[biztech-discussion]
- From: <margh@xxxxxxx>
- To: <biztech-discussion@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 12:55:37 -0400
Interesting ... the Baltimore Sun pulled this story shortly after I
posted the link here. Here's the full text, from the North County Times.
Margherite
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/07/21/election2004/17_55_147_20_04.
txt
Republicans say Democratic contractor outsourced work on Nader petitions
By: KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN - Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. -- The Michigan Republican Party alleged Tuesday that a
contractor for the state Democratic Party is outsourcing work to India
as he checks the validity of petition signatures for presidential
candidate Ralph Nader.
Republicans said Mark Grebner, of Practical Political Consulting in
East Lansing, has sent digital copies of Nader's petitions to a data
entry firm in India. Grebner declined to comment on the allegation.
But Greg McNeilly, executive director of the state GOP, called the move
hypocritical.
"Michigan Democrats are so intolerant of minority perspectives at the
ballot box that they'll outsource Michigan jobs in order to protect a
two-party duopoly," he said in a statement. "They are paying a firm in
India for work that could be done by Michiganders."
The state Democratic Party did not respond to a request for comment on
the accusation, but says state Republicans deserve criticism for
collecting 43,000 of the 50,000 signatures that may help Nader get on
the state ballot. They say the GOP is helping Nader because it thinks
he can take votes away from Democrat John Kerry.
At least 30,000 of the signatures must be valid to get Nader on the
ballot. Challenges are due by Thursday afternoon.
State Democratic Executive Chairman Mark Brewer has said the party is
checking every signature, and it turned to Grebner to help meet
Thursday's deadline.
Grebner said he has used foreign workers in the past in countries such
as Bangladesh for work that can't be done by his U.S. staff of about 15
full-time workers. That includes work for Republicans as well as for
Democrats, he added.
"This really is work that you can't do in the (United States) because
it just doesn't make economic sense," Grebner said of the work he sends
overseas. "I can't hire people to do some things here."
Other related posts:
