I had to resign my post as Asst. Organizer on 2 Meetups

[derdy]

Due to the fact I have official campaign documents!! mwhahahaha

[Rede]

huh?

[pacelli]

Due to the fact I have official campaign documents!! mwhahahaha

This is the campaign's way of bringing more people on board. Just have your entire meet-up sign up as precinct captains, the meetup will function much better this way in terms of planning.

[derdy]

huh?

I was given a spreadsheet with all the people in my county that signed up at ronpaul2008.com.

So, I can't plan anything or communicate through meetup, although I can still get people's email addresses from meetup put them in Outlook and create a DL. :D

[Sandra]

It's not official documents, just public info for canvassing.

[derdy]

It's not official documents, just public info for canvassing.

No, it's official. It's not what you get when you sign as a precinct captain.

This was given to me by the MO state coordinator along with an email from one of the campaign's attorney's.

[stewie3128]

It's not official documents, just public info for canvassing.

The Voter Vault db isn't public information.

[kirkblitz]

who makes voter databases? How come only official campaigns have them, some secret government organization? Can ordinary people buy them?

[WilliamC]

I'm confused. Can't you just not share that information? Why do you have to dissociate yourself from the meetups? Do they not trust you?

[firebirdnation]

Does that mean you can no longer post or coordinate here as a grassroots supporter?

[ShowMeLiberty]

Is this more "secret plan" stuff? Or just more "I know things that you don't know and I can't tell you" kind of stuff?

It's like little kids running around going, "I know a secret, I know a secret, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha." It's all really annoying and in all honesty it is counterproductive. It's demotivating for everyone who isn't "allowed" to know whatever the hell it is.

If you can't talk about it - Don't bring it up! :mad:

Thank you.

[exer51]

FYI if I were you I'd just contact whoever the hell I wanted to through meetup still. Our state coordinator here in Washington uses Meetup so I see NO reason why you can't.

[derdy]

I'm confused. Can't you just not share that information? Why do you have to dissociate yourself from the meetups? Do they not trust you?

I COULD share the information, but I don't want to give a bunch of personal information submitted at https://www.ronpaul2008.com/join/

I don't have to disassociate from the meetups, but I can't plan any events and communicating through meetup is frowned upon. I'm taking everyone's emails addy's and plugging them into my contacts.

The reason I got the information is because they trust me and I've been doing some good work aorund here. Taking the bull by the horns if you will.;)

Basically, I'm coordinating our resources to get an optimal turn out for Ron Paul in St. Charles County.

[derdy]

Does that mean you can no longer post or coordinate here as a grassroots supporter?


No. This is a free and open forum. Meetup, on the other hand, pools money so it's gets tricky with FEC regulations.

[derdy]

Is this more "secret plan" stuff? Or just more "I know things that you don't know and I can't tell you" kind of stuff?

It's like little kids running around going, "I know a secret, I know a secret, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha." It's all really annoying and in all honesty it is counterproductive. It's demotivating for everyone who isn't "allowed" to know whatever the hell it is.

If you can't talk about it - Don't bring it up! :mad:

Thank you.

Uh, I guess you didn't read my FOURTH post. Maybe you should read before getting all nasty.

[John P Slevin]

I'm confused. Can't you just not share that information? Why do you have to dissociate yourself from the meetups? Do they not trust you?

It is just compliance with laws regulating use of voter registration information plus campaign finance regulations.

In many jurisdictions, you sign a statement when you purchase voter lists, specifying how it will be used; any other use is punishable. Lists often are "salted" with names so it can be proven if they are misused.

Plus, you wouldn't want the campaign being loose with data anyway.

The campaign has to comply and anyone who uses the data from the campaign signs a statement so the campaign can have a record that they protected the use of the data.

[LiberalDemForRP]

So, uh, what's the intention of this thread? To gloat? Not sure I understand.


I COULD share the information, but I don't want to give a bunch of personal information submitted at https://www.ronpaul2008.com/join/

I don't have to disassociate from the meetups, but I can't plan any events and communicating through meetup is frowned upon. I'm taking everyone's emails addy's and plugging them into my contacts.

The reason I got the information is because they trust me and I've been doing some good work aorund here. Taking the bull by the horns if you will.

Basically, I'm coordinating our resources to get an optimal turn out for Ron Paul in St. Charles County.

[UtahApocalypse]

No. This is a free and open forum. Meetup, on the other hand, pools money so it's gets tricky with FEC regulations.

meetup is not part of the Ron Paul PCC. I think your being overly cautious. As long as you do not give out any detail that are from the PCC you should not have to leave your meetup position, unless you had to sign documents with the PCC that are for staff type positions

[derdy]

I'm just excited is all.

No gloating.

[John P Slevin]

who makes voter databases? How come only official campaigns have them, some secret government organization? Can ordinary people buy them?

In a word, "yes", ordinary people are the only ones who buy them (dogs and birds are prohibited :))

But in many jurisdictions, you must list an affiliation, and in most places you have to fill-out forms, name officers, etc. It's standard stuff, any PAC can buy the data, and research organizations.

In some places you still can order them without many hurdles...last time I ordered lists in Colorado, I did it over the phone and a few hours later went down and grabbed the CD which was waiting for me, no forms, no questions asked, etc. But Colorado was the exception to the general rule.

In some places, voter data actually is online...check-out Clark county Nevada (Las Vegas---last I looked it still was online, and Harris County Texas also was online, with an abbreviated version of their lists).

[CelestialRender]

Is this more "secret plan" stuff? Or just more "I know things that you don't know and I can't tell you" kind of stuff?

It's like little kids running around going, "I know a secret, I know a secret, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha." It's all really annoying and in all honesty it is counterproductive. It's demotivating for everyone who isn't "allowed" to know whatever the hell it is.

If you can't talk about it - Don't bring it up! :mad:

Thank you.

Exactly. I don't bring up the stuff I can't talk about. :p

[ckhagen]

I signed the NDA and have a copy of that list as well. I'm also a Meetup assistant (well, actually organizer if you count the fact that the listed organizer isn't active in our area anymore). I was never told I had to drop that post. Just that you can't use the names on that list to attempt to grow your meetup, just the other way around. You're way overthinking the importance of that. You can't disclose those names to anyone, but you definitely don't have to stop your grassroots presence in lieu of it.

[derdy]

I signed the NDA and have a copy of that list as well. I'm also a Meetup assistant (well, actually organizer if you count the fact that the listed organizer isn't active in our area anymore). I was never told I had to drop that post. Just that you can't use the names on that list to attempt to grow your meetup, just the other way around. You're way overthinking the importance of that. You can't disclose those names to anyone, but you definitely don't have to stop your grassroots presence in lieu of it.

I'm not overthinking anything. This is from the campaign's attorney.


Your notion that MeetUp groups engage in independent expenditures is incorrect. The pooling of money among group members is by definition not an independent expenditure. An IE is when an individual spends his or her own money without pooling it with other's money.



If MeetUp groups are troubled by our lack of support and promotion, just let them know that because some meetup groups are raising and spending money independent of the campaign, we cannot coordinate activity with them . . . hopefully, this will suffice.



Here's some text I sent elsewhere a while back and hope it helps:



I don't believe any official campaign staff member should be a member of or promote a MeetUp group and, at a minimum, said staff member should definitely never be more than a member. In the event that MeetUp groups are raising and spending money to influence the election or defeat of federal candidates, they are subject to certain FEC registration and reporting requirements. My guess is that some of the groups are not in compliance. This, of course, is their problem UNLESS the official campaign is, in any way, coordinating or directing their activity. In this situation, their problem becomes our problem. It will be very difficult to argue that an official campaign staff member who is also a MeetUp group leader is not coordinating the activities of that MeetUp group. Therefore, no official staffer should be a MeetUp group leader.



While an official campaign staffer could tap into a MeetUp group (just as they could tap into a gun club) to look for INDIVIDUAL OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS, MeetUp groups should never be directed by the campaign to do anything. Any individuals recruited to be official campaign volunteers should be reminded that they are acting in the capacity of individual volunteers to the official campaign and are not engaged in a MeetUp group activity. We insist on the RP 2008 PCC campaign website's "Get Involved" page that those joining MeetUp groups should also register their contact information with the Official Campaign so the Official Campaign can stay in touch with them.



Again, the campaign should never be directing the outside groups which are raising and spending money to do anything.



Our meetup just raised $10K for the billboards in STL. That's probably why this is being advised.

[rightcoast]

The original poster received a list of people who are not in meetups, but of donors and personal supporters of Paul's from the campaign. I have heard of these lists. Make the most of it. :)

[free.alive]

derdy,

you don't have to do that. but there's also no reason to be discussing any details here. pm please.

[WilliamC]

I COULD share the information, but I don't want to give a bunch of personal information submitted at https://www.ronpaul2008.com/join/

I don't have to disassociate from the meetups, but I can't plan any events and communicating through meetup is frowned upon. I'm taking everyone's emails addy's and plugging them into my contacts.

The reason I got the information is because they trust me and I've been doing some good work aorund here. Taking the bull by the horns if you will.;)

Basically, I'm coordinating our resources to get an optimal turn out for Ron Paul in St. Charles County.

That sounds reasonable. I thought you were saying you could no longer even talk to people from the meetup groups, but I now understand you can just no longer have an official leadership role since you are using privlidged campaign information obtained by official campaign money, and there are legal ramifications about mingling that with the grassroots money.

Keep up the good work sir.

[freelance]

Is this more "secret plan" stuff? Or just more "I know things that you don't know and I can't tell you" kind of stuff?

It's like little kids running around going, "I know a secret, I know a secret, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha." It's all really annoying and in all honesty it is counterproductive. It's demotivating for everyone who isn't "allowed" to know whatever the hell it is.

If you can't talk about it - Don't bring it up! :mad:

Thank you.

I sounds like it's more McCain/Feingold or McCain/Feingold paranoia. He stated what the documents are. Let's not rush to shoot the messenger.

[speciallyblend]

derdy,im glad your excited:) GOOD LUCK ,best wishes on all your adventures;)

[alexa doherty]

Question about this. If you get the list from hq, you can mail people info on ron paul, correct? I mean this is what the sheets are for, right?

[Paul10]

Question about this. If you get the list from hq, you can mail people info on ron paul, correct? I mean this is what the sheets are for, right?

Yes

[steve005]

Make sure you have phone numbers too, you never know what could happen to the internet

[UtahApocalypse]

I don't believe any official campaign staff member should be a member of or promote a MeetUp group and, at a minimum, said staff member should definitely never be more than a member. In the event that MeetUp groups are raising and spending money to influence the election or defeat of federal candidates, they are subject to certain FEC registration and reporting requirements. My guess is that some of the groups are not in compliance. This, of course, is their problem UNLESS the official campaign is, in any way, coordinating or directing their activity. In this situation, their problem becomes our problem. It will be very difficult to argue that an official campaign staff member who is also a MeetUp group leader is not coordinating the activities of that MeetUp group. Therefore, no official staffer should be a MeetUp group leader.



While an official campaign staffer could tap into a MeetUp group (just as they could tap into a gun club) to look for INDIVIDUAL OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS, MeetUp groups should never be directed by the campaign to do anything. Any individuals recruited to be official campaign volunteers should be reminded that they are acting in the capacity of individual volunteers to the official campaign and are not engaged in a MeetUp group activity. We insist on the RP 2008 PCC campaign website's "Get Involved" page that those joining MeetUp groups should also register their contact information with the Official Campaign so the Official Campaign can stay in touch with them.
SO as I had posted before the question is: Are you now a Official Campaign Staff Member? If so then yes you cannot be in meetup, or on these boards. We had a couple users on the forum in the past that had to leave when they became Official Staff Members If you just got a list of contacts, but are not a contracted staff (paid or unpaid) I do not see how it would apply.

[WATYF]

Our meetup just raised $10K for the billboards in STL. That's probably why this is being advised.

Hey... just noticed that you're in St. Peters. I'm right across the river in Maryland Heights. Were you a part of the St. Charles meetup? What kind of action is going on around here?


WATYF

[derdy]

SO as I had posted before the question is: Are you now a Official Campaign Staff Member? If so then yes you cannot be in meetup, or on these boards. We had a couple users on the forum in the past that had to leave when they became Official Staff Members If you just got a list of contacts, but are not a contracted staff (paid or unpaid) I do not see how it would apply.

Sorry, missed your post earlier.

No, I am not official campaign staff. I was volunteered this position from the state coordinator. If being overly cautious is in the best interest of the campaign, then I don't mind that.

[derdy]

Question about this. If you get the list from hq, you can mail people info on ron paul, correct? I mean this is what the sheets are for, right?


I look at it this way.

I'm the St. Charles County Precinct Coordinator. My job is to manage the resources available to achieve a COMPLETE victory in my county. Having the data given to me at my disposal allows me to see positively identified Ron Paul supporters in each precinct, thereby allowing me to take resources from heavily saturated areas of support and focus them on areas with not so much support.

I'm doing this guerrilla style in my parent's basement :p

[Drknows]

Due to the fact I have official campaign documents!! mwhahahaha

Congrats!