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53 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, November 29, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 9, 2003 Anti-tax petitions spark feud Watchdog group puts signature-gathering effort under microscope, which tax opponents dub ‘intimidation’ By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A watchdog group’s suggestion that signature gatherers in Medford might have criminal records has been branded "intimidation" by advocates of an anti-tax campaign. The nonprofit, union-backed Voter Education Project said it wants to alert voters in Southern Oregon that in past campaigns, petitioners have had criminal records. "The top signature gatherer (last year) in Southern Oregon has a criminal record," said spokeswoman Patty Wentz. The Medford petitioner, who continues to work for Arno Political Consultants, was found to have a criminal history that included a theft conviction, although it dated back to 1994. Advertisement Wentz said she had no knowledge whether petitioners hired for the current anti-tax initiative have criminal records. The Taxpayer Defense Fund, the group working to overturn an $800 million legislative tax hike, said these claims are just another effort by Wentz’s group to intimidate voters and petitioners. "We call it the Voter Intimidation Project," said Angela Wilhelms, campaign manager for the Wilsonville-based defense fund. "Their tactic is to tell people, ‘Don’t sign — be afraid of giving these people your signature.’ " Wilhelms said the education group has videotaped petitioners for up to three hours while they gathered signatures. The taxpayer group is receiving about $300,000 from the Washington, D.C.-based Citizens for a Sound Economy to gather the signatures. Wilhelms said her organization has hired Arno to gather some of the 50,420 valid signatures needed for the campaign. Using this company and many volunteers, Wilhelms said her group hopes to gather 75,000 to 80,000 signatures to take into account potential errors. Signatures must be gathered by Nov. 25 to refer the issue to a special Feb. 3 election. Wilhelms said she doesn’t have any knowledge of the backgrounds of people hired by Arno. "If there were criminal records involved, we would want to be made aware of it," said Wilhelms. An official from Arno could not be reached for comment. Voter Education Project organizers also claim that petitioners have given misleading information and may do so again. Wilhelms said it was ridiculous to think that petitioners would have to fabricate information to get signatures, since many Oregonians support the idea of no new taxes. "It’s a pretty cut-and-dried message," she said. Wentz denied that her group was videotaping the petitioners for hours. "It’s not true," she said. Although some videotaping has occurred, Wentz, whose organization is union-backed, said her group just wants to make sure signature gatherers are disseminating correct information. If the anti-tax people petition in front of stores or government buildings, Wentz said her workers will set up a table about 12 to 15 feet away. They plan to distribute fliers that tell people to "Think before you ink." Wilhelms said there has been significant interest from Medford area residents who have requested petitions. This area probably will have one of the highest amount of signatures behind Portland and Eugene. Wilhelms said most of the signatures will be gathered by volunteers, and she believes the campaign will be successful despite the efforts of the education project. "They are grasping at straws," said Wilhelms. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times