Ward Connerly Expected to Turn in 'Racial Privacy Ballot Initiative' Signatures in CA.

ABC News Daily Political Tip Sheet 'The Note' ^ | April 19, 2002 | Mark Halperin and Elizabeth Winter

[codebreaker]

American Original Ward Connerly is expected to turn in signatures on his racial privacy ballot initiative in Sacremento today.

If passed by voters in November, it would prohibit the state from collecting data based on racial, ethnic or gender catagories.

The Sacremento Bee's Dan Smith looks at the soft money donations fueling the signature drive.

[codebreaker]

A true American!

[codebreaker]

bump

[PianoMan]

What are the prospects on this right now?

[codebreaker]

I haven't seen the polling right now, but is Simon is up by 6 points in the latest numbers..I would think it would have to be good.

[eureka!]

I love it. Death to Divisiveness. GoWardGo....

[nimc]

Hoooo RaHHHH!!

This gentelman knows how to play the race card game. No more wild cards!

[codebreaker]

This is end of the world stuff for the liberals at Bezerkely U., I can't wait!

[rdf]

Prospects are mixed. Poll numbers are good.

The national GOP is not for it, the state GOP is running away, and Connerly hopes to pull a tactical move that would delay the vote until 2004.

More later.

Cheers,

Richard F.

[codebreaker]

Just the stunned look on the Bezerkley campus faculty professor's faces is price enough for getting this to the polls..

[rdf]

Oh, I agree, and I'll work for it. But don't have any illusions ... GWB will take a semi-hostile/neutral stance at best, and the whole GOP apparatus will do more harm than good on this. Even Bill Simon, a very good man, will run away from it.

But, if it qualifies, it will likely pass.

I've been there. I was a vice-chair of Prop 209, and am a friend of Ward Connerly.

Trust me.

Cheers,

Richard F.

[codebreaker]

What about the state GOP, much help there?

[rdf]

What about the state GOP, much help there?

Nope, Gerald Parsky, GWB's man here, and big Jim Brulte are both against RPI. But, the same thing happened with Ron Unz's Prop 227, "English for the children," and it won.

So we can win on this too ... but not via the GOP.

Ever hopeful,

Richard F.

[codebreaker]

I can understand they are afraid, but ya never win unless you try...

[Wrigley]

Interesting idea. Talk about the havoc that this would cause the left. Its worth it just for that.

[codebreaker]

Especially in California..

[HiTech RedNeck]

If passed by voters in November, it would prohibit the state from collecting data based on racial, ethnic or gender catagories.

Why should California be in this business. The only thing it should care about such factors is if people are being unlawfully excluded from the polls on the basis of them. Who chooses to show up at the polls is another matter.

[Frohickey]

The more I hear about Ward Connerly, the more I like it.

CNN or Fox had him talking about some university that have gone to racially segregated graduation celebrations.

[lelio]

it would prohibit the state from collecting data based on racial, ethnic or gender catagories
Is this what he wants, or is it the he doesn't want the state (for example) making college admittance decisions based on it?
Taken to the extreme the cops wouldn't be able to say "we're looking for a white|black|asian male wanted for a robbery"? What about crime statistics? Cancer statistics? This proposal is too broad.

[LWalk18]

Law enforcement and medical statistics are exempt from the proposed bill.

[Thane_Banquo]

Good. The government has no business asking me what color my skin is.