Signature Blockers of the MoCRI
A profile of various signature blocking tactics and harassment that signature gatherers of the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative faced while trying to collect petition signatures to get the measure on the ballot.
Missouri Civil Rights Initiative Suspends 2008 Ballot Effort
“Statewide support for initiative prompts return in 2010”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4th, 2008
(Grain Valley) - Today, the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative (MoCRI) announced it is concluding its petition gathering effort to end government race and gender preference policies in public employment, education and contracting. After collecting more than 170,000 signatures from Missouri voters in less than 4 months, the clock ran out on a MoCRI organization that had obtained overwhelming support from around the state.
While disappointed with the final outcome, MoCRI executive director Tim Asher is encouraged by the effort overall. “Today’s developments are certainly not what the many volunteers and supporters of the MoCRI had anticipated. It is particularly disheartening when you consider our elected officials played such a prominent role in derailing our effort,” stated Asher.
Read more...
ACORN Indicted for Voter Fraud
"Activist group lacks credibility with voters"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2008
Grain Valley, MO - On April Fools Day, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) accused the MoCRI of "fraud," trying to play the media and Missouri voters for fools while knowing full well their own employees had plead guilty to voter fraud. It's true; federal prosecutors announced eight ACORN employee convictions the very next day. St. Louis election officials have said they have had problems with ACORN submissions in past years.
"How can anyone take accusations seriously from a group that has a record of election fraud, not only in Missouri but around the nation?" asks Tim Asher, Executive Director of the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative. "ACORN workers have been convicted of election fraud. By accusing MoCRI of like behavior they are hoping to divert attention away from their own record. If they repeat the lie accusing MoCRI behaving like ACORN long enough and loud enough, they hope the truth will be obscured."
Read more...
Ward Connerly on the Charlie Brennan Show
American Civil Rights Institute Chairman, Ward Connerly, was on KMOX 1120's Charlie Brennan Show talking about his efforts to rid Missouri of race and gender preferences this November. Click below to listen to the audio of the program.
Listen to the program...
‘Colorblind’ advocate finds welcome here
Connerly drums up support for petition.
By ABRAHAM MAHSHIE
March 29th, 2008
The Columbia Tribune
Civil rights advocate Ward Connerly left a jeering crowd in Kirksville and met a friendly crowd at a meeting of Columbia’s Pachyderm Club yesterday to promote a ballot initiative that would drop racial quotas and affirmative action in Missouri.
Speaking before the largely white-haired and exclusively white Republican group, Connerly won cheers for his comments on equal opportunity in all public contracts, higher education and jobs. After the speech, Connerly, who is black, signed copies of his book, "Creating Equal," and audience members signed an initiative petition. When asked by a reporter for comment, most expressed their support but refused to be identified.
Read more...
Fairness On the Ballot
By George F. Will
Sunday, January 27, 2008
The Washington Post
Come November, voters will decide on more than half a million federal, state and local officeholders and ballot initiatives. Ninety-nine percent of these decisions will matter less than will the five civil rights initiatives that might be on the ballots in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri.
If the initiatives qualify for those states' ballots, all probably will pass. But the initiatives must surmount ferocious opposition from defenders of racial preferences, such as the politicians who administer and benefit from Missouri's racial spoils system. The crux of the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative (MoCRI) would amend that state's constitution to say: "The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting."
Read more...
Court Certifies Amended MoCRI Ballot Language
“MoCRI group praises court decision”
Grain Valley – (Today) In an unprecedented move, Circuit Court Judge Richard Callahan revised and certified official ballot title language for the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative (MoCRI), a proposed constitutional amendment scheduled for the November 2008 election. The previous ballot title language, drafted by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s office, prompted a lawsuit from MoCRI Executive Director Tim Asher challenging that the language was insufficient, unfair, and argumentative. The amended summary statement provided by Judge Callahan goes a long way toward correcting those deficiencies.
Read more...
Missouri Civil Right Initiative’s Tim Asher on Missouri Viewpoints with Mike Ferguson
Tim Asher, the Executive Director of the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative, sits down with Mike to discuss the ballot drive that is quickly becoming the most controversial issue in the state.
MoCRI Challenging Secretary Carnahan in Court
"This is one of the most appalling abuses of a Constitutional Office I have ever seen"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday July 26, 2007
Grain Valley – Today the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative (MoCRI)
filed a legal challenge to the unfair and inaccurate Official Ballot Title
written by Secretary of State Carnahan and approved by Attorney General Nixon.
On July 19, the Secretary of
State certified the MoCRI for the ballot but attached a false and misleading
Ballot Title. Language recommended by the MoCRI Committee to the Secretary of
State read,
“Shall the Missouri Constitution
be amended to prohibit any form of discrimination as an act of the state by
declaring:
The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment
to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or
national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or
public contracting?
Read more...
Missouri Civil Rights Initiative Launches Anti-Preferences Campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday April 24, 2007
CONTACT: TIM ASHER (816) 812-4929
The Missouri Civil Rights Initiative is forging ahead with plans for a November, 2008 ballot measure banning government-sponsored race and gender preferences in the state. The Missouri Civil Rights Initiative will be part of a 'Super Tuesday' campaign that will offer citizens of several states the chance to end such practices in public employment, public education and public contracting. Similar measures have already passed in three other states, all by overwhelming margins.
Missouri Civil Rights Initiative's Tim Asher, former director of admissions as North Central Missouri College said such a measure has never been more necessary. "Efforts to assure equal opportunity in Missouri are admirable," notes Asher, whose contract at the state school was not renewed after he raised questions about the college's preferential admissions policies, "but discriminating against some in favor of others is not the answer. That only perpetuates unfairness and ill feeling. We are individuals and should not be reduced to stereotypes - especially by our government."
Read more... |
