Date: Wed, 29 Jun 1994 23:51:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Richard Isaac >From the _Seattle Post-Intelligencer_, June 29, 1994, page ONE: w/o permission; all typos mine 608 IS DOWN, NOT OUT Anti-gay-rights measure may still make the ballot by Scott Maier, P-I reporter With less than two weeks left to collect voter signatures, prospects are doubtful that both statewide initiative sto curb gay rights will be on the November ballot. One initiative drive appears doomed and the other is scrambling uphill for the 181,667 signatures needed by July 8 to qualify for the ballot, their leaders say. "We probably won't make it," acknowledge Sam Woodard of the Initiative 610 campaign. "We don't have enough signatures at this time," said Doug Burman of the Initiative 608 campaign. "It's doable. It's within reach." Initiative 608 is paying signature gatherers -- something the campaign first said it would not do -- to augment its volunteer effort. The campaign also plans to circulate copies of the initiative in full page advertisements tomorrow in the Seattle Pos-Intelligencer, the Seattle Times and other major newspapers across the state. "It sends the message we're going all out to get signatures," Burman said. The initiatives have similar goals. They would ban civil-rights laws protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination in employment and housing. And they would prohibit public schools from presenting homosexuality as acceptable. Initiative 610 also would ban adoptions by gays and prevent custody of children by divorced gay parents. Getting an initiative opposing gay rights on the November ballot had been considered such a sure thing that even the opposition conceded long ago that at least one measure would qualify. Neither initiative campaign will say how many signatures have been collected. But both campaigns acknowledged that petition gathering [sic] has been far tougher than expected. They say their campagins were set back by lawsuits challenging the initiatives' ballot titles and constitutionality. Fund raising was also slow. More than $25,000 in contributions this month outstripped Initiative 608's fundraising to date. Initiative 610 has raised about $5,000. Both campaign chests are dwarfed by the $1 million raised by the opposing Hands Off Washington, which recently spent $100,000 for television advertisements [across the state] branding the initiatives as discriminatory. "They're waging an information war ... and in some ways they're winning," said Vic Santie, an Init. 608 volunteer. "An ordinary grandma would come up to me and say, 'You bigot.'" But most frustrating, initiative leaders say, was the "Bigot Busters" Decline-to-Sign campaign. Recruits are dispatched to discourage people from signing the initiatives whenver petition-gathering is reported on the Bigot Busters hot line. The Bigot Busters are persistent, confrontational and intimidating, initiative leaders said. "There's a lot of people scared to go out. It's really forced us to underground," said the Rev. Gary Small, Init. 608 coordinator for Whatcome, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties. Patrick Hogan, director of Bigot Busters, said volunteers at times let their emotions get out of hand but that the group was intent on being polite yet firm. "This has to be a respectful interaction," he said. Bigot Busters, although endorsed by Hands Off Washington [not technically correct; HOW/King Co. has endorsed BB, but not the statewide board.--RI], is critical of Hands Off WAshington's traditional campaign style and strategy. "At Hands Off, all they want people to do is lick envelopes," Hogan said. "Everyone is focused on November. We can win this in July and have our summer off." Init. 608 is launching a counteroffensive. "Don't let bigotry, intolerance and intimidation deny your right to vote," says the newspaper advertisement. "Homosexual activists and other radical liberal groups are pulling out all the stops to deny citizens of Washington State their constitutional right to vote on Initiative 608." The Init. 608 campaign also plans to go on the radio with its message, Burman said. [3 paragraphs describing 608/610 success in signature gathering deleted] Leaders of the Hands Off campaign were surprised by the initiatives' lackluster start, but they do not discount a late surge of signatures. "Proponents have found it far more difficult than either they -- or us -- expected," said Charles Brydon, chairman of the Hands Off campaign. "If they're willing to put money into signature gatherers, that means they're within striking distance," he said. "It tells me they are close and they believe it's a worthwhile investment." * Richard Isaac __*_*___ ***************************** \* * / Seattle * DECLINE TO SIGN 608/610 * *\ * * REPORT SIGHTINGS 322-2782 * ***\**/** rmisaac ***************************** \/ @eskimo.com