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A P8TT Community Match

February 18, 2011

Community/Meta

By Adam Bink

Update: Wow. That was fast. Just wow. Thanks all. Whatever you can give above and beyond, every cent goes towards our efforts to expand this work in other states. Thanks everyone!

I’ve written before about how one of the things I love most about writing here is the community aspect. Folks helping each other out with info/links, folks meeting and falling in love, folks taking actions after their fellow community members put out a call.

This afternoon, P8TT community member Peterplumber generously offered to match any donation made from the P8TT community between now and Monday night, up to $1,000. The funds will be earmarked for our work on the ground in other states to bring the kind of success we had at pushing back on the anti-marriage equality bill yesterday in New Hampshire, pushing back hard on NOM, generating Testimony stories, contacting legislators, finding the next “voice” for an issue, and more. The thermometer above will update every 15 minutes or so.

Peter and I just spoke on the phone and he said to me,the reason I’m doing is is that the one disadvantage we have is money. NOM has more. Period. But if we get to parity or better, there’s no limit to what we can do. And we can do that.

He’s right. Match begins now. Whether you can donate $5, $10, $100 or anything in between, let’s match Peterplumber- and pull even with NOM.

Please click here to donate to our P8TT Community Match. Every dollar contributed by Monday at 11:59 PM will be matched up to $1,000.

Twitt

73 Comments Leave a Comment

  • 1. Kathleen  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:24 am

    Yay Peterplumber! This is a very generous offer and for such a great organization – Courage Campaign. Thank you for doing this, Peterplumber.

  • 2. Kathleen  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:24 am

    √

  • 3. Phillip R  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:32 am

    Donated! I think I can skip my morning Starbucks for a few weeks. :)

  • 4. John  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:35 am

    Seconded! I'd give up quite a few Starbucks to see equality. :)

  • 5. Straight for Equalit  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:38 am

    Darn! I donated too early.

  • 6. Ray in MA  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:39 am

    THANX!!! PeterPlumberMan…

    … you're an inspiration… hope I can do the same someday.

  • 7. Ronnie  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:42 am

    double that…..<3…Ronnie

  • 8. Ray in MA  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:42 am

    and THANX!!! P8TT guys too! Keep up the GOOD work.

  • 9. Richard A. Jernigan  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:47 am

    I will look and see what can be done.

  • 10. WetDog  |  February 18, 2011 at 8:55 am

    Can we do the "Send a text on your cell phone and donate $10.00" thing? I would do that every time.

  • 11. LCH  |  February 18, 2011 at 9:29 am

    Donated! Thx Peterplumber

    ♀♀=♂♂=♀♂=∑♡

  • 12. JonT  |  February 18, 2011 at 9:35 am

    ☮

  • 13. Carpool Cookie  |  February 18, 2011 at 9:36 am

    Gulp.

    Wow! I am depositing paycheck today, and will donate after.

    Thank you so much, Peter : )

  • 14. Paul in Minneapolis  |  February 18, 2011 at 9:44 am

    I'm IN — just donated!

    Thanks, Peterplumber!!!

  • 15. Mark M (Seattle)  |  February 18, 2011 at 9:52 am

    You are ALL amazing….thank you for doing this for all of us. ;-)

  • 16. Philly Karl  |  February 18, 2011 at 10:00 am

    Happy to contribute. And happy to see it doubled up to a $1,000. Thank you, PeterPlumber!

  • 17. Sagesse  |  February 18, 2011 at 10:17 am

    Donated. Good on you, PeterPlumber.

  • 18. Dave in ME  |  February 18, 2011 at 10:58 am

    This is very great and awfully generous!

    I hate to be a downer, though, but even if you have more money than they do, that does not guarantee victory. With the money needs to be actual human work. As great as it is for people to donate, I think a lot of people who donate do that so that they don't have to do anything else in the fight. I am not talking about anyone here because you all have shown so much involvement, but out there where people make a couple of clicks and think that's all that needs to be done in the fight.

    These campaigns need real people to make telephone calls, to canvass door-to-door, to work in the office, to make sandwiches and coffee, to get postcards signed from the public, to pick up Chinese food, and a ton more other duties. The more volunteers these campaigns have, the more of this money they have to spend on advertising and materials, professional organizers etc.

    It's EXTREMELY fulfilling to volunteer for a marriage equality campaign. Whoever lives in a state where there is a fight for marriage equality, tell all your friends how important and FUN it is to donate their time as well as their money! It's especially fulfilling for those who don't have any money to give.

    Good luck! I hope to be back in the game here in Maine soon!

    Dave in Maine

  • 19. Dave in ME  |  February 18, 2011 at 10:59 am

    Dang it! CHECK!

  • 20. Ray in MA  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:17 am

    ?????

    Have we been had?

    re: "a University of New Hampshire club hockey player, came out to his teammates at the hearing, telling them, and the committee, that he is bisexual."

    Catch my drift?

    Feb 11

    [youtube

    21. Ray in MA  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:23 am

    Hint: someone wanted to join the Viral Video Club.

  • 22. Ray in MA  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:24 am

    ?

  • 23. Dave in ME  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:28 am

    I don't get either of you!!!

    Dave in Maine

  • 24. Ray in MA  |  February 18, 2011 at 12:14 pm

    I'm a sucker for conspiracy theories…

    Hint: this is the guy who stood up in NH.

  • 25. Good news  |  February 18, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Federal judge upholds Maine's campaign disclosure law.
    http://www.necn.com/02/18/11/Judge-upholds-Maines…

    The NOM will be forced to comply, and expose their donors.

  • 26. Kathleen  |  February 18, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    Good! I find it interesting that the article says they tried to reach NOM in their office in NJ. There seems to be a lot of confusion about where their office actually is. Their recent court filings list their office in DC, yet the website lists the address if NJ. Do they still have an office there? It's such a shady operation.

  • 27. Sagesse  |  February 18, 2011 at 1:09 pm

    Victor Fehrenbach will retire Oct 1.

    Gay US Air Force aviator fighting discharge to retire with full rank, pension
    http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/ar…

  • 28. Carpool Cookie  |  February 18, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    Well, you need both things. You need people who are active activists, and also people who fund activism. (Then you also have people who do both.) It's kind of like doing a movie….you need artists, but you also need backers.

  • 29. up&Adam  |  February 18, 2011 at 1:50 pm

    How utterly magnanimous of you, Peterplumber!! I just dropped a check in my buildings mail slot so it should go out tomorrow. Probably won't reach LA for a couple days but I put "donation/peterplumber" on the little notation line in case it doesn't get to you by Monday. ($100)

  • 30. Leo  |  February 18, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    <cite>It's unknown whether NOM will appeal.</cite>
    Must be a joke.

  • 31. Kathleen  |  February 18, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    haha. I'm sure they'll be able to use the defeat to raise a good deal of funds.

  • 32. Carpool Cookie  |  February 18, 2011 at 3:08 pm

    I did it!

    I'm so wonderful.

    "Thank you for your generous contribution! Your gift will help support our work to protect marriage equality permanently in New Hampshire, and push forward to full equality nationwide. We're proud to kick off 2011 with some major victories and we've only just begun. Your contribution will help us get to the finish line."

  • 33. Kathleen  |  February 18, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    yes you are. :)

  • 34. LCH  |  February 18, 2011 at 4:14 pm

    Gotta say I thought it was kind of funny he used the term "alternative lifestyle".

  • 35. Sagesse  |  February 18, 2011 at 9:39 pm

    Everyone here is pretty wonderful. There are exceptions to the rule, but they don't hang around long :) .

  • 36. Dave in ME  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:07 pm

    That's for damn sure!

    We'll show 'em, the bastards!

    Dave in Maine

  • 37. Papa Foma  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:08 pm

    Count me and the Russian boys in!

  • 38. Dave in ME  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:13 pm

    Great! Thanks for posting this! I hadn't read the Bangor Daily News yet this morning and it wasn't on the radio, so I didn't know until I read your post.

    There is a much longer article in the BDN paper today but I cannot find it online. It's written by Kevin Miller, a reporter who has been covering the gay politics beat here in Bangor for a while.

    I wish it were online so I could share it and also read the comments. (There are usually great comments as well as the horrible ones).

    Dave in Maine

  • 39. Dave in ME  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:16 pm

    That issue came up during the campaign here in Maine in 2009. Stand For Marriage Maine refused to disclose the address of their main offices here in Maine because they feared attacks by rabid militant homosexuals and their allies. A topsy-turvy world we live in where those who have done the attacking now claim to be the targets of the hate.

    Meanwhile, EqualityMaine disclosed contributions and addresses and names and faces were all over the news. Everybody knew everything about EQME-nothing to hide and we played fair.

    Dave

    Dave in Maine

  • 40. Papa Foma  |  February 18, 2011 at 11:42 pm

    Even amateur songwriters can have influence. I'd love to hear the accompanied version. But I am surely on the side of the mice!

  • 41. fiona64  |  February 19, 2011 at 12:03 am

    There is a lot to this: time and talent are at least as important as treasure when it comes to this stuff. One of the best things I ever did was go "leaflet" at the local mall before the 2008 election, talking to people face to face and changing minds in person.

    Love,
    Fiona

  • 42. fiona64  |  February 19, 2011 at 12:05 am

    My thanks to PeterPlumber for his generosity. I was not able to help this time, but I hope to do so in the future.

    Love,
    Fiona

  • 43. Chris in Lathrop  |  February 19, 2011 at 12:22 am

    PeterPlumber, what a wonderful and generous thing you have done! I'm tickled at the results you got, too! :) Sadly, I'm in no spot to be donating at the moment, either. Whittling away at the problem, though, so count on me somewhere down the road!

  • 44. Carpool Cookie  |  February 19, 2011 at 2:32 am

    That's true. It's actually the nicest (and one of the best educated) sites I know.

    Equality is a real litmus test of people's personalities. It's unlikely I'd meet a Prop H8 supporter and we'd only disagree "on this one point". People who want to oppress or demonize others are basically @ssholes…or just dim witted.

    From the time I was about 10 I didn't have a problem with gay people, or could imagine "god" would. I was like, "WHAT exactly is the harm? Who would possibly care?"

    Then I found out exactly who WOULD. The mean-spirited and/or the just plain dumb.

  • 45. MichGuy  |  February 19, 2011 at 5:31 am

    I donated . YAY… Feels good knowing my money is going toward good.

  • 46. grod  |  February 19, 2011 at 6:26 am

    @Dave in ME
    Thanks for update. The Ethic Commission met on February 17 and will next meet March 31. While there is no double that NOM will appeal , residents of Maine are one step closer to finding out who bankrolled the Stand For Marriage Maine, beyond the RC Church and their “Knights” .
    Could this court case ever result in the ballot initiative being overturned because of failure to adhere to the rules? Whatever, it helps to discredit NOM at an opportune time. G

  • 47. Sheryl, Mormon Mothe  |  February 19, 2011 at 7:42 am

    Just figuring out how to use this feature.

  • 48. Sheryl, Mormon Mothe  |  February 19, 2011 at 7:43 am

    This feature being the subscribe one most of you use.

    Question, when I subscribe at the comment level before any comments, do I then have to subscribe to individual comments or will I be notified of any comments to the thread?

    Thanks,

    Sheryl, Mormon Mother

  • 49. Kathleen  |  February 19, 2011 at 7:46 am

    You'll get any new comments from the particular blog post you subscribed to. Checking the one that says "notify me of site updates" will tell you when new post has gone up. btw, after a few mishaps in trying to subscribe, I now just check both boxes when I subscribe. :)

  • 50. Dave in ME  |  February 19, 2011 at 7:47 am

    You're welcome! And thank you for your update!

    I posted a reply in this thread that had a lot of links relating to this case but it is stuck in moderation.

    Anyone who wants it emailed to them email me at ezgi213-jet at yahoo dot com.

    Dave

  • 51. Kathleen  |  February 19, 2011 at 7:53 am

    Just curious, Dave. How many links did you include? I know P8TT has changed the settings here so that we can include multiple links w/out having to go through moderation, but I don't know what the upper limit is.

  • 52. Dave in ME  |  February 19, 2011 at 8:52 am

    Ahhh…is that it? I listed 7. Five articles and two to the donation reporting pages for the state.

    If that's the case, I'll break it up.

    Dave

  • 53. Dave in ME  |  February 19, 2011 at 8:53 am

    Background:

    Campaign Clarity Needed (editorial) 12-25-2009: http://new.bangordailynews.com/2009/12/25/opinion…

    Magistrate Judge says NOM Should Turn Over Donors’ Names 5-25-2010: http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mi…

    NOM Vows to Appeal Order to Hand Over Donor Information 6-8-2010: http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mi…

    NOM to Seek Dismissal of Fundraising Probe 6-21-2010: http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mi…

    Judge: Maine’s Campaign Finance Law Constitutional 2-18-2011: http://www.mpbn.net/News/MPBNNews/tabid/1159/ctl/…

  • 54. Dave in ME  |  February 19, 2011 at 8:53 am

    Donation pages:
    “No on One:Protect Maine Equality” Quarterly Report (10/09) (check “Schedule A Cash Contributions”): http://www.mainecampaignfinance.com/Public/report…

    “Stand For Marriage Maine” Quarterly Report (10/09) (check “Schedule A Cash Contributions”): http://www.mainecampaignfinance.com/Public/report…

    A common argument here (and all over the country) is the people should be allowed to vote. One indication of popular support is the number of donations by individuals to either campaign. It’s worth noting that the quarterly report for No on One has 455 pages detailing donations from $25 to $200,000. The SFMM report has 24 pages detailing donations from $75 to $140,000.

    True, there are some names that appear more than once and many names from out of state, but it’s quite clear that more people supported equality than not, at least donation-wise.

    Dave in Maine

  • 55. Kathleen  |  February 19, 2011 at 8:54 am

    Thanks. I appreciate having the background collected all in one place like this.

  • 56. Dave in ME  |  February 19, 2011 at 8:54 am

    Wow! That was easy!

    So, we know the allowed is greater than 5 but less than or equal to 7!

    Dave

  • 57. Kathleen  |  February 19, 2011 at 8:56 am

    I think it's 5. I remember Eden telling us at one point, and I seem to remember it was either 5 or 10. :)

  • 58. Dave in ME  |  February 19, 2011 at 8:58 am

    You're welcome, Kathleen! Thank YOU for giving me that tip about the number of links!

    Dave in Maine

  • 59. grod  |  February 19, 2011 at 10:10 am

    @ Good News
    Would you kindly post or ask help in posting U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby's 22 page long-anticipated decision on Maine's CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE LAW.
    While readers here need no reminders of NOM's slippery ways, I had difficulty locating it on the court's website. They have tried the same stunt in other states. If I track it down, I will post a link. G

  • 60. Kathleen  |  February 19, 2011 at 10:16 am

    I'll get it from PACER. Give me a few minutes to locate and upload it.

  • 61. Kathleen  |  February 19, 2011 at 10:31 am

    Here you go:

    NOM v. McKee – Decision and Order http://www.scribd.com/doc/49172492

  • 62. Sagesse  |  February 19, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    The Maryland GOP has a call list..

    Md. GOP urges 'no' vote on same-sex marriage
    http://voices.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2011/0…

  • 63. Sheryl, Mormon Mothe  |  February 19, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    Thank you, Kathleen. Guess I will adopt that solution, as just checking one did not get me notified of your response.

    Sheryl, Mormon Mother

  • 64. Sheryl, Mormon Mothe  |  February 19, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    Thanks for posting that, Sagesse. I believe that I will be spending my Sunday free time writing letters to each of these senators. Wish I knew people in MD to also have write letters.

    Thanks,

    Sheryl, Mormon Mother

  • 65. Eden James  |  February 19, 2011 at 4:07 pm

    Hey everyone! Eden here, getting my random P8TT fix on Saturday night. ;-)

    To answer your question: Before I handed the moderation reins off to Adam, I set the link limit to 5, IIRC.

    Meanwhile, congrats to the community for making the Courage match so quickly. That is just awesome.

    Love you all,
    Eden

    p.s. Post-Courage, I'm working at Change.org now. You can also catch me on Twitter @edenjames

  • 66. Kathleen  |  February 19, 2011 at 4:10 pm

    How wonderful to see you, Eden. Hope all's well. Sure miss you.

  • 67. Eden James  |  February 19, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    Wow. That is extremely generous.

    What an amazing community.

  • 68. Richard A. Jernigan  |  February 19, 2011 at 11:56 pm

    Glad to know that things are going well for you at Change.org. And like Kathleen, I want to express how much we miss you here. Glad you are staying in touch here.

  • 69. grod  |  February 20, 2011 at 3:25 am

    @Kathleen
    Having just completed reading the decision, I want to thank you. Assuming appeal, the case now moves from the one person judgement to a panel of three. Is this another six to eight month process in judicial decision making?

  • 70. Kathleen  |  February 20, 2011 at 3:32 am

    You're welcome.

    You're correct that the next step for NOM is to appeal this to a 3 judge panel in the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal. NOM has 30 days from the entry of judgment (2/18) to file a notice of intent to appeal. Unless the schedule is expedited, I would think it's going to be longer than 6 or 8 months. Exactly how long will depend on how full the 1st Circuit's calendar is.

  • 71. Sagesse  |  February 20, 2011 at 9:06 am

    Pondering the meaning of free speech. Free speech isn’t just the right to say what you think. It is the right to anonymous free speech. It is the right to corporatized, nationalized, spectacularly funded free speech…. laundered through as many front groups as needed. It is the free speech of tax exempt organized religious groups, funneled Stepford-like through their individual members. It is the right to give as much as you are able, combined with the resources of other like-minded but more wealthy folk, and sit back in your living room to watch Gathering Storms and Bob Vanderplatts spouting sanctimonious venom on TV.

    As my atheist son would say, Darwin forbid that earnest campaign dollars should be chilled on their way out ot the wallet and into anonymous free speech. I sincerely hope NOM loses this one, and that comprehensive campaign funding disclosure laws are upheld.

  • 72. Ed Cortes  |  February 21, 2011 at 12:05 am

    LOL – I'd have to learn how to send a text on my cell phone!

  • 73. Ed Cortes  |  February 21, 2011 at 12:12 am

    Sheryl, don't forget that there will be a confirmation email with a link that you must click to confirm that you want to subscribe.

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