Critics: CA Union Using Identity-Theft Scare Tactics to Trick Voters
- Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:03pm by
Billy Hallowell
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- A new, controversial organization called Californians Against Identity Theft has launched (CAIT)
- Opponents claim CAIT is a front group for unions in the battle against pension reform
- Critics also say CAIT is exploiting citizen fears about identity theft so they do not support ballot measures
The 2012 political season is beginning to heat up. The evidence is apparent in California, where signature gatherers are hitting the pavement in an effort to gain support for various ballot measures.
But a new group that claims to be working to protect citizens from identity theft is creating some angst over allegations that it is attempting to discourage Californians from engaging in the democratic process. Critics claim that the purported citizen protection group is actually a front organization crafted by a building trade union.
The drama unfolded last week when a curious radio campaign and web site emerged, telling voters that signing petitions in support of state and local ballots increases the risk of personal identity theft. The new group disseminating this message — Californians Against Identity Theft (CAIT) — is under fire for allegedly exploiting citizen fears and misleading the general public. On the group’s web site, the following mission statement is presented:
Identity theft has reached crisis proportions in the U.S. Californians must be protected against the theft of identity that may take years to restore often with irreparable harm to the victim. It is our goal to inform the public of the dangerous practices that allow for their identity to be stolen. Our elected officials and enforcement agencies must make a priority of stopping the destruction of our lives by thieves who steal our identities. But for now, it is up to us to protect ourselves against these predators!
Seems like a noble cause, no? But, while these words seem reasonable — even palatable — some consumer advocates are blasting CAIT for having hidden, pro-union motives. Furthermore, others are perplexed by the group’s refusal to disclose its backers.
Last week, San Francisco’s KGO-TV covered what it called CAIT’s “un-substantiated warning” that signing petitions can be dangerous to one’s identity. Below, find some of the radio ad’s text, which clearly discourages the signing of ballot initiatives, touting the bizarre claim that one’s identity may be stolen and sent to India:
- Female voice: Ugh, I just got back from the supermarket and those push signature gatherers are back.
- Male Voice: Oh hunny, please. Tell me you didn’t sign their petitions?
- Female Voice: Well, yes. I did. Is there a problem?
- Male Voice: You know, you put yourself at risk to identity theft…California doesn’t license or bond signature gatherers. Many of them are from out of state and move from city to city to carry petitions…anyone can do it. Even convicted felons and forgers.
- Female Voice: You mean I may have given my information to a criminal?
- Male voice: That’s right. I even read that names and addresses on petitions were sent to other countries, including India.
- Female voice: Who knows what they did with it.
- Male voice: The legislature called it an identity theft starter kit.
Listen to the ad for yourself, below:
It is these words and their intended meaning that have some up in arms. One of these critics, Tony Manolatos, who serves as a spokesperson for the Comprehensive Pension Reform campaign, writes, “This is nothing more than a labor front-group playing upon people’s fears.” Derek Cressman, western regional director for Common Cause mirrored this statement, saying, “It sounds like they’re trying to intimidate people from exercising what is a constitutional right.”
At the heart of the debate is a local measure that would filter most San Diego city employees to a 401k-style plan rather than a pension. In order to get the measure onto the 2012 ballot, by this upcoming October, supporters need to collect 94,000 more signatures from the city’s nearly 629,000 registered voters. Some allege that the union coalition behind CAIT is exploiting identity theft through this newly-formed venture to scare people into not supporting the measure.
On Thursday, the Miami Herald reported that San Diego councilman, Carl DeMaio, sent a complaint letter to the Fair Political Practices Commission to address his concerns. DeMaio, who is supporting an effort to push for a local pension-reform measure, alleges that CAIT is violating state disclosure laws and ”knowingly using false information to alarm voters and stifle the constitutionally protected rights of individuals.” Via a written response, the commission has declined to open an investigation.
The councilman also sent a separate letter to Attorney General Kamala Harris, asking for an investigation into the advertisement and other activities that he believes are hampering the rights of San Diego voters. The Herald sums the brewing controversy up as follows:
The timing sparked questions about whether the real goal of the campaign is to derail efforts to qualify measures circulating for local or statewide elections.
Kevin Dayton, a lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors of California, said he believes the union is targeting three local measures to ban project labor agreements that typically favor unionized workers for publicly funded projects, including an effort seeking to qualify in Sacramento.
The Sacramento Bee reports that CAIT’s backers have been relatively silent. Bob Balgenorth, the president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California has been quoted as saying that he is not directly involved in the project and that it was formed by “some other people” (and he claims he doesn’t know all of the people behind it). The Bee has more:
But Balgenorth is listed as a principal officer on the committee’s statement of organization, which identifies its primary sponsors as the building trades union and the California State Pipe Trades Council. The two other officers of the committee, who were listed elsewhere as the president and secretary of Californians Against Identity Theft, also have ties to the building trades union.
The San Diego Union-Tribune claims that CAIT’s web site is registered to the same phone number and address as the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California. The Union-Tribune, contrary to the Bee, reports that Balgenorth does, indeed, financially support the effort. Additionally, he helped to organize it and believes the concern espoused in the radio ad is real. When it comes to signature gatherers, he is quoted as saying:
“They are bounty hunters. It is the wild west out there. You don’t want to take away the rights of voters to put an initiative on the ballot, but you have to have transparency.”
And, Tony Adams, secretary-treasurer for CAIT, agreed with this assessment, but elevated the rhetoric, claiming:
“I think the public is largely unaware of the seamy underbelly of paid signature collectors and the abuses that can occur and our goal is to shed a light on these problems.”
Roger Salazar, a spokesman for CAIT, (who has, coincidentally, worked for a number of Democratic candidates and causes) explains that the group has filed as a political committee. He also explains:
“There‘s no issue from our end of disclosing our donors and we’re going to do so as required by law. And I think we have every right to talk about the potential abuses there in the initiative process.”
Salazar also took on DeMaio’s complaint letter, calling it “political grandstanding.” You can read CAIT’s 34-page response to DeMaio’s quest for the case to be further examined here.
This is not the only alleged example of a labor union involved in an anti-ballot initiative. The SEUI, though it has denied involvement in CAIT’s formation and operation, has a separate initiative going on in California called “Think Before You Ink.”
In the end, CAIT’s statements about ballot measures leading to stolen identities are certainly questionable. Usually, Social Security numbers lead to identity theft, whereas ballots do not ask signatories for such sensitive information. Typically, they only require that citizens share their names and addresses. Considering revelations about the campaign, CAIT’s next moves will certainly be under heavy media scrutiny.
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Comments (88)
Gypsy123
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:12pmAs usual Liberals the party of deceit.
Report Post »pschlentz
Posted on August 5, 2011 at 12:50amYou know how it works with Libs, if you can’t win, CHEAT!
Report Post »Whatever you do, don’t turn on the light, these slimy basta#ds don’t want the truth exposed. Wow, what a way to “win”…
matt708
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:11pmthe doj needs to look into this a it pertains to voters rights. Unions such as well as it’s leaders who are punks and cowards
Report Post »Ben41281
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 3:47pmAre you joking. The DOJ, the Obama union bought and paid for DOJ, investigating a union? If that happens, just remember to look for the flying pigs. Because pigs will learn to fly before that will happen.
Report Post »Eblaze44
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 6:25pmYou are talking about the Socialist State of California that is controlled by the Socialist Democrat Party – It’s kind of like asking Attorney General Holder to investigate and bring the “New Black Panthers” to court. Ain’t gonna happen – at least not until after this election cycle.
Report Post »OkiePatriot
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:08pmEver heard of a phone book? Your name, number and address are in there also! Does that mean everyone in the phone book is subject to identy theft? People who fall for this have no common sense!
Report Post »olddog
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:05pmI’ve worked in Unions, And They are Useless and destructive to America, Don’t give me the bull about what unions have done for this country, what Unions have done is run jobs from this country and continue to do so.. Let’s get rid of unions and bring jobs back to America…
Report Post »Yaakov
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:01pmRead this article as the Left attempting to put you against valid threats to your safety. in the article I find no untruths being stated regarding the danger, threats to your security, the lack of protect from law enforcement, government has not performed any steps to protect your Identity or catching and stopping or for the correction of errors generated by the theft of identities. You are fully responsible for doing it yourself and bearing the financial cost.
So exactly what has this new organization done that is a problem in the article?
Report Post »Hefsmaster
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:07pmI was labeled paranoid for years for burning my mail. Lo and behold i was still a victim. As for paying it,not a chance. Just wait until you get caught up in a nightmare. Your tune will change.
Report Post »bhelmet
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:01pmUnion members are so lame in CA that my brother and some friends were hired by a union to picket a car dealership. Couldn’t get their own people, I guess. Instead hired 18 year olds to do their dirty work. OH YEAH – paid them under the table as well!!!!!
Report Post »junior1971
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:57pm“redbeard” thinks that we would be living like slaves and cavemen if not for unions. What a Dope!
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:52pmCommunists will do anything to destroy the capitalist system and this is another example of their tactics.They knew years ago they couldn’t defeat us on the battlefield so they infiltrated the unions and environmentalist movement.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:52pmHi Again!
In admiration of those Christians who slay progressives, and especially the Norwegians, I salute you.
Progressive Slayers Rock
Report Post »TEA
progressiveslayer
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 3:19pmMonicne you seem to have an attraction to my writings,I can hardly blame you,you’re trying to work your way out of the fog of progressivism,you’re confused and disoriented with years of misinformation drilled into you.
Read books by Milton Freidman,Thomas Sowell and the writings of George Whitfield.Disregard anything by Marx & Engels it’s nonsense that leads to mass murder.
Report Post »tom
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:39pmThe thugs follow you home, according to Andy Stern. Please follow me home thugs!
Report Post »alaskajohn
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:43pmHeck they don”t have to follow me all the way home and waste all that gas, just a few miles out of town would work just fine, (I live 30 miles in the bush).
Report Post »alaskajohn
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:37pmThese people used to call me scab,rat and I had coffee thrown on me, once in front of a cop, for crossing a picket line. I bore it all with a smile and took a paycheck home every week to feed my family. Eventually they became fewer and fewer and couldn’t look you in the eye anymore, especially on payday. Unions and people raised in a union culture seem to fall into a tribal or group mentality when threatened. Because they never had to fight a big crisis alone, they lack the American independence and self reliance that has separated the U.S. from the rest of the world since our inception. The unions and the other left fringe groups have been slowly turning us into Europe for most of my life, but they used to be more subtle. We fought a war to separate ourselves from Europe, and if I recall, that war was started by the tea party
Report Post »redyanqui
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:43pmlol. you do know that without unions wages would be low and there would be no benefits or safety regulations? crossing a picket line is like slapping your co-workers in the face. It also means you are in defense of capital and willing to fight your co-workers.
Also, more like Europe? The war of independence was financed by France which at the time was an absolute monarchy.
Report Post »mml35
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:50pmhey unions are a tool being used by the communist……google communist goals 1963 then tell me who the real Americans are
Report Post »redyanqui
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:57pmmaybe its because communists actually believe workers are worth more than just a source of labor? that workers are human beings?
even then though, organized labor in the US sides with the liberals even though liberals are stabbing them in the back, just like the liberals lie to students and immigrants.
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 2:05pm@redyanqui
Report Post »“lol. you do know that without unions wages would be low and there would be no benefits or safety regulations? crossing a picket line is like slapping your co-workers in the face.”
Actually crossing a picket lines means that you are not going to kiss up to the thugs, criminals and wannabe thugs that run the unions. There is absolutely NOTHING honorable, honest or good about them. They stand against against anything that is good for this country as long as it is good for them. Non-union lawyers, IRS agents and TSA people are miles above anything union. There is NOTHING lower than unions, the enemies of freedom, equality, truth and honesty. I truly cannot think of anything that is lower than a union except satan and that would be a close race. End ALL unions NOW!!!
redyanqui
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 4:40pmill see you on the other side of the barricades then.
honestly. who gives a damn about a country that doesn’t give a damn about the people who actually do all the work?
“waaah waaah our country, the nation, the fatherland!” but but but our values!
if you watched me market today, you’d see those values come tumbling down. Capitalism contradicts itself. And when it cannot over come these contradictions it goes into crisis. Its not some evil ploy by some hungarian capitalist or a man from chicago.
Report Post »nysparkie
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:33pmThugs and liars. Usurpers. Lousy left socialists and unsurpers. Violators of decency and true humanity.
Report Post »DIP WADS
Pigfarmer
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:32pmComie tactics….
Report Post »W@nd@
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:28pmWhy all of a sudden do we have this mess worsening? …
Report Post »Does it have anything to do with new rules and regs…
put in place by obama’s drone henchmen?
Seems every area they mess with,
it comes with a whole NEW set of issues (with it )!
Have you noticed ANYONE?
Whostolemypig
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:27pmEnd the union dues tax loophole.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:27pm.
Report Post »I’m still waiting on the Mother of all Quakes to shake that place into the Pacific……
johnj1952
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 9:26pmIt hit Japan instead, but the ring of fire will get to them sooner or later.
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:26pmAre you a racist who hates freedom and choice? Are you excited when you hear the State has restricted other people’s freedoms?
Look for the Union Label.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:55pmI will look for the MADE IN The USA label, but if it is union made the price will probley be too high.
Report Post »IntegrityFirst
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:26pmI’ll send India a phone book, er, I mean identity theft starter kit. It’s the same thing. All they would get would be names and addresses, JUST like a phone book.
Report Post »OleTom
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:25pmObamas Exclusive George Soros Waivers
Report Post »Millionaires and billionaires, President Obama says derisively, must make more sacrifices.HEY why did Soros get a Free Pass ?? Find out More
http://our-motivation.co.cc/Utube/soros.php
sWampy
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:19pmIdentity theft could almost be stopped dead in it’s tracks if they would just close down the big credit reporting agencies, and go back to the old tried and true methods of determining someone’s credit worthiness. The big 3 sell your personal information to banks, trade it with other creditors with very few rules in place to protect the consumers, and then use extortion techniques to get you to pay them to protect your credit. It ****** me off to no end, that anyone with my name, birthday, zip code, and ssn can walk into almost anywhere and in 10 minutes max walk out with 10k or more worth of merchandise billed to me.
Report Post »JMorcan
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:43pmWhy aren’t the agencies sued for libel when this happens? At the very least, the SSA should issue a new card when someone’s number is tainted through no fault of their own.
Report Post »Shotgun167
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 6:05pmIt would be easier than that. Simply require the agency to send me a copy of my report whenever they send it to someone else. Obviously, they already have all the information they need to reach me. That way I can see when someone is requesting the information and verify that it is correct.
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:19pmI expect some of the union thugs to start physically assaulting conservatives and right to work people in the very near future…there are only 15 months for the marxists to give it their all to re-elect their dictator. And if you happen to be a victim of the thugs, be prepared to be charged with hitting their clubs and fists with your face.
Report Post »Hope and change…
Jaycen
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:29pmHonestly, I‘m shocked it hasn’t happened more already. When announcement of Obama’s win came out, I told my friends, “You’ve just cast your last vote in a Presidential election.”
15 months is a long time, and he’s done so much already. He’s got a bunch of radicals who support him, and they have no qualms about becoming violent.
Report Post »the hawk
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:34pmCount on it ! Union=Mafia thugs the Doj wont touch and Cops are Unionized…………POLICE STATE!!!
Report Post »Are the ATF & FBI Unionized ? ? ? IF SO CAN ANYONE explan how this could in anyway be good for the people they Enforce !
Cherynn
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:17pmThe party of lie, cheat and steal. This is what they do, no suprises here.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:15pmSo what did you expect from a union, integrity and high moral stances? They’re unions for goodness sakes!
Report Post »SacredHonor1776
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:11pmMy identity was stolen, and it as by the Democrats… Someone out there must have voted in my place using an absentee ballot… I never requested an absentee ballot, and the absentee ballot never reached my house. But I was told it was sent out!
Then they let me vote thinking it was some kind of error. But I suspect the Democrats stole my identity, and voted using absentee ballot… I even voted against the Democrats… Let’s just say after that I left the Democratic party… There will be no going back…
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:09pmWhat else is new? I will not be shocked to find if the Unions are linked directly to the ID Theft rings anyhow. http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm (cat folk gallery)
Report Post »OneofMany
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:42pmLOL ,.. that was funny… I know it shouldn’t be, but I can actually see that being the case! Unions Steal your identity and siphon money to support their cause and if challenged have your signature on a union ballot sign up sheet!!!!! They are struggling and will do anything to stay alive..
Report Post »LadyIzShy
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:09pmanything to keep people from having a voice in government
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:14pmSeems California is the belly of sleazy politics these days!! Unions reign and citizens lose.
Report Post »getalong
Posted on August 4, 2011 at 1:14pmlying, deceit, all part of the plan by progressives. Their goal is to take our rights away – not protect them. American people better wake up soon and they will wake up one day and find themselves living in Russia!!!!!!!!!! Defeat progressives in 2012!!!!
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