. Ballots are not.

(However, just as an aside, for a good part of our history, Ballots have not been secret.)

not if they meet the requirements set forth by scotus today...they are not always matters of public record

and tell us why ballots are no longer open....

 

[paperview]

Have you read the decision Yurt?

Here:
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/09-559.pdf

 

[Yurt]

Have you read the decision Yurt?

Here:
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/09-559.pdf

can you answer my questions?

why are ballots now private? and why does it make sense to have a petition public and the ballot not? i'm asking you what you think.

i haven't read the entire decision, the parts i have read from the majority i disagree with, i read part of the dissent and thomas is right, there are less restrictive means to ensure voting integrity....

 

[rightwinger]

really....so voting records should be public?

A petition is not a ballot.

it is part of the voting process....if the petition is public, why not the actual ballot? it makes no sense

A petition is not a vote, it is an endorsement

 

[Yurt]

paperview....have you read alito's concurrence?

 

[Yurt]

A petition is not a ballot.

it is part of the voting process....if the petition is public, why not the actual ballot? it makes no sense

A petition is not a vote, it is an endorsement

are you actually suggesting it is not part of the voting process? yes or no. we all know it is not a vote.