More on the Cooper Vision phone bank scandal
We have more on the controversy over the shut down of the phone bank operation at Cooper Vision:
Speaking for myself, I have personal knowledge of this and can say as best I can tell from up close inspection it did happen. People were threatened. The company was concerned and withdrew its permission for us to make calls. But we have moved on to alternate locations with a vengeance and a new message. I have heard from people with first hand knowledge of many of these threats. It will be hard to prove, as plausible deniability is always hard to overcome. If you were management in the company, would you assist in verifying this? Your fear is likely ‘what’s in it for me but more grief?’. I won’t blame them if they don’t.
Commenter Andrea:
I can’t confirm why, but I can confirm that I was turned away at coopervision.
Maybe they were convinced you were some of those “homeless” people holding signs up in East Rochester! That one kills me!
And I specifically wore my suede, fur and pearls so they would no longer think we were homeless.
That just makes you look ghetto fabulous. James Lawrence does not approve.
Isn’t this called voter suppression?
Maybe this applies, if the financial benefit to the company is based on state aid? The way it’s written I can’t tell whether the legislative aid is related to work relief, or if it is more generally benefits conferred by legislative acts.
New York State Election Law Sec. 17-154. Pernicious political activities. It shall be unlawful for any person to: (I’m skipping subdivision 1)
2. Directly or indirectly, promise any employment, position,
work, compensation, or other benefit, provided for or made
possible in whole or in part by any act of congress or of the
legislature appropriating funds for work relief or relief
purposes, to any person as consideration, favor or reward for any
political activity or for the support of or opposition to any
candidate or any political party in any nominating convention or
in any election; or,
3. Deprive, attempt to deprive or threaten to deprive, by
any means, any person of any employment, position, work,
compensation or other benefit provided for or made possible in
whole or in part by any act of congress or of the legislature
appropriating funds for the work relief or relief purposes, on
account of any political activity or on account of support for or
opposition to any candidate or any political party in any
nominating convention or election; or
4. Solicit or receive or be in any manner concerned in
soliciting or receiving any assessment, subscription or
contribution for any political purpose whatever from any person
known by him to be entitled to or receiving compensation,
employment or other benefit provided for or made possible by any
act of congress or of the legislature appropriating, or
authorizing the appropriation of, funds for work relief or relief
purposes; or
5. Furnish or to disclose, or to aid or assist in furnishing
or disclosing, any list or names of persons receiving
compensation, employment or benefits provided for or made
possible by any act of congress or of the legislature
appropriating or authorizing the appropriation of, funds for work
relief or relief purposes, to a political candidate, committee,
campaign manager, or to any person for delivery to a political
candidate, committee or campaign manager, and it shall be
unlawful for any person to receive any such list or names for
political purposes.
No part of any appropriation made by any act of congress or
of the legislature, heretofore or hereafter enacted, making
appropriations for work relief, relief, or otherwise to increase
employment by providing loans and grants for public works
projects, shall be used, and no authority conferred by any such
act upon any person shall be exercised or administered, for the
purpose of interfering with, restraining or coercing any
individual in the exercise of his right to vote and to vote as he
may choose at any election.
Any person who violates any of the foregoing provisions of
this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
For the rest of the Election Law relating to violations of “elective franchise” (I don’t know it, just googled it) you can read:
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcode.pl?code=NY&ls=claws&law=31&art=46&frame=right2
Who knows - maybe it’s some of these tax benefits?
http://www.nylovesbiz.com/press/press_display.asp?id=622