I don’t have a problem with them doing this. In fact, I think it is a good thing because it will only make successful petitions more powerful. Let’s remember that the “Petition to Deport Piers Morgan,” which undoubtedly annoyed the White House, easily reached over 100,000 signatures within the 30 day period, proving that issues that people care about and that strike a nerve will be able to break this new threshold. The White House ultimately responded to that petition after it hit 109,334 signatures, at which point the signing stops. From the Daily Caller:
President Barack Obama’s deputies have quadrupled the number of signatures that petitioners on the administration’s “We the People” website must collect to get an official response from the White House, following a series of popular, provocative and disrespectful signature drives by his critics.
Some of the petitions sought approval for states to secede after Obama’s re-election, while others called on the White House to disavow executive orders that restrict gun rights, or to deport CNN’s British-born, progressive host Piers Morgan.
“Starting today, as we move into a second term, petitions must receive 100,000 signatures in 30 days in order to receive an official response from the Obama Administration,” said an early evening Jan. 15 statement from Macon Phillips, the White House’s digital strategy director.
Importantly, the new threshold makes the petition to remove Aaron Swartz’s persecutor (I mean prosecutor) all the more important. It is at 36,000 signatures, but many people have taken their eye off the ball since it hit the old 25,000 number. While this petition will be grandfathered in, it is still crucial to get it above 100,000 number. Sign it here.
If you aren’t sure about signing please read my piece Remembering Internet Prodigy and Activist Aaron Swartz (1986-2013): Your Life is an Inspiration and then decide for yourself.
Full article here.
In Liberty,
Mike
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Done, and promoted on FB.
Also, this “we petition the obama administration to:
Lower the petition count for taking us seriously back to 25,000 signatures.”
Could use some love.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/lower-petition-count-taking-us-seriously-back-25000-signatures/cNjdpc3R