600 thousand reason to question strategy

Ok so the title pretty much reveals the point of this thread.

Bev Harris has/had 600k sitting in the bank while these groups struggle to get shit done with the limited funds available. (hat tip to IndyOp )

:redbox: VotersUnite.org http://www.votersunite.org /
E-VOTING 2006: The Approaching Train Wreck * Mythbreakers: Facts About Electronic Elections * Voting system failures by vendor * Vote-Switching and Ballot Definition Problems

:redbox: VoteTrustUSA.org http://www.votetrustusa.org /
Daily News * States: Indiana * Subscribe to the Election Integrity Weekly Newsletter * Poll Monitors’ and Poll Workers’ Guide to Electronic Voting

:redbox: VerifiedVoting.org http://www.verifiedvoting.org /
Resolution on Electronic Voting * Election Administration Project: Best Practices for Reliable Election Systems. * Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS) * Election Protection Questionnaires: Local & State Election Officials, Pre-Election Testing

:redbox: National Election Data Archive http://electionarchive.org
Democracy Will Survive If Candidates, Political Parties, and Voters Act. * For Candidates: Assure that Votes in Your Race Are Counted Accurately * For Political Parties: Synopsis: Assure Accurate Vote Counts * For Political Parties: Long: Help Ensure Vote Count Integrity * For Voters: What Voters Can Look For & Report On

:redbox: ACLU: Voting Rights http://www.aclu.org/votingrights /
Working to make registration accessible and to protect minority voting rights. Tremendous legislative work on behalf of citizens impacted by gerrymandering.

:redbox: Voter Action http://www.voteraction.org /
Provides strategic and legal support to ensure verifiable, accurate and transparent voting systems. Has supported lawsuits in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania.

:redbox: Common Cause http://www.commoncause.org /
Sponsors Vote for America, a non-partisan voter education and mobilization program. Go to the Common Cause site, locate the organizers for your state and contact them!

:redbox: People for the American Way: Civic Participation http://www.pfaw.org /
Election Protection Program offers: volunteer poll monitors; civil rights lawyers and advocates who preserve access to the polls, expose and prevent voter intimidation; help working with election officials to identify and solve problems with new voting machines, technology and ballot forms.

:redbox: League of Women Voters: Election Reform http://www.lwv.org /
American Democracy at Risk: Agenda for Renewal and Repair includes recommendations for election reform and advocates nonpartisan redistricting, safeguarding civil liberties; campaign finance reform.

:redbox: Brennan Center for Justice http://www.brennancenter.org /
The Brennan Center report finds improper implementation of new voter registration databases could prevent millions from voting.
My question is what would the brightest minds here in this forum do with the money Bev has "calendered" to sit in her organizations bank account. We have an important election coming in November, and for the first time in years Democrats are WAY ahead in the polls.

Are there better uses for the money than to provide the banks fractional reserve lending power?

I was pretty shocked to find out Bev raised close to a million dollars and if one were to compare her organizations results with others who have a tiny FRACTION of that amount at their disposal I think any question of her efficacy can be put to rest.

The bottom line seems to be, Bev will be around for a while until the money slowly dwindles. I want to use this thread to suggest ways she can actually help groups which it can be demonstrated are getting way more bang for the buck.

It would be hard to argue now that Bev is anything other than a brilliant fundraiser. Arguably her personality has lead to her inefficient use of money. Given that she now has the funds to impose her presence on the reform movement perhaps we should create a roll for her that best utilizes her talent but at the same time minimizes her negative impact.

Anyway my $.02


edit: spelling

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x436340#436857

did you mention all the little people who made it possible?

flyingobject refers to the people who donated that money.

the people who made sacrifices so that the money could be made.

please explain. Your link points to a criticism of people that wanted accountability from someone it is now clear was never forthcoming about the amount of money she raised. How does that post relate to this thread?

like anyone who lost their job or faces jail time over this issue.

I think I pointed to wrong part of thread.
Sorry.

Thanks for clarifying. I wasn't sure what you meant but I agree 100% now that I get it.

It will help explain your OP.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=436340&mesg_id=436340

Post #72 is important.

to your OP.

The time expired as I was editing to add your link.

Great job BTW.

:toast:

I think it should be in general discussion forum, as it has nothing to do with election reform, all who agree with me please chime in.

However did you come to that conclusion?

Are we not allowed to discuss how 600k could help further election reform in the election reform forum?

Is this not the best place to discuss how a woman with remarkable fund raising prowess could best help the election reform movement ?

Good Golly Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' CAN'T YOU HEAR YOUR MOMMA CALL.

From the early early mornin' till the early early night
You can see Miss Molly rockin' at the house of blue lights.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' CAN'T YOU HEAR YOUR MOMMA CALL.

Well, now momma, poppa told me: "Son, you better watch your step."
If I knew my momma, poppa, have to watch my dad myself.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' CAN'T YOU HEAR YOUR MOMMA CALL.

I am going to the corner, gonna buy a diamond ring.
Would you pardon me if it's a nineteen carat golden thing.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' CAN'T YOU HEAR YOUR MOMMA CALL.

Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' CAN'T YOU HEAR YOUR MOMMA CALL.

I originally posted this in GD, and mods moved it to ER forum: 'Bev Harris BBV.org in defiance of tax law filing disclosure?'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x433908

Also 'Bev Harris / BBV.org "990 filing"??????' remains in ER forum.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x436340

Perhaps you overlooked this important information:

VotersUnite.org http://www.votersunite.org /
E-VOTING 2006: The Approaching Train Wreck * Mythbreakers: Facts About Electronic Elections * Voting system failures by vendor * Vote-Switching and Ballot Definition Problems

VoteTrustUSA.org http://www.votetrustusa.org /
Daily News * States: Indiana * Subscribe to the Election Integrity Weekly Newsletter * Poll Monitors’ and Poll Workers’ Guide to Electronic Voting

VerifiedVoting.org http://www.verifiedvoting.org /
Resolution on Electronic Voting * Election Administration Project: Best Practices for Reliable Election Systems. * Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS) * Election Protection Questionnaires: Local & State Election Officials, Pre-Election Testing

National Election Data Archive http://electionarchive.org
Democracy Will Survive If Candidates, Political Parties, and Voters Act. * For Candidates: Assure that Votes in Your Race Are Counted Accurately * For Political Parties: Synopsis: Assure Accurate Vote Counts * For Political Parties: Long: Help Ensure Vote Count Integrity * For Voters: What Voters Can Look For & Report On

ACLU: Voting Rights http://www.aclu.org/votingrights /
Working to make registration accessible and to protect minority voting rights. Tremendous legislative work on behalf of citizens impacted by gerrymandering.

Voter Action http://www.voteraction.org /
Provides strategic and legal support to ensure verifiable, accurate and transparent voting systems. Has supported lawsuits in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania.

Common Cause http://www.commoncause.org /
Sponsors Vote for America, a non-partisan voter education and mobilization program. Go to the Common Cause site, locate the organizers for your state and contact them!

People for the American Way: Civic Participation http://www.pfaw.org /
Election Protection Program offers: volunteer poll monitors; civil rights lawyers and advocates who preserve access to the polls, expose and prevent voter intimidation; help working with election officials to identify and solve problems with new voting machines, technology and ballot forms.

League of Women Voters: Election Reform http://www.lwv.org /
American Democracy at Risk: Agenda for Renewal and Repair includes recommendations for election reform and advocates nonpartisan redistricting, safeguarding civil liberties; campaign finance reform.

Brennan Center for Justice http://www.brennancenter.org /
The Brennan Center report finds improper implementation of new voter registration databases could prevent millions from voting.
My question is what would the brightest minds here in this forum do with the money Bev has "calendered" to sit in her organizations bank account. We have an important election coming in November, and for the first time in years Democrats are WAY ahead in the polls.

Whether NEDA belongs on that list.

As one of a number of vilified ex-members, including its own vice-president, I have to say it jumped the shark a while back.

Yes, I have a personal stake in saying so, but I warn, nonetheless.

I'll admit I just copied that list from the other thread to show a list of orgs working on a shoestring budget.

What a pile of bullshit in that link.

Edit: when/where did your name come into play? Were you 'outed' by reformers Bev Harris style?

I've never tried to be anonymous, and analyses of mine are still hosted on the NEDA site. Things fell apart over the exit poll story.

Another BIG EXIT POLL DEBATE!:popcorn:

But what I'd like to see is money spent on organising volunteers to check whether precinct counts match the county precinct counts (is that what "canvassing" means?) I can't believe how little we know about that, and it seems not only an obvious check to me, but a powerful disincentive to fraud at county level.

Edited to add:

To be scrupulously fair, there are some good NEDA documents on how to monitor elections (omitting the call for independent _{exit polls}). Dopp is at her best IMO in that area.

But my warning stands.

who showed on TV how to corrupt the precinct aggregation counts and this could be easily mitigated by what you are suggesting.

Should Stephen Heller be added to the list?

Didn't the BBV Qui Tam case use the Diebold legal files
that were obtained by Stephen Heller?
Wansnt Heller temping for the company doing Diebold's legal work?

Was Heller a part of the Qui Tam?

On February 21, 2006, Stephen was charged in Los Angeles Superior
Court with 3 felonies: felony access to computer data,
commercial burglary and receiving stolen property
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/3/1/183148/4632


Isnt he up against a possible life sentence in prison?
won't Mr. Heller need gigantic sums of money to fight the
very well funded Diebold?

How much would he need?

Bev claimed she was going to donate $10,000 to his defense fund (how far will that go? Not very far, I'm sure).

No, he was not included in the Qui Tam. Bev got $76,000, Jim March got $76,000 and Heller is under indictment, so she is going to contribute $10k.

Maybe BBV could launch a big campaign to help Heller.

He must need money, fighting three felony convictions
could be expensive.

Seems like little is being said, I keep hearing that
they can't say anything because of ongoing legal stuff.

But maybe they can help him since they are so good at raising
money.

And what says she's "so good at raising money" at this point, after burning so many of the most important venues?

Randi Rhodes is a brilliant fundraiser. But Bev burnt Randi down. Randi will no longer even mention Bev's name.

Bev claimed to have raised 23k as a result of Randi's show. Documented proof shows Randi's show brought $175,000 in a period of five hours, and the take from the show was put at $300,000 by Andy. http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Kelvin%20Mace/2

Here is Bev burning her bridges with Randi and her listeners when Randi demands accountability:

Listen to Randi and Bev: http://blackboxwatchdog.com/content/clips/bev_randi.mp3

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=157626

Bev burnt down Keith Olbermann and his staff, "the only mainstream news organization" to cover the issue. Won't be getting any help raising donations from Keith's viewers.



Bev burnt down DU and was banned. She can no longer raise funds on DU, a community that is committed to clean elections.

Statement on the banning of Bev Harris by Skinner:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x108750


How is this burning down reporters going to help fund raising efforts?

If Bev wastes donated funds on IRS penalties, is that going to help fund raising? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=436340&mesg_id=436586



Bev may have been successful at fundraising once upon a time (largely thanks to Randi and DU) before she alienated and burned so many allies of election reform and those who could help get the message out.

If she were "brilliant", she wouldn't have shot herself in the foot repeatedly and burnt so many fund raising opportunity bridges.

Instead of criticizing folks for asking valid "What's going on?" questions:

Maybe the time is right to take actions to reassure the public.

Folks should see something positive come of this -
they just want transparency.

Who does this transparency hurt?

It shouldn't hurt anyone,

it should strengthen the organization providing it.

Also a good ethics policy is helpful.

Maybe a pledge to protect the whistleblowers and officials who risk
their jobs and freedom. How this protection will be provided.

That might even encourage more whistleblowers.

Like Robert Kennedy, who stated that he will have whistleblowers coming forward
and he promises to ensure protection to those whistleblowers.

These are positive recommendations that might increase confidence.