Come To Maine For A "Volunteer Vacation"!

Signing up, guys

It's quick and easy.

Uh, Louise, it gets COLD up there in October, doesn't it? I'm used to the warm climate of Chicago. :)

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 11:09:42 AM CDT

Can get chilly

Very rarely does it snow, but it can get into 40s easily. The joy of our Goodwills up here are the racks of LL Bean jackets! ;)

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by: Louise @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 13:55:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

If I can make it...

I'll go. And no matter what, I'll send whatever I can afford to make sure 1 is defeated.

Act on Principles and make equality happen.  

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by: atdnext @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 11:19:28 AM CDT

You can afford the trip ...

By signing up at "Travel for Change" -- www.travelforchange.org

The same folks who sent hundreds of California Obama volunteers to the swing states are now doing the same effort in Maine.  Direct people to donate money and frequent flyer miles to send people like you there.  No talented or motivated volunteers should be deterred from going to Maine due to lack of funds.

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by: paulhogarth @ Tue Sep 15, 2009 at 13:23:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Ooh, that sounds really fun :)

I'll be in my second month of university with my boyfriend so I really can't go, but I hope everyone has fun.

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by: Blanco @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 11:54:44 AM CDT

i wish i could come up

but money is an issue and so is my school.

"It's hard to free fools from the chains they revere." ~ François Marie Arouet.

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by: TSinGarnNC16 @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 12:00:02 PM CDT

We can help you with money concerns ...

By signing up at "Travel for Change" -- www.travelforchange.org

People can donate money and frequent flyer miles to send people like you there.

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by: paulhogarth @ Tue Sep 15, 2009 at 13:24:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sorry we can't come, we'll be doing the wedding mid month, to buy a new A/C

It's a shame, Autumn is the season I miss most living in the South, very little color change here. Although my guess is September is the prettiest time for Fall color in Maine, it was in MN.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 13:24:21 PM CDT

Remind me later

and I'll do a photo album of various shots... :) September is better for northern and October in southern Maine, but it can be so darned variable. I'm guessing the leaves will be early due to the stress of the June/July rains...

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by: Louise @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 13:53:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I know it varies each year

I recall many Halloweens in MN with snow to trot through.
Cold, snow, and sleet I don't miss at all.
My brother and his wife took a beautiful trip through New England for their fall colors, and raved about that trip.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 14:25:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Oh, I wish I could do that!

Maine in the fall really is the perfect volunteer vacation.  I recommend it to anyone who can.  But I'm completely broke until I get a job, and then I'll have to work.  (Oh God, I hope I'll have to work!)  I'm hoping to be able to send a little money, though.

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by: JosephineTx @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 14:23:14 PM CDT

Josephine, you can still go to Maine ...

I helped kick-start "Travel for Change" (www.travelforchange.org) where people can donate money and/or airline miles to make it possible for activists like yourself to go to Maine.  Nobody should be deterred from going to spend a week to protect marriage equality.  Sign up today, and get your friends to donate -- so you can go for a week!

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by: paulhogarth @ Tue Sep 15, 2009 at 13:26:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This shows that No on 1 is much different from No on Prop 8

No on 8 in California would fail to respond to inquiries from volunteers and in some cases would turn away volunteers.  

By contrast, No on 1 is taking steps to welcome volunteers, even those from out-of-state.   That is a good sign that the operation is being run properly.  

I hope that Blenders will consider donating to No on 1.  I don't see why PHB can't set up a page w/in ActBlue to facilitate this.  ActBlue has raised over $300,000 for No on 1.  $16,000 came from AmericaBlog readers.  It think PHB should do the same and beat AmericaBlog.  It would certainly enhance the influence of PHB.

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by: Daniel2009 @ Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 14:42:45 PM CDT

see link

at the top of the page. :)

Click HERE and sign up: Campaign For Military Partners.

Lurleen on Twitter.

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by: Lurleen @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 09:45:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sanity Check

I'm not purposely trying to rain on anyone's parade, but posts such as "This shows that No on 1 is much different from No on Prop 8" are ridiculous and arrogant in the demonstration of the equivalency fallacy.

Maine's population was 1,316,456 as of 2008.

California: 35,893.799. THIRTY-FIVE TIMES that of Maine.

Maine: 30,862 square miles.

California: 163,696 square miles.

Overall, the No on 8 campaign WAS run terribly, but a number of myths and exaggerations have grown from that. Just because a "volunteer" asks a question, doesn't, ipso facto, mean it was a question deserving an answer [if you've never encountered volunteer loons then you've never spent any time in a political campaign office], and volunteers can be turned away for a number of legitimate reasons.

But the larger fallacy here is the assumption that the campaign in Maine is measurably any better than California's was. The majority of people approaching it assumed it was, too.

So, before anyone drops what they're doing and runs off to Maine with nothing but good intentions, I respectfully suggest you ask for a few more details about what you'll be asked to do.

Phone banking? Ask them to e-mail you a copy of the "scripts." The ones No on 8 used were terrible, beginning by saying they were calling about "same sex marriage"; incapable of changing anyone's mind in favor of marriage equality. Equally important: where did they get their call lists? Is there any reason to believe that they have attempted to identify "the moveable middle." Will they ask you to waste your time calling registered conservative Republican voters? In a state where all of its federal representatives are Republican is it possible to separate them out?

Door-to-door canvassing? Same questions. What's your "script" for that? What do the materials you'll be asked to distribute say? And where will you be asked to go? As above, are neighborhoods not hopelessly Repug identifiable?

In California, Sen. Feinstein appeared in an excellent TV ad against Prop 8 while Maine's Senator Susan Collins won't even give her opinion, and a quick Google found nothing from Sen. Stowe.

I sincerely hope that those running No on 1 learned from the mistakes of No on 8. But too much of what I see being expressed appears based on the assumption that the situation is superior simply because Maine is NOT California.

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by: Michael Bedwell @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 13:39:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

No, the situation is different for another reason entirely

The organizers at EQME who made the decision to run a marriage bill through their legislature this spring did it with the knowledge that there would be a ballot campaign.

Watch the video with Betsy Smith and Monica the campaign manager explaining why they prompted this battle at this time, and it answers your concerns.

While you can argue that no one ought to have ever litigated in CA knowing that the next development out of the gate was going to be an amendment vote, and you might be right, what actually occurred in CA was a horse of another color: A somewhat surprising victory in state court with a petition to amend the state constitution already in the field.

The 'history' tab at EqualityMaine.org has a short movie that explains why Maine  is worth investing in: The same team running No on 1 has recently WON a statewide ballot initiative to reverse a pro-LGBT law.

The last time Californians won a battle of the kind LGBT Mainers won in 2005 was documented in the movie "Milk".

Certainly anyone considering using their time and money to support this campaign should ask questions that are inherently answerable, and thoughtfully weigh the answers as you've suggested.

But this is not comparable to the No on 8 campaign, it's analogous to the recent victory in ME from the same management. That's the key to why informed people think we can win in Maine.

But wait, there's more!

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by: PhoenixRising @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 15:02:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Michael, are you just making excuses?

Excuses for the failure of the Prop 8 fight, or perhaps excuses for your own failure to help out in Maine?

What we do know about Maine is that they are actively seeking volunteer help, with a focus within Maine but also acknowledging the energy outside the state.  That is a good thing.  It is not a bad thing.  Don't try to sh*t all over it, while disingenuously claiming that you are not trying to do so.  

The folks who have complained about Prop 8 ignoring their offers to volunteer have not struck me as "loons".  Obviously, there are loons out there and no one would hold it against No on 8 for leaving those folks out, but we are talking here about people who were educated and self-aware enough to attend post-Prop 8 meetings, recounting their sincere efforts being dissed by No on 8.  One couple who recently spoke up at one of the 2010/2012 meetings said that they had simply requested lawn signs and never heard back.  There is no excuse for this and it does no good to disparage people like this as loons.  

You seem to be completely ignorant of the facts that are readily available about No on 1 on this blog and elsewhere.  Let's try to educate you:

- You querulously worry that they are canvassing in all the wrong places and that are quoting Das Kapital in their phone banking scripts.  I doubt it.  The campaign is being run by a professional, the individual who ran the successful gubernatorial campaign for the sitting governor.  He doesn't sound like the sort to make rank amateur errors, like not knowing which counties are conservative.  (BTW, have you called them and asked them for the script?  Or are you just raising questions so you don't feel badly about not actually, y'know, doing anything?)

- You wonder what a volunteer would be asked to do.  All of that information is on the website and you can get a lot more detail if you would simply pick up the phone and speak with No on 1.  I did, and I got the full scoop.  (Yes, they called me back!   Unlike No on 8!)  Have you bothered to pick up the phone?  

- Unlike No on 8, whose leaders went on vacation in the summer of 2008 and didn't get into gear until it was too late, No on 1 has been canvassing and phone banking since at least April of this year - on a daily basis.  Again, this does not sound like the amateur hour.  It sounds like people who know what they are doing.

- Maine's senator is Olympia Snowe, not "Stowe."  You might have taken 2 seconds to find that out before you post here to complain.  It is true that Maine's 2 GOP senators have not taken a position.  But that is life.  Just as it was life that Schwarzenegger made only the mildest of statements against Prop 8 and Pres. Obama made generic statements that were not helpful  No on 1 can't control all external events in a campaign.  No one can.  They can only do their best to keep the initiative and dominate the campaign battlefield.

- Finally, your points about the "movable middle" only further expose your naivete.  While it is a factor, and 2 of the 3 No on 1 ads do well addressing it, it is not the main factor in the campaign.  This is an off-year election with a very low turnout of 300-500,000 voters.  Voter ID and base turnout are the key factors, far more important than the "movable middle".  That is precisely the point of the phone banking and canvassing that has been going on daily for the past 6 months.  

We may lose.  That is a real possibility.  But I plan to help out so that we don't.  At the very least, if we do suffer a defeat, I can go to bed at night knowing that I did what I could.  They are only asking for one week out of my life, and I don't think that is too much to ask.

What are you going to do other than sit on your ass and carp?

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by: Daniel2009 @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 17:43:19 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Bad Form

There is nothing wrong in expressing reservations about personal experiences. Especially since the subject of prop h8 continues to surface as a blanket example with blanket experiences. As if prop h8 functioned in anyway like one campaign rather than the jury-rigged, hastily strewn together, multi-organizational mess it truly was. Rarely has anyone's personal experience on the ground been discussed at least in this forum and on this subject.

Michael's points add to the discussion. They don't take away from it. Everyone's experiences can be valuable and it is a major leap that just because everything said isn't presented in the most spit and polished light that some how it detracts from the goal we all have or our personal contribution to it. Save your bitter blasts for the other side and let people express the experiences they have had. Because the one thing you can't speak to is the idea that everyone, even in the No on 1 campaign, will have the same experiences.

Always thinking about it...

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by: kudo451 @ Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 10:39:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Bad form is Michael's

Sorry, good faith questions are welcome and necessary.  Questions that are only cover for a predetermined negative judgment are not.  Michael has absolutely no basis for suggesting that the volunteers aren't going to be put to good use, that the telephone scripts aren't well thought-out, or that the people running No on 1 don't know a liberal county from a conservative county.  

He certainly could have picked up a phone to get answers to his questions if he had cared.  Or he could have asked Louise.  He couldn't even be bothered to look up Jesse Connolly's bio.  But he has the time to compose a long post dissuading others from helping?  No, that sort of post does not "add to the discussion."  It only serves to demoralize people who want to help.  

If he wants to post something critical of No on 1, that is perfectly fine w/me.  For my part, I have posted here a few criticisms of one of their TV ads.  So criticize all you want.  But let it be based on facts and evidence, not contrived attacks.

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by: Daniel2009 @ Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 11:54:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Heads' up, Daniel2009

SFMM's commercials should start to air soon, if not this week.

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by: Louise @ Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 12:10:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm restricted...

...from working on political campaigns thanks to my government job (another rant for another day).  I already donated money, but as both a former New Englander and a wannabe New Englander, I wish there was more I could do.  

Never stand between an overcaffeinated biker and her motorcycle.

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by: Overcaffeinated @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 08:34:52 AM CDT

Good thoughts, letters of support

and well wishes to buoy the spirits help tremendously, as well as input and ideas.

What I keep forgetting to do is thank everyone who has sent those in abundance so far this year...

Many grateful thanks to you and all others who have so generously shared the most precious gift each person has:

THEIR TIME. :)

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by: Louise @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 11:05:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I was looking at this Maine Marriage Wackadoo Site...

http://www.standformarriagemai... And their domain registration is hidden from WHOIS by GoDaddy. So, I took a look at GoDaddy's TACOS. Check this out (asterisk #4):

"5. NO UNLAWFUL CONDUCT OR IMPROPER USE.

As a condition of Your use of Go Daddy's Software and Services, You agree not to use them for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these terms and conditions, and You agree to comply with any applicable local, state, federal and international laws, government rules or requirements. You agree You will not be entitled to a refund of any fees paid to Go Daddy if, for any reason, Go Daddy takes corrective action with respect to Your improper or illegal use of its Services.

Go Daddy reserves the right at all times to disclose any information as Go Daddy deems necessary to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, or to edit, refuse to post or to remove any information or materials, in whole or in part, in Go Daddy's sole discretion.

If You have purchased Services, Go Daddy has no obligation to monitor Your use of the Services. Go Daddy reserves the right to review Your use of the Services and to cancel the Services in its sole discretion. Go Daddy reserves the right to terminate Your access to the Services at any time, without notice, for any reason whatsoever.

Go Daddy reserves the right to terminate Services if Your usage of the Services results in, or is the subject of, legal action or threatened legal action, against Go Daddy or any of its affiliates or partners, without consideration for whether such legal action or threatened legal action is eventually determined to be with or without merit. Go Daddy may review every account for excessive space and bandwidth utilization and to terminate or apply additional fees to those accounts that exceed allowed levels.

Except as set forth below, Go Daddy may also cancel Your use of the Services, after thirty (30) days, if You are using the Services, as determined by Go Daddy in its sole discretion, in association with spam or morally objectionable activities. Morally objectionable activities will include, but not be limited to:

   * activities designed to defame, embarrass, harm, abuse, threaten, slander or harass third parties;
   * activities prohibited by the laws of the United States and/or foreign territories in which You conduct business;
   * activities designed to encourage unlawful behavior by others, such as hate crimes, terrorism and child pornography;
   * activities that are tortuous, vulgar, obscene, invasive of the privacy of a third party, racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable;
   * activities designed to impersonate the identity of a third party;
   * illegal access to other computers or networks (i.e., hacking);
   * distribution of Internet viruses or similar destructive activities;
   * activities designed to harm or use unethically minors in any way; and
   * activities associated with the sale or distribution of prescription medication without a valid prescription.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in the event Go Daddy cancels Your Services during the first thirty (30) days after You purchase the Services, You will receive a refund of any fees paid to Go Daddy in connection with the Services being cancelled. In the event Go Daddy deletes Your Services because they are being used in association with spam or morally objectionable activities, no refund will be issued. You agree You will not be entitled to a refund of any fees paid to Go Daddy if, for any reason, Go Daddy takes corrective action with respect to Your improper or illegal use of its Services."

Is this enough to as GoDaddy to shut down their site? Email campaign to GoDaddy?

Educate me.

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by: BethCA66 @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 14:05:18 PM CDT

My Complaint to GoDaddy

Fill out a miscellaneous complaint (please use your real name and a valid email address) at: https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop...

Here's what I wrote:

"Dear Madam/Sir,

I'd like to report a site that violates your Terms and Conditions of Service. This site is www.standformarriagemaine.com, and I believe it violates the fourth bullet point contained in Section 5. www.standformarriagemaine.com is trying to strip GLBTQ people of their **lawful fundamental right** to marry in Maine, and they are using your hosting services to do so.

GLBTQ people are subject to harassment, bashing, discrimination and all other forms of hate crimes. This website hosted by your company adds to the burden this minority group already faces and could theoretically lead to more hate being directed at this group.

Please consider taking down the www.standformarriagemaine.com site for abusing your services. Should you do so, GLBTQ patrons and allies would appreciate this business decision and would most likely consider GoDaddy a GLBTQ-friendly site and a great company with which to do business.

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful attention to this matter,

Beth [redacted]

5. NO UNLAWFUL CONDUCT OR IMPROPER USE.

As a condition of Your use of Go Daddy's Software and Services, You agree not to use them for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these terms and conditions, and You agree to comply with any applicable local, state, federal and international laws, government rules or requirements. You agree You will not be entitled to a refund of any fees paid to Go Daddy if, for any reason, Go Daddy takes corrective action with respect to Your improper or illegal use of its Services.

Go Daddy reserves the right at all times to disclose any information as Go Daddy deems necessary to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, or to edit, refuse to post or to remove any information or materials, in whole or in part, in Go Daddy's sole discretion.

If You have purchased Services, Go Daddy has no obligation to monitor Your use of the Services. Go Daddy reserves the right to review Your use of the Services and to cancel the Services in its sole discretion. Go Daddy reserves the right to terminate Your access to the Services at any time, without notice, for any reason whatsoever.

Go Daddy reserves the right to terminate Services if Your usage of the Services results in, or is the subject of, legal action or threatened legal action, against Go Daddy or any of its affiliates or partners, without consideration for whether such legal action or threatened legal action is eventually determined to be with or without merit. Go Daddy may review every account for excessive space and bandwidth utilization and to terminate or apply additional fees to those accounts that exceed allowed levels.

Except as set forth below, Go Daddy may also cancel Your use of the Services, after thirty (30) days, if You are using the Services, as determined by Go Daddy in its sole discretion, in association with spam or morally objectionable activities. Morally objectionable activities will include, but not be limited to:

* activities designed to defame, embarrass, harm, abuse, threaten, slander or harass third parties;
* activities prohibited by the laws of the United States and/or foreign territories in which You conduct business;
* activities designed to encourage unlawful behavior by others, such as hate crimes, terrorism and child pornography;
***** * activities that are tortuous, vulgar, obscene, invasive of the privacy of a third party, racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable; *****
* activities designed to impersonate the identity of a third party;
* illegal access to other computers or networks (i.e., hacking);
* distribution of Internet viruses or similar destructive activities;
* activities designed to harm or use unethically minors in any way; and
* activities associated with the sale or distribution of prescription medication without a valid prescription.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in the event Go Daddy cancels Your Services during the first thirty (30) days after You purchase the Services, You will receive a refund of any fees paid to Go Daddy in connection with the Services being cancelled. In the event Go Daddy deletes Your Services because they are being used in association with spam or morally objectionable activities, no refund will be issued. You agree You will not be entitled to a refund of any fees paid to Go Daddy if, for any reason, Go Daddy takes corrective action with respect to Your improper or illegal use of its Services."

Educate me.

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by: BethCA66 @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 17:20:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Just sent a small contribution

from Iowa, to match what I just sent to Washington.

Wish I could come help.

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by: Charles @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 21:05:31 PM CDT

Thanks!

Greatly appreciated; every bit helps. :)

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by: Louise @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 14:17:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sorry, Can't Help...

...too busy planning and attending the March on Washington where we will deliver an unclear message to politicians who won't be there. Oh, and it's taking all my cash too.

Love you much

The Gays  

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by: DavidinPS @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 11:47:48 AM CDT

How is that helpful?

Deriding a national effort for equality, including a push for the repeal of DADT with Choi & other lgbt military figures being involved, right before congress takes up the DADT repeal hearings... what good does that do?

What if someone made a post in a March on Washington thread saying:

Sorry, Can't Help...
...to busy planning and attending a volunteer vacation in Maine where we will try to get all the cash donations from lgbts across the nation to support changing the law in only 1 state that already has it better than a lot of states, rather than pushing for national change which is the only way we'll ever get true equality & that would help out in many states that are much less supportive & sometimes outright violent towards lgbts.

My opinion is we need to be tackling the equality issue on the statewide & national level, that we can & must do both, and since both the Maine effort & the March on Washington are already set in stone, we should be as supportive to both efforts as we can, instead of wasting effort fighting it out to decide which one is best since they are both going to happen.  I've donated to the Maine effort AND I'm fully supportive of a March on Washington, and I see no contradiction there.

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by: Jake Gellar-Goad @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 14:04:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

With you all the way JAKE....

and remember.

"If the time isn't ripe, we have to ripen the time."
DOROTHY HEIGHT

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by: Orion45 @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 17:01:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

You may disagree...

...but there are many of us who think the MOW is ill timed.  All our focus, energy and money should be on Maine and Washington State right now. I am not deriding the national effort for equality, just saying that there may be smarter ways to do battle than to assemble a bunch of people with an unclear message that they are delivering to a congress that is not around. At least in the states the message is simple and clear and we know to whom we are delivering it and we know the precise outcome we desire. What good does it do?  I'd say that if enough people became convinced the MOW was not worth the effort, enormous amounts of time, energy and money could be directed to areas with laser like precision and effectiveness.  Short of that, maybe enough people would, like you realize that if you are going to the MOW you also owe Maine and Wash. State something.    

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by: DavidinPS @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 17:30:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

All good points...

Except tomorrow the DOMA bill gets introduced in the Senate and DADT goes to committee meetings next month. Not to mention the ramp up to the conflict in Washington DC. So who is to say what and where is the best place to be "precise" these days? The cause is both Local and National unless we want to continue to let the opposition define the fight. After all it was their idea to throw this whole thing back into the states once they rallied hard to pass DOMA so many years ago.  

Always thinking about it...

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by: kudo451 @ Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 10:47:20 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sorry introduced in the house...

my bad

Always thinking about it...

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by: kudo451 @ Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 10:47:57 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Louise, you know I'll be there if...

...the WA court puts a stop to referendum 71 based on the secretary of state's poor judgment in counting signatures on invalid petitions and from unregistered voters.

Click HERE and sign up: Campaign For Military Partners.

Lurleen on Twitter.

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by: Lurleen @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 14:11:22 PM CDT

And if you can make it

I'll be right there at the airport waiting for ya! :)

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by: Louise @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 14:15:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]