To: All Our Volunteers and Petition Signers
From: George Lakoff
Date: April 10, 2010
Today, I officially wrote to Kathryn Montgomery at the California Secretary of State's office to withdraw the first version of the California Democracy Act, ballot initiative 09-0037. I informed her that our petitions will not be submitted to the counties.
I have, however, resubmitted a second version (like the first, but with a slightly more spelled out intent and purpose) to the Attorney General's office and am asking the Attorney General for an accurate title and summary for this version. At present, many of those who volunteered and have signed the petition for the first version are joining me in writing to the Attorney General for an accurate title and summary. If we get an accurate title and summary this time, we will seek funding for a professional effort on the second round. The timeline will be tight. The old petitions will not count. New petitions must gathered, submitted, counted, and verified by June 24, and we cannot start until we get a new title and summary. Since it may take up to a month for the petitions to be counted, that does not give us much time.
Another suggested route to getting on the ballot is via the legislature, and we are looking at that route. In short, we are going on. The future of California is at stake.
I would like to thank each of the signers of the petition ’Äì and to express my gratitude to all of our many extraordinary volunteers for your efforts. As President Obama keeps saying, this is not about me, it is about you and all of our citizens. Because of you, hundreds of thousands of Californians now know that a lack of basic democracy is the main cause of the state's budget crisis and the legislature's dysfunction.¬Ý And they know that they can actually do something about it by a majority vote ’Äì namely pass some version of the California Democracy Act, preferably this year, and if not, then as soon as possible.
Our job is not over. The citizens of our state need to know that this is the only state in America whose legislature is completely under minority rule. They need to know that an overwhelming majority of our legislators ’Äì now 63% ’Äì are acting responsibly and are not to blame for the legislative dysfunction. They need to know that it is the ultra-conservative minority, acting out their ideology, that is to blame. And they need to know that the issue is not blame, but action. That they, as citizens, can do something about it through the ballot box.
Our campaign is not just about this initiative. It is fundamentally about citizenship ’Äì than informed citizens can change their future, and the future of the state they love. You should be proud of all you have done so far for our state, and how it has contributed to creating that informed citizenry.
A big hug to you all,
George Lakoff
