You can help

We need people to collect signatures for the petitions. The easiest way to do would be for every person who signs the petition to ask 3 to 5 family or friends who are also registered voters in St. Petersburg to sign too. Put the signed petititions in the same envelope and send them to us at the address on the bottom of the petition. Here is a printable version.

We need money to pay for professional signature gatherers to help us in this effort. We have collected thousands of valid signatures so far, but that is not enough to hit the 16,000-plus needed to get this on the November 2010 ballot. Your donation will help us reach this goal sooner, whether we go with direct mail, professional walkers, or some other approach.

Of course, once we reach our goal, we will have to campaign for our referendum to secure enough votes to pass. We anticipate that any organized opposition will have deep pockets to fund a heated campaign against it. Again, your donations will help,

Finally, we need to be sure that our elected officials know your position on using public funds for private sports facilities, or any other form of corporate welfare. There is a link on every page to write to them with your opinion. Showing up at City Council meetings, or other gatherings where the Mayor or Council are present, and talking to them about your concerns is another key way to let them know what you want of them. Don't be afraid to ask them straight out to support your efforts. You can be certain that those who oppose the very idea of having a vote on this issue will be doing the same.

We are lucky to be living in a city where our Mayor and City Council people are easily accessible to citizens. Take advantage of this access.