Smacking down signature gatherer for lower taxes and charter schools

[OptimistesMaddie]

So on the Eastside of Seattle, I go to the store because I have been thinking about a Ribeye Sandwich ALL DAY LONG. I go in one door and the 1st signature gatherer asked if I wanted to sign for "Charter Schools", I said "No thanks" and went about my business. So then I leave through the other door because I am trying to avoid the guy at the other door......I will be damned if there was not another dude at the other door. So...if you don't know I am African American and so was the dude at the 2nd door....sigh...

So he asked me if I would sign and I said "No, I don't believe in Charter schools". Then he proceeded to say we need more Charter Schools because there aren't enough in the state and shouldn't the low income have access to private schools.

He also said, we have another one to keep taxes low so no one can raise them....

So I delayed my way home to eat my sandwich so I could school this signature gatherer.

Topic 1
Him: Public Schools are failing because of Unions and bad teachers
Me: Public schools are struggling because funding continues to be cut and class size continues to increase
Him: It's the Unions
Me: Unions have taken voluntary cuts and have been negotiating
Him: Well private charter schools are better
Me: Statistically speaking Charter schools perform no better than public schools, in fact many perform worse because of the incentive to have only good students and push those not performing out....
Him: Ruh Roh I don't have any more talking points - Next topic


Sigh...I am getting hungry now


2nd topic
Him: Well we need to lower taxes
Me: We no longer have the housing market to depend on as a tax base, if you stop all tax increases how will you pay for the road maintenance and other necessities?
Him: Well we have enough taxes because we have a lot of construction now
Me: That construction was being implemented because of block grants from the government
Him: You must be a manager or something

End of Conversation...Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinally I go home and have my sandwich!!!

Exhausting!!!

And Scene....

[pappy]

You give me an idea. I think I'll start carrying my iPad with me and when confronted start up the google machine, I'm not quick enough on my feet when confronted cold like that.

[OptimistesMaddie]

(06-25-2012 07:57 PM)pappy Wrote:  You give me an idea. I think I'll start carrying my iPad with me and when confronted start up the google machine, I'm not quick enough on my feet when confronted cold like that.

You could bookmark your favorite fact sites so with a touch of a key you are ready to go!

[jaxx]

You gave him something to think about OM. Good job!!!

[OptimistesMaddie]

(06-25-2012 08:36 PM)jaxx Wrote:  You gave him something to think about OM. Good job!!!

You should have seen the glazed look in his eyes!

[KonaKane]

A masterpiece of handling a miscreant. This needs to be practiced often, and loudly. The more people hear it, the better.

[OptimistesMaddie]

(06-25-2012 09:10 PM)KonaKane Wrote:  A masterpiece of handling a miscreant. This needs to be practiced often, and loudly. The more people hear it, the better.

I think the day of letting them rant and us being quiet is over. When we stand up they stand down.

[sandnsea]

Sounds like they're paid signature gatherers. A friend of my son's is up in Washington right now. He gets $4.00 a signature, sometimes makes $1,000 a week. I'd ask these people if they're getting paid before I bothered arguing the points of the petition. Unless they're working for a specific organization like PIRG or something - they probably don't care what's in the petition.

[OptimistesMaddie]

(06-25-2012 11:28 PM)sandnsea Wrote:  Sounds like they're paid signature gatherers. A friend of my son's is up in Washington right now. He gets $4.00 a signature, sometimes makes $1,000 a week. I'd ask these people if they're getting paid before I bothered arguing the points of the petition. Unless they're working for a specific organization like PIRG or something - they probably don't care what's in the petition.

The bigger concern is the people that are signing the petitions not fully understanding what they are signing!