Yesterday afternoon the doorbell rang. That doesn’t happen very much these days. I figured it was just a package being delivered but I went to grab a mask just in case. As I fumbled with the elastic the doorbell rang again, followed by persistent knocking on the door.
When I opened it I saw a man with a clipboard.
“Are you registered to vote in Howard County?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He waved his clipboard in the air as he went on.
“Well, I just need your signature right here. So we can let the voters decide!”
Suddenly it hit me what this was all about. I’ve been reading about friends being accosted outside local businesses, pressured to sign a petition without being given adequate information. Now these same folks were at my front door. In a neighborhood that prohibits solicitation. During a pandemic.
He was affronted when I told him I was absolutely against what he was doing.
“Oh! Really?”
“Yes, please go away.”
I closed the door rather emphatically.
In case my readers don’t know what’s afoot, let me clue you in on what’s happening. It’s about Sanctuary. Or, rather, it’s about a Council Bill that has already passed and become law in Howard County. It looks like this:
Council Bill 63-2020 – Introduced by: Opel Jones - AN ACT providing that County employees shall take, or refrain from taking, specified actions with respect to the immigration status of specified individuals; prohibiting certain discrimination based on immigration status; requiring that certain information related to citizenship status be kept confidential; providing a procedure whenever specified provisions may be preempted by other law; requiring specified officials to take actions under certain circumstances; and generally relating to human rights in Howard County.
It seems that there’s an organized attempt, backed both by local Republicans and funded both by local and out of state donors, to overturn this measure by requiring it to be put on the ballot, where they hope it will be voted down by the general public in a referendum. Here’s a local Republican making her pitch to potential donors.
Now, certainly we have room in Howard County for more than one point of view. While I personally support the goals of this bill, as I supported the similar CB 9 legislation which came before it, I know that some people don’t. And our political system allows for citizens to make their views known, and/or to advocate for change.
But this is different. These folks have been planting themselves around town and downright misleading people.
“Are you for Sanctuary in Howard County? You should sign this to get it on the ballot!”
They’re not keen to let signers read the actual wording of the petition. That’s because they aren’t telling people that CB63 is law already and that the goal of their petition is actually to overturn it. A signature on the petition actually jeopardizes its status.
That’s lying, friends. Signatures on a petition which have been obtained through the use of falsehood are automatically invalid. The people and the party who have masterminded this scheme should be ashamed. They probably aren’t.
If you have already had a run-in with these people and realize that you were misled, you can report it. Contact: guy.mickley(at)maryland.gov , Director of the County Board of Elections.
I can’t adequately put into words my contempt for the methods that the “Repeal Sanctuary” group is using. But I’ll try:
If all you have in your arsenal to get your way is a plan to raise money out of state while lying to local voters, you don’t deserve one minute of my time on a cold January day during a pandemic.
And, by the way: tell your friends. Don’t let them be the next victims of this slimy scam.
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