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VOTER-ED ASSEMBLY SET FOR OCTOBER 24:
LOCATION & SPEAKERS CONFIRMED
NEWS RELEASE
October 4, 2002
"Decisions are made by
those who show up. Rock the VOTE!!!"
Enunciated by the
talented actress, Allison Janney, in the course of portraying White House
Press Secretary C.J. Craig in the NBC-TV Peabody, Emmy, and Golden Globes
Award winning “West Wing” (episode aired 10/2/02), this line of dialogue
seems to sum up the comments and agenda coalescing around the Ozark
Liberty Alliance (OLA) “Voter Education” meeting, slated for 6:00pm,
Thursday, October 24, 2002, at the Petit Jean Electric Cooperative
Community Room in Clinton, Arkansas.
According to Christine
Weiss, editor of Gozarks.com, who is temporarily serving as media liaison
for OLA, the ground swell of support for the pro/con “public information
meeting,” focused on the “Animal Cruelty” and “Ax the Tax” November ballot
initiatives, has been “amazing,” with plans and particulars for the
voter-ed assembly, first envisioned just last week, converging “almost as
if they had a mind of their own.”
The evening’s agenda
casually convenes at 6:00pm with refreshments and a “Meet & Greet.” At
7:00pm, the formal agenda begins, featuring three distinct segments:
First, during the “Soap
Box” portion, representatives of each side of both issues will have the
opportunity to give their “best 3-minute pitch” on why voters should vote
a particular way.
Next, the “Q & A Forum,"
scheduled to last about 30 minutes, gives voters the opportunity to ask
direct questions of any of the speakers while still in the group setting.
Then, at 8:00pm, the meeting shifts to a convention-like “Open Caucus”
format wherein representatives of the various issues and positions will be
available for direct interaction with individual voters.
“The agenda has been
designed to create an environment wherein voters are enabled to educate
themselves," Weiss said of the effort and credited Merl Eoff, City of
Clinton Clerk, Dee Patterson, President of the Clinton Chamber of
Commerce, and Peg Doubleday of Petit Jean Electric, for “going more than
the second mile in giving thoughtful input.”
As of press time, 3 of
the requisite 4 speakers were confirmed. On the “Arkansas
Animal Cruelty Act,” Claude “Tubby” Smith, Vice President of the
Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, will make a personal appearance
representing the “no” side of the initiative.
Lyndon Poole, head of
Citizens for a Humane Arkansas, confirmed that a representative from his
organization will address the “yes” side of this vote.
Robert Reed, Vice
Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Arkansas, has confirmed
representation in favor of “Ax
the Tax” measures. Still being sought is a representative of the “no”
side of this food-tax rescission coin. According to Weiss, however, this
confirmation is in the works.
Weiss emphasized that
the October 24 meeting is open to the public and, in accord of OLA
by-laws, will be “nonpartisan, non-political, and nonsectarian” by nature.
“Of course we can’t stop
political stumpers from showing up,” Weiss chuckled. “And though some of
us would be just as happy if we never saw a politician again, I am
personally hoping that all the local candidates who take this upcoming
election seriously will make it a point to attend. Their level of
participation with this meeting will certainly go a long way towards
swaying my vote.”
For more information
about OLA organizing efforts including the October 24 voter-ed meeting,
contact Christine Weiss,
editor@gozarks.com, 501-723-4322, or visit
www.gozarks.com/ola on the Internet.
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news
release prepared and distributed by:
Christine Louise Weiss
POBox 211, Shirley, AR 72153
HomeOffice 501-723-4322
editor@gozarks.com
Gozarks: Everything Ozarks
http://www.gozarks.com
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