Document text
--> --> Man indicted for forging names on petition sheets By Brad Cain Associated Press Writer SALEM - A Multnomah County grand jury has indicted a 44-year-old man for allegedly forging voter names on petition sheets for several proposed initiatives, state officials said Wednesday. The announcement by Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and Attorney General Hardy Myers marks the second time in recent weeks that the state has pursued legal action against someone accused of forging petition signatures. A 29-year-old Alabama man pleaded guilty to that Dec. 5 and was sentenced to two years' probation. In the latest case, a six-count indictment was handed up Tuesday against James Gurga, who allegedly forged signatures on petitions for three different initiative measures aimed at the 2002 ballot. Bradbury said such activities undermine Oregon's initiative system for placing proposed laws and amendments before a vote of the people. The officials said Gurga, acting as a paid contractor, was collecting signatures for two measures that would markedly change the way Oregon's judges are elected and a third one to curb the political power of public employee unions. One of the measures, sponsored by activist Don McIntire of Gresham, would give voters a choice of "none of the above" on judicial ballots. Another of the initiatives, sponsored by victim's right advocate Steve Doell, would have state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court judges elected by geographical districts instead of statewide. The third measure, sponsored by anti-tax activist Bill Sizemore, would require employee authorization before unions could take payroll deductions for political purposes. Bradbury emphasized that the allegedly improper conduct was committed by Gurga, who is being sought by police, and that the sponsors of the three measures had done nothing wrong. "There is no evidence of that in these cases," the secretary of state said. Bradbury also said the two cases highlight the fact that paid signature gathering has dramatically changed the initiative process and created an incentive for some people to cheat by forging signatures as a way to make more money. The Voter Education Project, a union-backed group whose complaints sparked the investigations in both of the cases, began monitoring signature gatherers this fall. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing