The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend: "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."
He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior."
(CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)
Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).
"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008
Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:
A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist." (Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)
"A nutty lesbian blogger." (MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)
Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush
who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
Here is SFMM/ Yes On 1 head Marc Mutty's latest posting on SFMM's Facebook, regarding their repulsive new ad:
Stand For Marriage Maine's Notes
Dear Yes on Question 1 supporters:Share
Today at 12:19pm
Dear Yes on Question 1 supporters:
With just 18 days left before the election, today we launched another powerful, persuasive television ad that casts an even brighter light on what Maine public school children and their parents might expect if LD 1020 becomes the law of the land.
Our most recent ad, called "Give Me A Break", uses a teacher's very own words to prove our point even more dramatically. National Public Radio interviewed Deb Allen, a Massachusetts sex education teacher, on the topic of how some teachers have responded to the teaching of sex education following the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts. The content is chilling and should be a wake up call to all those who believe our opponents lies that gay marriage won?t be taught in Maine simply because it is not expressly required in LD 1020.
The NPR reporter tells listeners that when Massachusetts legalized gay marriage, homosexual activists went right to work developing a, "gay friendly curriculum for kindergarten and up." The reporter notes that Allen "says the debate around gay marriage is prompting kids to ask a lot more questions like what is gay sex which Allen answers thoroughly and explicitly with a chart." But the most alarming quote in our ad is from Ms. Allen herself:
"I know that, OK, this is legal now. If somebody wants to challenge me I say give me a break."
Our ad actually does not tell the full extent that this teacher instructs 8th graders on gay sex. The news story shockingly reveals that students learn in detail about various ways lesbians engage in sex. The full NPR story is available here. Once the page opens, click on "Listen". However, be warned, the news report contains graphic, explicit discussion about gay sex.It is so graphic that we could't put it in our ad. Yet we risk it being taught to our children in school.
We entrust our young children to teachers every day that we send them to school. But because marriage has always been understood as being between a man and a woman, we have not had to worry about a trusted teacher teaching our sons and daughters about a new version of marriage and all that it entails. Yet all of that could change, as it has in other states, if we do not prevail on November 3rd.
Please help us get the word to Mainers that there are real consequences if Question 1 fails. We have been working hard to explain to Mainers that there are significant, negative consequences to legalizing same-sex marriage that reach far beyond the boundaries of the two people who simply want to "marry." We have laid bare the fact that legal scholars from across the country, (including those who support gay marriage) predict a new flood of lawsuits against individuals, small businesses and religious organizations who may conscientiously object to providing their services to gay couples. We have shown proof that in other states where gay marriage is legal, it is taught to young children in school. We have made it abundantly clear that such instruction is, in fact, a part of public school curriculum. We have further established (and the state Department of Education is on record agreeing with us) that there is absolutely nothing in LD 1020 that prevents such instruction from taking place.
As you know, our opponents have collected millions of dollars from out-of-state gay marriage supporters who know that Question 1 is more than a Maine issue. It is part of their plan to move the broader gay marriage agenda forward in every corner of the nation. Won't you please help us protect the traditional institution of marriage by donating today?
We need your donation today to keep our momentum going, to keep our ads on the air and to maintain the value of traditional marriage. We only have two-and-a-half weeks left during which our opponents will continue their heavily-financed drumbeat of "liar, bigot and hater" against the backdrop of our facts, even in light of a teacher?s very own words proving our points. We need your help TODAY.
Please send this email to your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and relatives who share our desire to keep the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
Time is of the essence to make sure that all Mainers know the very real, very serious, and very negative consequences to society should Question 1 fail on November 3rd. We are counting on your continued support.
Thanks to Dawn in Maine, for sharing these videos of her "favorite straight guy- EVER!!", Maine State Senator Dennis Damon.
These 2 videos taken recently are of Senator Damon explaining how LD 1020 came to be.
Quick note: when Damon discusses Madame President, he is referring to Senate President Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell. I will be blogging more about her; I adore Libby!
Dennis Damon is "just a regular Mainer" and a true credit to those of us who take pride in that title...
Below the fold, 2 other videos of Senator Damon- one taken at Southern Maine Pride in June and the other at the Augusta Civic Center public hearing for LD 1020 in April.
Rev. Emrich looks at marriage equality in Maine and sees "acres of clear-cut land." I look at marriage equality, and I see thousands of Maine couples whose lives are more secure, whose children have more protections under the law and whose rights are assured to love each other and to have the law acknowledge and honor their partnerships.
In Rev. Emrich's Maine, there is one set of rules for him and his supporters and another for those Mainers he disagrees with. In the Maine where my neighbors and I live, we believe that everyone should be treated fairly under the law.
For Rev. Emrich, marriage is a restrictive club guided by the rules he and his supporters make. Rev. Emrich totally ignores the most important facts about marriage and the rights, responsibilities and protections it confers on the two people who marry and on their children.
In his zeal to close the door to marriage for thousands of our neighbors, co-workers and family members, Rev. Emrich fails to address the injustice behind repealing Maine's marriage equality law in November.
Marriage equality strengthens Maine families, protects Maine children and reflects core Maine values of fairness and individual liberty.
Marriage equality upholds traditional Maine values of personal freedom and equality by respecting the right of every Mainer to marry the person he or she loves.
That's the Maine I live in. Those are the values I hold dear.
I'll be honest:this is perhaps one of the hardest columns I have yet to attempt to cut down to the most important statements.
What Bliss says about children is spot-on:
Marriage equality strengthens Maine families, protects Maine children and reflects core Maine values of fairness and individual liberty.
Marriage equality honors the commitment that thousands of loving same-sex couples in Maine have made to each other, often for decades.
These loving couples are not recognized as a legal pair and, therefore, cannot file taxes jointly; do not have access to health insurance as a family, and are not allowed to inherit property at the time of death without the hardship of crushing taxes.
In addition, their children are not entitled to all of the rights and protections marriage confers on a family headed by a married couple.
At the April 22 legislative hearing in Augusta on the marriage equality legislation, Dr. Daniel Summers of the American Academy of Pediatrics testified, "It is the quality of parenting that predicts children's psychological and social adjustment, not the parents' sexual orientation or gender."
He added that children raised by same-sex couples "do not differ in any important respect from those raised by heterosexual parents."
Parents, after all, are parents. And every parent wants their children to thrive, to succeed and be valued in society. Isn't that what we all want for Maine children?
Below the fold, a bonus- video of Senator Bliss on the floor of the Senate at the Statehouse, brilliantly addressing his colleagues during his chamber's LD 1020 marriage equality bill debate.
Update: In the short one hour since I posted this, there has been an overwhelming out-pour of support in the netroots. Over 112 people took the initiative to go our website and donate to Protect Maine Equality. I just want to underscore the need for donations. To keep these TV ads on the air and fund our field operation, we need you to donate. You can either use Markos' Orange to Blue link or donate on our website.
No On 1's campaign manager Jesse Connolly just penned the following DailyKos post:
Earlier this week, the Secretary of State certified the election. But, we've really been gearing up for the battle for months and years. Maine has been through statewide elections on LGBT equality issues before. In 2005, I managed the campaign against a people's veto of the new law adding sexual orientation and gender identity to our human rights act. We won 54% - 46%.
I'm a lifelong Mainer and I do believe the people of this state are inherently fair-minded. But, Markos is right:
A victory here for the forces of equality would be fantastic momentum heading into new equality battles in places like California and New York in the coming years.
Our opponents know that, too, which is why they'll do everything possible to defeat us. The campaign against marriage equality includes the same cast of characters who won in California on Prop. 8 last year. They're even using the same campaign consultants: Schubert-Flint. If we know one thing about that group, it's that they know where to find the resources to fund their anti-gay campaigns.
This year, in Maine, we're already on the air with two ads, which can be seen here and here. We've also got a very aggressive field operation underway. We have twenty field organizers on the ground across the state. And, Maine isn't California. We expect turnout to be around 500,000 and we're doing the work now to identify enough voters to win.
One other thing about Maine is that we have among the most liberal voting laws in the country. That's why we have such high turnout. We have same-day registration and no excuse absentee ballot voting, which will start in just a few weeks.
There is more with links.
Here's what we need today, everyone:
1. Recommend this diary. The more recs we can get in the next few hours, the better.
2. Post it to your facebook.
3. Re-tweet this post a much as possible.
4. Digg it.
5. Comment on the posting as much as possible.
6. Write a blog entry about it and direct your readers (for those with blogs) to Jesse's DailyKos post.
7. Anything else you can think of to promote this.
I would add: please let me know in comments of any other ideas you folks come up with!
More below the fold, including some photos I took of the Portland event the other evening, where I finally got to speak with Governor Baldacci again!
Got word today of this 4 page letter sent to SFMM and NOM- with an additional 61 pages of correspondence and evidence- from Jonathan Wayne, Executive Director of Maine's Ethics Commission and had to share it here... all emphasis mine.
By E-Mail and Federal Express
Joseph A. Keaney, Treasurer
Stand for Marriage Maine PAC
One Monument Way, Second Floor
Portland, Maine 04101
By E-Mail and Federal Express
Brian S. Brown, Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION
As explained below, the Commission is statutorily required to consider Mr. Karger's request. The Commission will consider the request at its meeting on Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in Room 208 of the Burton M. Cross Office Building, 111 Sewall Street in Augusta. At that meeting, I anticipate that the Commissioners will decide whether to conduct any investigation regarding the compliance issues listed below.
Your Opportunity to Respond to Mr. Karger's Request
The Commission would welcome written responses from the Stand for Marriage Maine PAC and the National Organization for Marriage no later than Thursday, September 17, 2009 concerning whether the Commission should conduct an investigation. You are welcome to attend the meeting to comment to the Commission in person and to answer questions. This is a regular meeting, not a formal hearing.
Commission's Standards for Requests for Investigation
Under 21-A M.R.S.A. § 1003(2), a person may apply to the Commission to investigate a PAC's reporting of campaign finance activity. Under this provision, the Commission "shall review the application and shall make the investigation if the reasons stated for the request show sufficient grounds for believing that a violation may have occurred."
Compliance Issues Raised by Fred Karger's Request
Mr. Karger does not specify which provisions of Maine's campaign finance laws were violated by the Stand for Marriage Maine PAC or its contributors. To assist the Commission in deciding whether to conduct any investigation, the Commission staff has identified the following compliance issues that are implicated by Mr. Karger's factual allegations. By discussing these legal issues, the staff does not mean to imply at this time that any investigation is merited.
Stand for Marriage Maine PAC
All PACs are required to report the names and addresses of contributors who have given more than $50 to the PAC. (21-A M.R.S.A. § 1060(6))
In addition, under 21-A M.R.S.A. §§ 1004(3) and 1004-A(3), it is illegal for a PAC to knowingly accept a contribution made by one person in the name of another person.
Mr. Karger alleges that "the four funders of Stand for Marriage Maine are merely conduits for those wishing to hide their contributions. These entities are laundering money to evade the disclosure of the actual contributors to Stand for Marriage Maine." (Aug. 24, 2009 letter, at 1) If true, these allegations might constitute violations of 21-A M.R.S.A. § 1060(6), 1004(3) and 1004-A(3).
National Organization for Marriage
Mr. Karger alleges that the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has raised funds for the purpose of initiating or promoting the people's veto referendum to repeal P.L. 2009, Ch. 82, and has donated those funds to the Stand for Marriage Maine PAC. His allegations, if true, may indicate that NOM was required to file campaign finance reports with the Commission as a ballot question committee under 21-A M.R.S.A. § 1056-B or was required to register and file reports as a PAC under 21-A M.R.S.A. §§ 1052(5)(A), 1053, and 1058.
Mr. Karger points to a few factual circumstances which could be relevant to whether a violation has occurred:
• NOM is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization that is roughly two years old. Based on the information that is presently available to the Commission staff, it appears that NOM has contributed at least $250,000 to the Stand for Marriage Maine PAC. This is a large amount of funding, which could suggest that NOM solicited and received funds for the purpose of initiating the referendum.
• In 2008, NOM formed a committee in California to raise and spend money in support of an amendment to the California State Constitution (Proposition 8) stating that only marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized by the California state government. According to the California Secretary of State, NOM's California committee raised $1,870,134 and contributed $1,561,134 to a larger PAC supporting Proposition 8. So, NOM has demonstrated the capability to raise a significant amount of funds to support a referendum on same sex marriage.
• Mr. Karger has provided the Commission with some fundraising solicitations from NOM stating to potential donors that the funds would be used to oppose the legalization of same sex marriage in New England. The two most relevant are the communications dated March 13 and 31, 2009, which mention Maine specifically.
The March 31st communication refers to "a hard-hitting new radio ad that we're launching today as part of our 2009 Northeast Action Plan ..." and makes the following solicitation: "We're excited about this new ad, but we need your help to keep these ads on the air, especially in states like Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and New Jersey, where coordinated grassroots opposition to pending gay marriage legislation is urgently needed."
The ad was apparently intended to run while the marriage legislation was under consideration by the Maine Legislature (March or April 2009). Nevertheless, the solicitation does seem to look forward to more communications to voters later in the year: "Throughout the year, we'll be rolling out new ads as we work to identify and motivate marriage activists throughout the Northeast." (italics added) This could easily be a reference to communications to voters in support of a referendum petition drive in Maine, which was actively discussed during the 2009 legislative session.
• As Mr. Karger has noted, the March 2009 solicitations from NOM promise its donors anonymity: "[P]lease make the most generous donation you can to help us keep these important ads on the air. Use this hyperlink to make a secure online donation. And unlike in California, every dollar you give to NOM's Northeast Action Plan today is private, with no risk of harassment from gay marriage protestors."
Because of these factual considerations, the staff of the Maine Ethics Commission would welcome a written response by NOM regarding whether there are sufficient grounds to warrant a Commission investigation or fact-finding to determine if NOM was required to file campaign finance reports as a ballot question committee under 21-A M.R.S.A. § 1056-B or to register and file reports as a PAC under 21-A M.R.S.A. §§ 1052(5)(A), 1053, and 1058.
Other Contributors
Mr. Karger has alleged that three other contributors to the Stand for Marriage Maine PAC "laundered money." Because the information provided with regard to these contributors is less specific, the Commission staff is not inviting responses from them. Nevertheless, they are copied on this letter so that they are aware of this matter and have an opportunity to submit comments if they wish.
Thank you for considering this invitation. If you have any questions, please feel free to telephone me at (207) 287-4179 or the Commission's Counsel, Assistant Attorney General Phyllis Gardiner, at (207) 626-8830.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Wayne
Executive Director
Below the fold, a letter from Justin of OneIowa, regarding NOM's activities there and a request.
The more the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland shutters its churches and puts them on the real estate market, the larger the question looms: Should Maine's bishop still be living in a million-dollar mansion?
It's on Portland's tony Western Promenade. According to city tax records, the 6,970-square-foot, three-story "mansion" has six bedrooms, 4 baths, an 840-square-foot garage and an assessed value of $1,126,000.
In short, pretty nice digs by anyone's standards. Too nice, according to at least one perennial thorn in the side of Bishop Richard Malone.
"It's not about Richard Malone," said Paul Kendrick, a Roman Catholic who for years has publicly decried the church's handling of the sexual abuse of children by priests. "It's about 'What kind of church is this?'"
Kendrick fired off a mass-distribution e-mail this week after hearing that five churches - Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in Saco, St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Andre churches in Biddeford, and St. Joseph and St. Patrick churches in Lewiston - will close this year and next because of shrinking congregations, growing costs to maintain the buildings and the need to protect religious programs and services from ever-increasing parish deficits.
Nemitz continues:
Malone's charge to the parishes, (Diocese spokeperson Sue) Bernard noted, has been to determine "What do you need? Take a look at what you need and see if there's an excess there."
But might the same challenge be put to the bishop? Considering that he lives alone, does he truly need six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a three-car garage?
Bernard noted that the mansion, which has served as the bishop's residence since Bishop Joseph McCarthy purchased it for the diocese back in 1939, is used to entertain visitors to the diocese and for other social functions.
"He lives there by himself," she said, "but he isn't the only one who uses it."
What's more, Bernard said, while it's in a "lovely neighborhood," the interior could use some work. "There's wallpaper coming off in some places, peeling paint."
Oh. Bummer. Yeah, my mansion's got some interior issues, too... (eyeroll)
Still seems that a pretty penny could be made from selling this mansion...
One smart reader posted the city's tax information and property description in comments:
FYI -- The Church owns two, adjacent property lots on the Western Promenade.
Here's the description of the second lot. It is comprised of 7797 sq.ft. of land area and includes the bishop's 3 car garage.
Property Taxes:
Mansion and surrounding property - $16,409.50
Garage and surrounding property - $ 3,210.94
Total Tax - $19,620.44
Card Number 1 of 1
Parcel ID 069 B011001
Location 193 WESTERN PROMENADE
Land Use GARAGES, SHEDS, AUX, ETC.
Owner Address ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF PORTLAND
PO BOX 11559
PORTLAND ME 04104
Book/Page
Legal 69-B-11
WESTERN PROMENADE 193-195
7797SF
LAND VALUE $150,300.00
BUILDING VALUE $30,700.00
NET TAXABLE - REAL ESTATE $181,000.00
Casting Director James Stiles is putting out the word that he’s looking for two “real Maine” women to appear in a television ad produced by supporters of traditional marriage.
Stiles is looking for a “teacher type” and a “working waitress type,” both in the 35-45 age range. If you want to try out, he’s holding auditions from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 2) at the Howard Johnson in South Portland.
If you’re hired, it’s a three day gig that pays $500 a day.
More than 100,000 of Maine's citizen voters have signed the people's veto petitions to send the "gay marriage" law to the voting booth. We anti-gay-marriage people have, for the most part, bent over backwards to assure that gays and lesbians in Maine will not be discriminated against.
Now the governor and a handful of legislators in Augusta have slammed our backs against the wall over legalizing gay marriage.
We have been peaceful and rational about obtaining the needed signatures to bring this to a people's vote. These high-powered, money-laden groups spilling into the state to help us hayseeds understand about the progressiveness of the 21st century will no doubt backfire on their cause.
They will make us even more determined in the voting booth.
Why call those who support traditional marriage as "foes" as if they somehow are "un-American" for holding opinions that are unpopular with some, despite being plausible and well-grounded?
The bill to end discrimination discriminates (against single homosexuals, against people "not in a relationship"). That seems hypocritical as well as being unethical - misleading many with a false promise. It deserved not to pass, but it did anyway.
I attended the entire hearing. It was a circus. The supporters of this legislation dissed the Judiciary Committee and many of those testifying with back-turning and jeering. We were treated to many sad stories of end-of-life scenarios (I thought this was about gay marriage, not hospice). The needs of those who are dying, however, whether gay or straight, absolutely must be addressed - justice does not discriminate.
But Mainers deserve better than to be the social laboratory for those who, while not living here, want to experiment with our future.
Our legislators should protect us from undue influence by special interest groups which are both out of step with Mainers and out-of-state with their funding. The Legislature's Judiciary Committee failed us all badly.
I agree with every word that M.D. Harmon wrote in his editorial on the mistake that the Maine legislators made when they circumvented the voters and yielded to proponents of same-sex marriage.
The standing bill is a sad commentary on Maine. It's important for those who oppose same-sex marriage, yet aren't paying attention to what's going on, to wake up and realize the irreversible damage that will ensue if this law isn't reversed.
People are inherently valuable and worthy of dignity.
They are not a collection of interchangeable pixels on some computer screen or data points in some government report. They are unique individuals worthy of respect.
Part of what makes individuals unique is that some are male and some are female. Women and men are equally valuable and equally worthy of respect, but they are not interchangeable, much like a violinist is not interchangeable with a baseball pitcher.
To try to make them so is to deny them their inherent dignity as humans.
The concept of same-sex marriage says to society that male and female are interchangeable, as least in terms of marriage. It seeks to reduce the complex interaction of male and female to just another interaction among "generic humans."
M.D. Harmon is right - children need a mother and a father. These roles have successfully nurtured children in a nuclear family for generations.
The whole idea of "Parent A" and "Parent B" is like a bad science-fiction movie. The dignity of individual men and women is stripped away by a genderless, machine-like noun.
Same-ex marriage means that parents will no longer nurture "boys" and "girls." Why teach gender roles at all if you are raising a Parent A or Parent B? Parent A and Parent B will raise genderless automatons that will be less human.
That the compromise offered by Rep. Leslie Fossel, R-Alna, regarding a domestic partner registry that offered protections and benefits similar to those obtained in marriage "sank without a trace" reveals yet again that this isn't even about so-called equal rights but about transforming society in all the wrong ways.
At least there is one rational and civil voice in the print media able to clear the air about what is at stake in the whole homosexual "marriage" debate. Thank you, Mr. Harmon.
I don't- I know how very deeply she, her fiancee and so many others in Maine appreciate every effort, every dollar, every bit of help and advice, and I want to thank everyone who has helped as well.
We need to do what we can- that's all we can do.
But as you can see in these few letters, this is not just a discussion about weddings and rings- this goes far deeper.
The opposition is making this a referendum on ALL within the LGBTQ community- not just those who wish to be legally married.
This involves ALL of us- to stand up for our rights to BE equal, as ourselves, with legal recognition.
The opposition knows that Maine is a critical and crucial step towards national equality- not in just regarding marriage and its hundreds of recognitions and rights, but is defeating DOMA, DADT and finally getting an inclusive ENDA.
Why else are they so secretive about their affiliations, their intrinsic money trails with protection of their donors? They're running scared, in a panic. And that is when a trapped animal is at its most dangerous.
We cannot back down- we must hold hands, lock arms, and work together. NOW. NOW IS OUR TIME, and we must do all we can, TOGETHER.
I've been thinking about what we need to do to win this battle for marriage equality come November 3. We're 69 days away from that date. I think that calls for something inspirational. Or inspired. Or maybe just a kick in the ass.
When I talk to people about the marriage vote coming up, I get lots of support. Good luck, they say. I'll donate. And they toss in $20 or $50. At a house party the other night, several people wrote checks for $100. That felt pretty cool, particularly since I gave the pitch and it was my first time doing so.
But now what? We raised $700 from that room. Good for us, certainly, but is that all we can hope for?
I guess the question I need to ask is "how much does this matter to us?"
Really.
How much are we willing to give up to achieve marriage equality in Maine?
Fifty bucks? A hundred?
Let's do some math.
Suppose one of the $100 check-writers at that party has an annual income of $30,000. In Maine, that's pretty typical, particularly of retirees and folks not in stuffy offices. Besides, it makes for easy math. $100 is what portion of that total?
.00333
one third of one percent.
Not to discredit the donors - I felt pretty good getting those checks for the campaign, but honestly, is that a gift or a bone?
How much should we be willing to give up to achieve this goal?
Is this a cause worth a one-time, feels-kinda-big donation, or is this a cause worth actual work?
Is this a cause worth being uncomfortable for? And what does that kind of discomfort look like?
I am not advocating that people sign over their entire paychecks between now and November 3, but let's consider giving up some portion of that paycheck every week.
How much is appropriate? I guess that depends on a lot of things. How much we make, what our expenses are, and what kind of value we put on being able to get married.
Is it worth 10 percent of my income between now and November 3 (call it 10 weeks) to to be able to get married? What about 10 percent of my income for the year?
My aunt is devout and she tithes to her church. This is the same church, coincidentally, that has pledged $2MILLION to keep Laura and I (and others like us, of course) from getting married.
Years ago, I used to make a donation to Planned Parenthood every time I heard her talk about giving to one right-to-life organization or another. Am I willing to try to counter her effort again?
Is it worth giving up 10 percent of my income for me to be able to get married? Of course it is. Getting married is what I want to do. I want the security of it, I want the dignity of it. I don't want to be a woman in my mid-40s still referring to my partner as my "girlfriend." People either look at me as though I am no more emotionally developed than a teenager or they think I'm talking about someone I get together with each morning to drink coffee and watch The View.
The rest of Dawn's spot-on and brilliant post below the fold...
Apparently the donor thinks so too- because I just got this email with an incredibly generous offer:
On Wednesday, I challenged you to raise $10,000 by Friday. If we met that goal, a generous Maine donor agreed to match dollar for dollar up to $10,000.
Well, guess what? In less than 48 hours, you raised $16,098 through 354 supporters.
I just shared the news with our donor, who is so impressed with your initiative that he has doubled his challenge: he will now match every dollar up to $20,000 raised by midnight tonight.
That gives us less than 12 hours to raise $3,902.
We need your help - tell your friends, post it on Facebook, and try to recruit at least one person you know to help us meet the goal.
If you were thinking about giving, please do so now. If you've already given, thank you. You are the backbone of this campaign. We now need you to help spread the word about this latest challenge.
Together, we can do it!
Sincerely,
Jesse Connolly
Campaign Manager
NO on 1 / Protect Maine Equality
I agree with every word- thank you and please spread the word! :)
Apparently this week's "Farm Report", aka "All Things Potato", (won't someone puh-leeze think of the Tater Tots??) by Mr. Heath was not his first confusion of God and weather.
More specifically, another time Mike Heath's trenchcoat seemed to be covering some pretty ugly nuttiness, blaming Hurricane Katrina on The Almighty's wrath:
"By an odd coincidence - and it was perhaps no more than a coincidence - an enormous gay rights celebration was scheduled for New Orleans just as the worst natural disaster ever to strike our nation was venting its full fury on that helpless city.
Over 150,000 homosexuals were expected to attend the event this year, and as in past years, the French Quarter was to be filled with party-goers, many of them roaming the streets at night and committing lewd acts in public. Last year, a video tape of the drunken revelers committing sex acts in public was sent to Mayor Nagin and the City Council, but the city fathers of New Orleans, in their concern for the economic future of New Orleans and the tourist dollars that the event would bring in, once again issued official proclamations welcoming the organization.
The event was scheduled for Wednesday August 31st, when the destructive force of the natural disaster was at its peak. The organization is called, appropriately enough, Southern Decadence."
As one can imagine, THIS went over really well locally and letters poured into the newspapers declaring Heath a loon.
One of the kinder statements came from Jesse Connelly:
The linkage of Katrina and gay rights sparked outrage among defenders of the new Maine law, which extends the state's anti- discrimination laws to homosexuals in the area of housing, employment, education, lodging and lending.
Jesse Connolly, spokesman for Maine Won't Discriminate, a group fighting the repeal effort, said Heath's explanation was just as bad as the original post.
"The larger issue here is the Christian Civic League is using one of the nation's worst natural disasters to score cheap political points," Connolly said, echoing similar comments he made Tuesday to the Bangor Daily News. "It is truly unfortunate how low he has stooped to churn up support from his base."
Days after Heath's original speculation that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment on Teh Evul Gayz (TM), he tried to backpedal but just made things much worse:
"The view that such events are caused by God is a matter of opinion - faith if you will - and are not capable of proof," Michael Heath, the executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, wrote in Wednesday's edition of the group's online newsletter. "Every man must decide for himself whether or not Hurricane Katrina brought the wrath of God down on New Orleans.
"So we are not blaming the homosexuals for the disaster," continued Heath, whose group is spearheading the "people's veto" campaign aimed at repealing Maine's new gay rights law at the Nov. 8 referendum.
Um... Mike? See that big yellow thing in the clear, beautiful blue sky today and was over central Maine yesterday, too?
It's called the SUN and we're supposed to see ALOT of it for the next WEEK.
Just thought you ought to know... let me demonstrate how sunshine, rainbows and LOVE go together!
(With permission of my friends Dawn and Laura, I am submitting this post from Blender Dawn in Maine's site, written while I was on vacation- emphasis mine, as are the photos taken at Southern Maine Pride.)
This wedding WILL happen and when it does, I intend to be right there to celebrate my friends' long awaited happy day and shed joyous tears...
Dawn, Laura, and the very mighty Quinn The Min-Pin
Postponed
It's official: our wedding has been postponed.
We had planned to be married September 19, three days after the law went into effect that would allow us to get married, but now opponents of our civil rights have submitted something like 100,000 signatures, nearly twice the required amount, to force a state-wide public vote on whether we can get married. Here's the link to the AP story.
The courts will now issue an injunction preventing the law from going into effect until after the November 3 vote is cast and counted. That way the law does not go into effect, a bunch of us get married, and then if it get overturned, it would leave those couples married already in some kind of legal limbo, not unlike what happened in California in the wake of Prop. 8.
No, the vote is not just about whether Dawn and Laura can get married, but about whether to let stand a law that the legislature passed saying that people of the same sex can have access to a civil marriage if we so desire.
The nation's most vocal opponent of gay marriage has opened an office in the nation's Capitol to fight for DOMA.
The group says it will use its D.C. office to "stop any attempt to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that may come through the courts or lobbying in Congress."
There are currently four lawsuits challenging DOMA in the federal courts. It is highly likely one of the suits will reach the Supreme Court, where a win could possibly open gay marriage for the entire country, but a loss would set the movement back decades.
"When the battle was to get a marriage amendment on the ballot in California, NOM was there to help. When Tim Gill and his friends decided to push gay marriage bills through [the] legislatures [of] blue states in the northeast, NOM lead the fight, helping to stop gay marriage in New York, working to overturn gay marriage in Maine, and helping win substantive religious liberty protections in Vermont and Connecticut," Brian Brown, NOM's executive director, said in a statement.
"Now gay marriage advocates are pushing Obama for the penultimate prize: repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the only national law that protects marriage. We felt NOM needed to be here in D.C. to make the voice of the majority heard."
More below the fold- including how NOM, the Knights of Columbus, Roman Catholic Church Dioceses in 3 states and others outside of Maine have so far been financing a whopping 99.9% of the "People's Veto" efforts in Maine.
Despite raising more than $300,000 in about a month, Stand for Maine Marriage had about $50,000 in cash on hand at the end of the reporting period, according to state records. The records also show more than $140,000 in unpaid obligations for the group.
Most of the spending, nearly $200,000, went to a national signature-gathering firm to expedite the petition process. More than $40,000 has been spent on campaign consultants, including the firm that worked successfully to overturn a similar law in California last year. Other money has been spent on campaign literature and office space, which has been rented on Route 1 in Yarmouth, according to the reports.
Oh dear, they better tighten the spending belt and collect some $$$ just to balance the books, eh?
===================================
Or do they? Is it "smoke and mirrors" time?
Stand for Marriage Maine - the coalition leading the fight against allowing same-sex couples to marry - raised $346,690 between June 3 and July 3.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland contributed $100,000 of that total, although a campaign spokesman pointed out that the money was from a special fund for that purpose, not church collections.
The National Organization for Marriage in New Jersey, which helped defeat a gay marriage movement in California, chipped in another $160,000.
"It's a long haul, but we've got a good start," said Mark Mutty, one of Stand for Marriage Maine's campaign leaders.
Mutty predicted Wednesday that they will file "a very significant amount of signatures well in excess of the minimum" by early August. In addition to the Roman Catholic Diocese and the National Organization for Marriage, the organization also received $50,000 from the Knights of Columbus in Washington, D.C., and $31,000 from the Focus on the Family Maine Marriage Committee but only $400 from individuals.
Mutty pointed out that his organization's Web site has only been up for less than two weeks and he predicted that the number of individual donations will increase dramatically as the campaign ramps up.
Mutty noted that the professional signature-gathering firm, National Petition Management Inc. of Michigan, was expensive but necessary in order to get enough signatures collected by mid-August so the veto question would appear on the ballot this fall.
According to the filings, the Stand for Marriage PAC has paid National Petition $193,629 and still owes the firm $52,000. Overall, the PAC has spent $293,231 to date.
Oh my, that's alot of scratch. What's the matter, Mutty- can't find any LOCAL UNEMPLOYED MAINERS TO DO THE WORK???
Plus the $400 pocket change. That still leaves some monies ($5290) as not accounted for...
But here's the bigger point: for all of the large monies being discussed, not even $10,000 of it is from the very people who will be voting this fall- registered Maine voters.
So very little Maine money is going to Michigan after all- it's money from NOM, the Roman Catholic Church and others.
Now, as the campaign to repeal Maine's same-sex marriage law shifts into high gear, fear is once again in the air. Only this time it's not the homosexual community that's quaking.
It's their opponents.
"I know what you're saying - there is some irony there," agreed Marc Mutty, now on leave from his job as public affairs director for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland to run Stand for Marriage Maine.
Still, Mutty said, "We feel like the minority that's being discriminated against. We are being treated like pariahs everywhere we go."
A recent e-mail to the staff at the Portland diocese, forwarded to me this week by someone using the pseudonym "M. Luther," offers this advice to the diocesan staff:
"For security reasons, please do not give the physical location of the SFMM (Stand for Marriage Maine) office to anyone. It's imperative that no one else know the location."
Have a steaming cup of paranoia, folks?
Doesn't a 501c3 like SFMM have to disclose information to the public, like their physical location and such?
The e-mail also instructed staff members, should they receive any "marriage" calls, to "direct the angry mobs to the toll-free number or invite them to visit the SFMM website."
Sitting Monday afternoon inside Stand for Marriage Maine's headquarters, an unmarked office in Yarmouth, Mutty said he authorized the e-mail. The "angry mobs" reference, he said, was tongue-in-cheek and not meant for public consumption.
Asked why repeal proponents are so worried about their safety, Mutty cited "what happened in California."
To be clear, Mutty said, it's not the "organized opposition" here in Maine that has Stand for Marriage Maine on alert. Rather, he said, it's the "fringe groups" from away.
PORTLAND, Me., July 8 PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Looking to overturn a bill signed by Governor John Baldacci in May approving same sex marriage, Stand For Marriage Maine announced today that they have collected more than the 55,087 signatures needed to place a People's Veto on the November ballot and are collecting additional signatures as insurance to meet the deadline to qualify the measure for the 2009 statewide election.
"In just four weeks, we've gathered more than 55,000 signatures from Mainers who believe they, not the legislature and governor, should have the final say on the definition of marriage," said Marc Mutty, Chairman of the coalition. "There has been an extraordinary outpouring of support from voters across the state. This response gives us momentum that will lift us over the first hurdle of putting the issue before the people and, ultimately, carry us to victory in November."
All signatures must be certified by the Secretary of State for validity. Once certified, the issue is cleared to appear on the November 2009 ballot.
Most visitors to our state are considered by the natives to be "folks from away"- they are nice, are attracted to and come here to enjoy Maine as it is, with no desire whatsoever to change her or any of us.
Apparently NOM doesn't know, understand or give a rat's ass about Maine's state motto of DIRIGO- "I Lead", or that our highways are festooned with signs like this.
Check out this recent and desperate email (h/t Orion45):
Stand for Marriage Maine!
July 8, 2009
Dear Orion45,
This spring, [out-of-touch politicians in Maine pushed a same-sex marriage bill through the legislaturehttp://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/10828/breaking-maine-gov-baldacci-will-announce-decision-on-signing-marriage-equality-bill -- ignoring the will of their constituents.
Fortunately, under the Maine Constitution, legislators can't pull a stunt like that and get away with it. With a "people's veto," the people of Maine can have the final say on any bill passed by the legislature.
And that people's veto effort is well underway on the same-sex marriage bill. With your help, the people of Maine will have the chance to vote up or down on the same-sex marriage bill this November.
Stand for Marriage Maine!
Leading the charge is Stand for Marriage Maine, a coalition of grassroots activists and pro-family groups (including NOM) formed to allow Maine voters to restore the definition of marriage under Maine law.
Visit StandforMarriageMaine.com for the latest campaign updates and to see how you can join the effort to save marriage in Maine.
Your help is needed as we take our pro-marriage message to every corner of the state. Right now, we're in the signature-gathering phase of the campaign, and with your help we'll far exceed the 55,000 signatures needed to put the same-sex marriage issue on the November ballot.
But time is short. Here's what I need you to do today:
1) Visit StandforMarriageMaine.com, and consider how you can help protect marriage in Maine! Join the Facebook group, or follow Maine4Marriage on Twitter!
2) Make an online donation at StandforMarriageMaine.com to make sure we have the resources needed for collecting tens of thousands of signatures in a short window of time. Your donation of $20, $35, or $50 or more will help ensure success!
3) Forward this message to everyone you know that lives in Maine! We're reaching out to voters all across the state, and we need your help to spread the word! Do it right now!
God bless,
Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org
I especially like the title; it strikes a particularly desperate tone. And as usual, some of the comments are mind-boggling.
Move to reject gay marriage seeks allies
John Neal's excellent book "Portland Illustrated" gives a fascinating account of the great fire that leveled much of Portland in 1866.
Neal describes how the fire quickly consumed some building materials, leaving other materials intact. Marble columns proved the weakest, fracturing into large, heavy pieces, and collapsing. The most durable was Kennebunk granite, a lighter shade of granite that resisted the hottest flame.
One thing endures longer than Kennebec granite and that is a true idea. The harder men try to cover an idea with falsehood and error, the brighter it shines.
The truth about marriage is just such an idea. The notion that homosexual marriage is normal, and even desirable, has spread quickly, striking deep roots in our society. I note that the greatest writers and thinkers have compared sexual immorality and intemperance to a ravaging fire.
That is why I am confident we will win our battle for the traditional definition of marriage.
Oh, he does like the "fire and brimstone" stuff, huh?
More below the fold, including Heath's attempt at a take-down of a female high school student. Not just any student- the graduating class's VALEDICTORIAN.
SOUTHERN MAINE PRIDE
PORTLAND, MAINE
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2009
PARADE
12:30 pm
Monument Square
Congress St to High St
to Park Ave to Deering Oaks
FESTIVAL 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Deering Oaks Park
Free, Live Entertainment, Music, Food
Vendors, Kid's Space & Family Fun!
PIER DANCE Maine State Pier- 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM
Commercial St & Franklin Art.
Featuring D.J. Rich Ladue from Boston
& D.J. Dan C. from Portland
All Ages Event
Full Catered Beverage Service Area ~ 21+
$10 Advances & $15 Day Of/ At Gate
Tickets Available At:
Blackstones, 6 Pine St, Portland
Condom Sense, 424 Fore St, Portland
All Bull Moose Music Stores in ME & N.H.
Opponents and supporters of gay marriage are laying the groundwork for a tough summer political campaign that experts say will put Maine in the national spotlight.
Organizers of an effort to overturn a new law legalizing same-sex marriage in Maine have hired the California public relations firm that ran the successful Proposition 8 campaign to overturn same-sex marriage there.
Supporters of the law have hired a seasoned Maine political strategist who ran the successful Maine Won't Discriminate campaign in 2005. That campaign fought a people's veto of Maine's gay-rights law.
At least five political action committees have been formed to help raise funds to support the people's veto effort. Two have been formed to oppose the veto.
According to the latest filings with the state Ethics Commission, most haven't raised money. But StandForMarriageMaine.com has raised $60,000 from the National Organization for Marriage. The next filing deadline is July 15.
Filings with the state Ethics Commission show that the group has spent $45,000 hiring a professional signature-gathering company, National Petition Management Inc. of Michigan, to aid in the people's veto effort. Mutty said volunteers also are collecting signatures.
"We're on target, we're moving along," said Mutty. "It's very early in the game."
The primary group opposing gay marriage in California spent $39 million on the Prop 8 campaign last year, according to the California Secretary of State's Office. The top supporting group spent $43 million.
In past gay-rights referendums in Maine, each side has spent roughly $1 million. Both sides expect spending in this year's battle to be more in the range of $4 million to $6 million.
Apparently this week's 
