Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i8IASYl25705; Sat, 18 Sep 2004 06:28:34 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2004 06:28:34 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <05CFE04B-095D-11D9-B3DA-000393ABE4D2@litwomen.org> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "mev@litwomen.org" <mev@litwomen.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1425] Fwd: SCAM ALERT: Voter Registration X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.553) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 7866 Lines: 218 Those of you with literacy program located in libraries may know of this...but in case you don't.... It seems that in light of the VERA campaign, we should be sure that ALL students who want to register are encouraged to do so! Mev Miller Begin forwarded message: > From: "McCullough, Holly" <mcculloughh@CARNEGIELIBRARY.ORG> > Date: Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:49:58 AM US/Eastern > Subject: Re: SCAM ALERT: Voter Registration > > We had the same thing happen here in PA. Sproul and Associates hires > Kelly temp services to do voter registration. At one library site > where they were suppose to be only doing voter registration they were > also asking people how they were going to vote. I did some research > and found out that they were doing the same thing in WV (see the > article below) and one temp worker claims that they were trained to > ask people how they were going to vote. If the person said "Bush" > they were given a voter registration form. If they said "Kerry" they > were just told thank you and no form was given. When we found out we > asked them to leave immediately. One explanation from Sproul and > Associates was that they were doing "market surveys" at some sites. > Later they claimed that it was just a problem with a few temp workers. > Sproul and Associates is headed by Nathan Sproul the former head of > the GOP and Christian Coalition in Arizona. > > They also always said they represented America Votes. When I finally > asked them to give me the contact information for America Votes they > told me that "America Votes is a non-partisan voter registration drive > project of Sproul & Associates. Everything originates from this > office. There is a partisan organization with that same name." > Clearly they know that when they say they represent America Votes they > are misleading people. > > Holly > > Here is the article from the WV paper for more info. > > > > > VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE 'MISLEADING' > > Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE > Published: 08/20/2004 > Page: 1A > Headline: VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE 'MISLEADING' > Byline: TOM SEARLS > > > > > > tomsearls@wvgazette.com > > > For a mother of two teens trying to finish up college, $9 an hour as a > temporary customer service representative sounded good. > > > "I wanted to find something that would work around my schedule and be > flexible," said St. Albans resident Lisa Bragg. > > > After spending more than an hour with Charleston personnel agency > Kelly Services last week, Bragg was hired. "They wouldn't tell us at > first what this job was," the 37-year-old Bragg said Thursday. > > > Then she found out it was registering Republican voters at One Stop > convenience stores throughout the Charleston region. > > > But she won't be there today, the first day she was scheduled to be on > the job. > > > "I'm giving up a job that I need," she said. "It's the only decent job > I've found." > > > While the job was to last six weeks, the $9 an hour was far above the > minimum wage of $5.15 Bragg was offered for most other temporary > employment. > > > Bragg feels her employers were misleading the public, even if it's not > illegal. Employees were to approach One Stop customers and ask if they > favor George Bush or John Kerry for president. If Bush was their > answer, they were then to inquire if the person was registered to vote > and offer them a voter registration card. > > > If the person supported Democrat Kerry, they were only to say thank > you and give them a registration card only if asked. > > > If asked questions, employees were instructed, "Only state you are > there to conduct a simple field poll to see what neighborhood support > is ... a nonpartisan registration drive." > > > They were told to quietly listen to any person who becomes angry and > to remember, "The goal is to register Republicans and to remain > positive." > > > "Is this the way it has to be? People have to be sneaky to make $9 an > hour?" Bragg said. > > > Employees were also given the number of a Kelly Services employee to > contact if there are problems. Contacted Wednesday, two different > employees said they would have someone from Sproul & Associates, the > firm paying for the survey, answer any questions. > > > Later, a Kelly Services employee who would identify himself only as > "Rob" initially said a message had been left with Ben Decker at > Sproul's office. He said he had no contact number for Decker, then > agreed to release a Michigan number. > > > A message left with Decker was not returned. > > > "[Kelly Services] said the less you know about the company, the better > off you are, especially if the media would come asking questions," > said Bragg, an admitted Democrat. "That made me more curious than ever > as to who's behind this and what's going on." > > > Sproul & Associates appears to be operated by Nathan Sproul, former > head of the Arizona Republican Party and a wealthy GOP activist who > has been involved in petition drives. An Internet search shows Sproul > has received some financing from national Republican groups, though it > was not clear who is paying for the West Virginia work. > > > Bragg, and another person working for the group, said they were told > the owners of the One Stop stores had agreed to allow them to conduct > the work on the stores' lots. Patrick C. Graney III and Michael R. > Graney are listed as the principal owners of 42 One Stop stores, > according to the state Alcohol Beverage Control Administration. > Messages left at One Stop's headquarters in Belle were not returned. > > > For Bragg it's an economic loss, but one she carries with pride. She > asked about registering voters with another organization - a group > that treats those of all political persuasions the same - and found it > pays only $5.50 an hour. > > > "I just don't want to be in my hometown and mislead people," she said. > > > To contact staff writer Tom Searls, use e-mail or call 348-5192. > > > > Begin forwarded message: > >> From: "Meghan O'Flaherty" <OFlaheMC@jacksoncounty.org> >> Date: September 16, 2004 3:29:16 PM PDT >> To: <libs-or@webhost.osl.state.or.us> >> Cc: Subject: [LIBS-OR] SCAM ALERT: Voter Registration >> >> Recently the Jackson County Library has been contacted by persons >> purporting to represent America Votes. Our director was contacted by >> a >> Harry Miller and asked to call an 800 number to give permission for >> America Votes to conduct a non-partisan voter registration project in >> our libraries. I received a letter from Sproul and Associates,a >> consulting firm in Arizona,also saying they represented America Votes, >> with the same request. I contacted the Kevin Looper, the Oregon State >> Coordinator for America Votes, to verify the information and received >> this reply from him: >> >> "Here is what I know: We do not have a Harry Miller in our employ. >> This >> organization is absolutely not representing America Votes, and my >> national >> leadership is initiating action to get them to cease and desist >> representations that >> infringe upon our rights and mislead voters. >> >> Further, Sproul and Associates is a partisan political consulting firm >> based >> in Arizona that works for very conservative causes and has worked to >> oppose >> campaign finance reform. Their use of our name to cover their >> political >> leanings makes me question the overall intregrity of the voter >> registation that they seek >> to conduct. I will be forwarding this information to the Secretary >> of >> >> State's office for further investigation." >> >> >> >> >> Meghan O'Flaherty >> Headquarters Library Manager >> Jackson County Library Services >> 205 South Central Ave. >> Medford, OR 97501 >> (541) 774-6403 >> oflahemc@jacksoncounty.org >> >> >> >> > >
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