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1992
Perot Petition Effort « Perot Petition Committee (CA)
1992 Perot Petition Effort
Perot Petition Committee (CA)
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| Newsletter,
8 1/2" x 11". |
Perot Petition Committee
Friday June 19, 1992
Californians Stand and Deliver
Over 1,408,700 Petition Signatures Collected!
HEPBURN BACKS ROSS PEROT
- "Ross Perot is a man who's not afraid. Who thinks for himself–which is all that matters. No wonder the media doesn't like him–they can't control him. We have to have someone who knows where he's going–and Ross Perot knows where he's going. Forward, not backward. And I'll be right there behind him. Hurry up, Ross!"-Katharine Hepburn
Could One Person Have Been Responsible for Collecting Almost 1% of the Total Signatures in the State-While Maintaining a Full-Time Job?
- I was watching the "Larry King Live" show last February, the night Ross Perot announced the conditions under which he would run for President of the United States. At that time, I was unaware that other people felt as I did about the prospect of bis candidacy. On that evening, I agreed with his statement that he could not get on the ballot in all 50 states. but it was his last comment that fired my passion. Ross said "I will guarantee you that even if we don't make it all the way to the White House, by November, we will have this government so shook up that they will have to address the national deficit and balance of payments issues." The following day, I began calling Ross Perot's Dallas office. It was several weeks before contact was made with other Perot people.
THE TIME IS NOW
"Only in a time of national crisis and then I'd do my duty."
–Ross Perot, 1973
Business Week
Los Angeles
- (June 17) Ross Perot stopped in Los Angeles on his way to Sacramento where he will address a petition rally tomorrow. At one of his stops, he met with Hispanic and African-American leaders at what the community affectionately refers to as "Fort Perot," the Perot Petition office of South Central-East Los Angeles.
Mr. Perot spent almost
all of his visit in a fruitful give-and-take discussion
with the community at large. Rudy Garcia, City
Councilman in Bell Gardens and Jose Gutierrez, director
of an immigration service, were concerned about the
negative image of immigrants portrayed by the media.
One would think by reading newspapers and watching
television news that all the economic woes and crime
which plagues our society is attributable to immigrants.
Mr. Gutierrez pointed out that most immigrants prove to
be the hardest working, most productive group in
America. The immigration center has helped
(Continued on page 2,
column 1)
Sacramento
- (June 18) Only six weeks into the petition drive, and more than seven weeks before the legal deadline, California turned in its signed petitions.
At a morning rally on
the west steps of the State Capital in
Sacramento, thousands of supporters from all over
Northern California held a symbolic presentation
of petitions. Boxes representing all 57 counties
lined the front of the stage. At the rear stood
the flags of the U.S., California and POW/MIAs.
After a beautiful
rendition of "America the Beautiful" by singer
Brady McKay of the River City
(Continued on
page 3, column 4)
- Santa Cruz County had a busy week. 0n June 14, Flag Day, an old-fashioned picnic and political rally was held in Capitola. Hundreds of people came and enjoyed food, live music and even the speeches. Local volunteers were honored and the keynote address was made by Jack Givens from San Mateo County.
On Wednesday the 17th,
volunteers paraded up the stairs to the second floor
of the County Building to the County Clerk's office with
television cameras and reporters following all the way.
The volunteers submitted 17,400 Perot petition
signatures, 13% of the registered voters in Santa Cruz
County.
The local committee continues to meet
weekly and is looking forward to collecting even more
signatures and is working hard to register as many new
voters as possible.–Bonnie Bernardi
POLLS
CNN/Gallup Poll 6/16/92
national poll:
Perot 34%, Bush 32%, Clinton 24%
Times Mirror 6/15/92
national poll:
Perot 36%, Bush 31%, Clinton 27%
ADMIRAL STOCKDALE ON PEROT
ON THE ISSUE OF CHARACTER
- Vice Admiral James Stockdale addressed a gathering of Perot supporters on June 13 in West Los Angeles. Stockdale has known Ross Perot for many years and was very clear about why he is so enthusiastically supporting him for President "Character, character, character."
Stockdale feels that
we must seek a leader based on the man's principles, and
not be diverted by cries and demands of an
unrealistically detailed "platform." The Admiral
stressed that issues change from moment to moment.
What does not change is the character of the man. He
reminded us of the great Lincoln-Dooglas debates in
which Lincoln spoke of and from principle and character
with little in the way of detailed plans. Douglas, on
the other hand, had an answer and detailed plan for
everything. "What would have happened," asked Stockdale,
"if Clinton had been president during the Civil War?"
Admiral Stockdale went on to talk
about some other of Perot's character
(Continued on page 2, column 4)
STATUS OF PETITION DRIVE
IN OTHER STATES
AP reports that Mr. Perot has qualified to be on the
ballot in the following states: Delaware, Maine,
Tennessee, Utah, Kentucky, Texas, Florida, New Jersey,
Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming, Arkansas, New Hampshire, North
Carolina and Kansas.
Petitions have bee submitted in the following states:
Ohio, Alabama, Nevada , Nebraska and California.
Newsletter June 19, 1992 Page
2
11,761 Signatures!
(Cont'd from page 1,Ingenuity)
My objective was to spend the time
necessary to get the maximum number of signatures
possible without compromising my job. I spent two
weekends traveling around West Los Angeles observing
shopping malls and traffic patterns to determine where
my petition signing efforts could be maximized. I found
the best foot traffic location within walking distance
of my office for gathering signatures before work and
during lunch hour. l found the two heaviest shopped food
stores to gather signatures every evening and I arranged
an agreement with a mall to cover their location on
Saturdays and Sundays.
I have gathered 6,961 signatures since the
petition effort began in West Los Angeles. The group I
recruited for Century City produced an additional 4,800
petition signatures for a total of 11,761 signatures or
0.83% of the 1,408,708 signatures collected state-wide.
The most significant part of the
entire effort for me personally, was to observe the
large numbers of people who are just as disgusted with
party politics as myself and to realize that Ross Perot
does have a chance to win and make a difference.--Tom
Willis
Calendar of Upcoming
Events...
June 27 11am • 6pm, San Jose Summer Birthday Jam, Raging
Waters, CapitolExpwy/Tully Rd.
June 27 Orange County Birthday Party (details to be
announced)
June 27 3pm Riverside, Fairmont Park
June 27 7pm-? Los Angeles, Vertigo Nigbtclub, call
Lawndale office for details
June 28 11am • 3pm, Monterey, Washington Park
(Cont'd from page
1,Adm Stockdale)
istics that are important to him.
Generosity and compassion. Ross
Perot's generosity has been demonstrated over and over
throughout his life. He has given untold millions of
dollars to help the needy and those in trouble. He has
repeatedly given freely of himself as well as of his
money in worthwhile projects that would improve the
quality of life and spirit of Americans.
Admiral Stockdale spoke movingly
about his own imprisonment and torture in Vietnam. He
spoke at length about Perot's effort to aid and effect
the release of American POWs, all at his own expense;
about the ticker-tape parade Perot provided for Vietnam
veterans who he felt were ignored or mistreated upon
returning home. Perot couldn't understand how men and
women who had offered their lives and limbs to the
service of their country could be treated so
disrespectfully.
Intelligence. Since situations in
life and in business are in a constant state of change,
we need a leader who can think on his feet making
adjustments as situations unfold. Stockdale learned of
Perot's ingenuity and creative thinking ability in
Perot's effort to aid POWs.
Perseverence. Admiral Stockdale
believes that the words of Winston Churchill have been
adopted as Perot's credo. "Never givenin. Never give in.
Never. Never. Never."
And Perot has proven that
perseverence will out, over and over, and over.--Donna
Schifrin
Meet Perot's People
- The fever has spread to New York. The Wall Street Journal (June 17) reports finding a common thread among Perot supporters in New York. They crave change. They're not interested in specific issues. They cut across all political and socioeconomic lines. They are almost all political novices.
Mrs. Majurowski, who
is Catholic, says when it comes to abortion, "It's
wrong, and I'm against it. I know where [Perot] stands,
[for a woman's freedom to decide on abortion], but I'm
still for him. I just dislike all politicians so much,
and he's saying the things we've been thinking about all
these years."
Robert Bennet, who is black and whose
father was the Democratic leader of the Fifth Ward in
Buffalo, says "The important point is that Ross is
pragmatic and has a lot of common sense .. He will put
us all on a level playing field." Mr. Bennet worked for
Jesse Jackson in 1988.
Eugene Brogowski says, "Ive been
voting for so long for the lesser of two evils. This is
the first time in as long as I can remember that I feel
good about what I'm doing." Mr.Brogowski, who is
unemployed, expects Mr.Perot will cut down on government
spending.
Malcolm MacKay placed a $135 personal
ad in the local newspaper asking people interested in
circulating petitions for Ross Perot to call him. He
received 150 calls. When they had their first
organizational meeting at a hotel in Buffalo, 1500
people showed up.
The Journal reports that Perot
supporters interviewed in their recent national poll
defy political classification: 30% say they are
moderate, 30% say they are conservative and 24%say they
are liberal.
Contribute to the PPC Newsletter
Articles should be about 200 words, typed double-spaced
on a page. Each article must be signed and dated.
Sender's home address and telephone number must be
included. Articles nay be edited without notification to
sender. Send to Marge Scherick, PPC Newsletter, 14540
Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91413.
Perot Petition Committee
Chairman, California
Hank Lacy/Gordon Walker
Interim Vice Chairs, Upper Northern CA
Bob Leste/Gordon Reynolds
Interim Vice Chairs, Bay Region
Ernie Green
Vice Chair, Central Valley Area
Bill Myers
Vice Chair, Southern CA
Regional Coordinators
Upper Northern California Area
North Central - Hank Gorman
Coastal Valley - Mike Greenhalgh
Sacramento/Sierra - Casey Kelly
Bay Area
San Francisco - Kelly O'Brien
South Bay - Joe Milam
East Bay - Linda & Richard Hudak
Monterey Bay - Jim Poland
Central Valley Area
Central Region - Beverly Kennedy
Valley Region - Gil Sciacqua
Southern California
San Diego - Jack Flowers
Orange County - Merrick Okamoto
Los Angeles - Mike Norris/Lee Ryan
Inland Empire - Jeannine Robertson/Nick Cromwell
Central Coast - Doug Dennis
Perot Petition Committee Offices
| Northern California Headquarters 305 Main St. Redwood City, CA 94063 Tel: (415) 306-1400 San Francisco Sacramento/Sierra San Jose |
Santa Rosa 520 Mendocino Santa Rosa, CA 95401 Tel: (707) 579-8881 Southern California Headquarters 2626 Dupont. #C-40 Irvine, CA 92715 Tel: (714) 752-7677 Palm Springs 1555 S. Palm Canyon Rd., #101 Palm Springs, CA 92264 Tel: (619) 325-7677 Los Angeles County 14540 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91413 Tel: (818) 784-7677 South Bay 14539 Hawthorne Blvd. Lawndale, CA 90260 Tel: (310) 219-2999 |
West Los Angeles 150 N. Robertson Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Tel: (310) 289-8003 South Central-East Los Angeles 120 E. 25th St Los Angeles, CA 90011 Tel: (213) 749-6464 San Diego 8593 Aero Dr. San Diego, CA 92123 Tel: (6l9) 467-7920 Upland 440 N. Mountain Ave., #101 Upland, CA 91786 Tel: (714) 931-2869 Ventura - State Headquarters 4005 E. Main St Ventura, CA 93003 Tel: (805) 339-6300 |
Newsletter June 19, 1992 Page 3
Latinos and African-Americans Discuss Concerns with Perot
(Continued from Page 1,Fort Perot)
100,000 people attain their citizenship so far.
Ernie Lopez asked a question that led to a discussion on how to build businesses in the inner city. All agreed on the need to create incentives to attract capital and the need to make credit available, possibly through the formation of a development credit bank. The people in the room applauded when Mr. Perot pointed out that "this was all cheaper than welfare and prison."
Others discussants included Walter Contreras of the Fred Jordan Mission who asked about what could be done to help and rehabilitate the homeless, and Fernando Chacon of Bell Gardens and a former gang member who wanted to know how he would deal with members of gangs. Mr. Perot responded by saying he needed ideas from the community, from the people themselves, and when an especially good one came along, he would study it, get a consensus and do a pilot program. This response was met with applause. One thing, he asked of gang members, was never to go to prison, because once you go to prison, you are marked with a scar which can prevent you later on from ever getting the good jobs you may be capable of getting.
Devora Scay wanted to know how to get rid of drugs since people dealing in drugs make more money than they can at legitimate jobs. Mr. Perot answered "Are you willing to live with it, or get rid of it?" The crowd responded "Get rid of it!" Mr. Perot said we must first face it and then take action. He said "It's a curse."
Many thanks to South Central coordinators Jerry Mosqueda and Vince Hollier for doing a terrific job organizing the meeting; to Armando Sotomayor for his splendid work with thc media and Mrs. Margaret Araujo, Roz Lopez Morgan, Tom Morgan. Debbie and Jorge Cueva for making everything run smoothly.
Congratulations to all the volunteers at South Central for a job well done.
Volunteers Collect Signatures of More than Ten Percent of Registered Voters in California
- Supporters of Ross Perot have performed a remarkable feat. In approximately six weeks time, volunteers scoured their local cities. towns and hamlets to collect signatures from 10.37% of the registered voters in California. This is more than ten times the amount required by the state of California to place Ross Perot's name on the ballot in November. From tiny Alpine County, with 678 registered voters to humongus Los Angeles County with 3,255,482 registered voters, volunteers took the initiative to organize themselves, make game plans to collect signatures, raise money to cover their expenses, design pins, t-shirts, flyers, hats, bumperstickers, and generally work with a fervor America's pre-emminent pollster Daniel Yankelovich said he hasn't seen the likes of in his fifty years in the business. Congratulations to you one and all.
The following is a
reporting of the number of signatures collected and
percentage of registered voters fer each county where
the break-down was available.
| Alpine |
176 |
26.00% |
| Amador |
3,878 |
23.20% |
| Butte |
12,632 |
13.00% |
| Calavaras |
3,802 |
20.50% |
| Colusa |
803 |
12.00% |
| Del Norte |
1,382 |
13.00% |
| El Dorado |
10,721 |
14.70% |
| Fresno |
23,638 |
8.40% |
| Glenn |
1,299 |
12.00% |
| Humboldt |
5,123 |
8.00% |
| Kern |
13,060 |
5.80% |
| Kings |
2,719 |
8.50% |
| Lake |
3,175 |
13.00% |
| Lassen |
816 |
7.00% |
| Los Angeles |
301,230 |
9.25% |
| Madera |
2,838 |
3.40% |
| Mariposa |
1,284 |
14.10% |
| Mendocino |
5,454 |
13.00% |
| Merced |
4,060 |
6.40% |
| Modoc |
212 |
4.00% |
| Napa |
9,151 |
16.00% |
| Nevada |
7,980 |
16.00% |
| Placer |
8,000 |
8.00% |
| Plumas |
2,173 |
20.00% |
| Sacramento |
21,406 |
4.00% |
| San Joaquin |
16,844 |
8.30% |
| Shasta |
11,200 |
15.00% |
| Stanislaus |
13,351 |
8.30% |
| Sutter |
2,181 |
7.00% |
| Tehama |
1,759 |
7.00% |
| Toulame |
2,318 |
8.50% |
| Trinity |
446 |
6.00% |
| Tulare |
6,820 |
5.90% |
| Yolo |
2,557 |
4.00% |
| Yuba |
983 |
5.00% |
The Area totals were as follows:
Upper Northern California - 135,851
Bay Region - 328,559
Central Valley - 105,506
Southern California - 838-792
Grand Total - 1,408-708
Why I Broke with the Democrats
by Hamilton Jordan
Washington Post June 7, 1992
A story about my possibly joining the Perot campaign
prompted a rash of calls from old Democratic friends
living "inside the Beltway."
Some warned that I would be "helping
to elect Bush" while others fretted that I did not know
Perot's detailed position on the issues. One said that
Perot is enjoying the benefit of being an "empty
vessel" for the frustrations of the American people and
would collapse "like a souffle" once his views are
known. Almost all mentioned the "constitutional crisis"
that would surely result from a deadlocked electoral
college. "How will he govern? What will a Perot
presidency look like?" Few were even willing to consider
that Perot had any new ideas or special talents to offer
the American people. Let me deal with these objections
one at a time.
Helping Bush Win?
I made my decision to support Ross Perot without regard
to the electoral consequences, because I do not believe
that it makes any real difference whether Governor
Clinton is elected or President Bush is reelected.
Our great country is in trouble. The answer to our
problems is not likely to come from either major party,
because the nomination processes of both exag
(Continued on page 4, column 2)
Stonperz, MC. David Comegys introduced the following speakers: Bern Moses; Carol Castle and Dave Geer from San Joaquin County; Louise Timmer from Sacramento; Nilda Roth; Bob Hayden, California State Chairman and Casey Kelly. Sacramento/Sierra Regional Coordinator. They were joined by nine-year old Jena Castle who realized her dream by joining Ross at the podium to deliver her own prepared speech.
As Petition Coordinators Ewa lnglot and Kathy Kelly carried Sacramento County's "box of petitions" to be filed. Kelly's five-year old daughter, Sarah, placed a blue star on the huge U.S. map. The blue star will be replaced by a red star when the petitions have been certified.
Vice Admiral James Stockdale introduced Ross Perot as the band struck "California Here I Come." As Mr. Perot was met with a thunderous ovtion from the crowd of over 7,000 as he took the stage.
Mr. Perot spoke about the political pros underestimating the will and desire of the people to push this drive along. "They said you couldn't do it, but you did it!... We got it with your brains, your wits, your creative ability ... Hopefully someday they will figure out how much talent and ability there is out there in grassroots America [and] start listening to you and stop listening to the lobbyists running up and down the hall." In response to criticism that he is trying to buy the election. Ross said "Yes it's true, and it's because the people can't afford it."
Mr. Perot expressed his gratitude to the many volunteers and asked that they "not leave me all alone in Washington, D.C." after the election.
Volunteers in the Sacramento regional office said they worked overtime getting ready for Mr. Perot's visit. "We'll take it easy for a couple of days," said Jim Turpen, Sacramento County Coordinator, "then it's right back to the business of "Ross for Boss."
Newsletter June 19, 1992 Page 4
Q&A
These are questions and answers taken from an interview by Barry Golson and Peter Ross Range of TV Guide.
Q: Let's talk about your controversial remarks to Barbara Walters. Some felt they were honest expressions of your morality, but others took them to be expressions of intolerance.
A:. In what area?
Q: Well, intolerance of gays on your staff if you become President.
A:. Wait a minute. What about gays on my staff?
Q: You said you wouldn't hire someone for a high Cabinet post who was openly gay.
A:. Excuse me, is there any chance you would go back and look at the tape of the show?
Q: We did.
A:. You didn't paraphrase what I said. I was asked if I would hire a Secretary of Treasury who was gay. I think I said, "Probably not, because we would have major distractions." My mind was on the topic that Barbara and I were just discussing, the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings--where two people were just destroyed for partisan reasons. My thought was, would I put a person through that? That wasn't moralizing, it was hard-headed thinking.
Now the real test is, have I ever had a policy in my business against hiring homosexuals? Nobody asked me that.
Q: Let's ask that now.
A:. The answer is no. Have I ever had homosexuals working fer me? Yes. They were bright, they were talented, they were able. This was in their private lives. The point being, I have said again and again that what people do in their private lives is their own business. I've said I would intensify AIDS research ...
Q: You say all candidates should be asked the same questions. Given your strong views, have you been asked by the media about being unfaithful, as Clinton was?
A:. Yes. In a mob of 100 reporters, microphones threatening my teeth, they yelled, "Have you ever been unfaithful to your wife?" I said. "No." "Ever been unfaithful or used marijuana? "No." They yelled "Which one?" So I said, "No. No."
Q: Would you hire someone who'd used marijuana?
A:. I don't know. I'd have to know more detail.
Q: Someone who'd experimented in the late '60s or early '70s, as Clinton did.
A:. You mean a one-time pot-user in college? Not even worth talking about. More than that? I'd have to see case by case. The main thing is, "Is the person a mature, stable person who can give 100 to the job?"
Now, what's the relevance here?
(Cont'd from page 3,Jordan)
gerate the influence of interest groups. reward extreme positions, produce a public discourse that is irrelevant to the average citizen and create a cynicism about the political process that discourages participation.
This badly flawed system has produced two good, well-intentioned men whose public careers havc been spent working on the margins of our problems at a time when our core problems grow exponentially worse. Does anyone believe that four years from now, under either a Bush or a Clinton administration, that the budget deficit will be significantly reduced, that our schools will be better or that our problem of decaying infrastructure will be addressed?
I believe simply that the possibilities of a Perot presidency are more promising and compelling than the certainties of a Clinton or Bush presidency.
Partisan Differences Today are Moot
While there are real policy differences between Bush and Clinton, those traditional partisan differences are moot as long as the federal budget deficit persists and grows. Government today at every level is preoccupied with debt management. (The robust town, city or state that is using its resources to promote growth, provide jobs and to solve human problems is the dramatic exception today - not the rule.)
The federal debt has come to represent in both real and symbolic terms the failure of our system and our leadership to develop national consensus to solve the problems. Traditional partisan arguments about how to divide the pie are moot when there is no pie left to divide.
The Empty Vessel Argument
Ross Perot, this argument goes, has reaped the benefit of the anger and frustrations of the American people without telling them what he will do. "No more free ride, Ross," the pundits warn." "Sooner or later, they chortle, "the American people will catch on and will become equally disillusioned with you."
Simply by identifying the national debt as the central issue facing the American people and a test of national will and discipline, Perot has pushed the federal deficit to the top of the national agenda and stimulated a healthy debate that prompted an immediate partisan demand for Perot to present a detailed budget.
Bush - having been part of the leadership of three administrations that have quadrupled the national debt - tells us now that the real answer to our problem is a balanced budget amendment. Clinton, by refusing to say "no" or even "maybe" to the special interest groups that clutter the campaign trail, has severely limited his options for dealing with the deficit.
The American people will know where Ross Perot stands on this and other core issues well in advance of the November elections. In the meantime, better to be accused of being an empty vessel than to be seen as a vessel full of empty promises.
The political establishment and the pundits talk in sinister tones about a deadlocked electoral college and the impending "constitutional crisis." Hogwash! Our Constitution does not even mention the Democratic or Republican parties. This great political document has withstood the test of time only because it provides us a process for electing our presidents built on the shared values of our people. Having endured the great Civil War, the Great Depression, two world wars and the Cold War, our nation will certainly survive the presidential election going to the House of Representatives for the third time in our history.
Yes, there will be politics involved if the election goes to the House of Representatives. Have you ever read of the horse trading and compromising at the Constitutional Convention? But it will all take place under the watchful eye of the press and the American people. Democracy is not particularly tidy and often appears sloppy, but it usually yields a result that is based on common sense of the American people.
What Will a Perot Presidency Be Like?
Can Ross Perot work within the political system? Can an independent candidate without government experience build and shape a national political consensus and translate that consensus into effective action? How will he work with Congress?
I cannot answer these legitimate questions with any precision, but would suggest that the answer lies in understanding the man and the phenomenon that he has spawned. It is a movement instead of a campaign - a revolution instead of a mere election.
A Perot administration will strive fer major reforms instead of incremental change and would be built on the simple premise that our national purpose is to create a bright future for our children instead of short-term pleasures for ourselves.
The shared hopes and frustrations of the American people have found their positive expression in a plain-talking man from Texas whose real-life experiences strongly suggest to me that he will be different, highly innovative. very bold and ultimately successful in leading our country.
To underestimate him as a candidate or as a possible president is to underestimate the American people.
Hamilton Jordan was Jimmy Carter's campaign manager in 1976 and 1980 and is currently a co-chairman of the Perot campaign.
Copyright © 2023 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in
Action. 