Thursday, August 28, 2008

News Coverage


August 27, 2008 Contact: Fred Karger
619.592.2008

Two Major Stories Today:
Wall Street Journal and San Diego Union-Tribune


SAN DIEGO, CA – Please take a few minutes to read both of these incredible stories that appeared today. The first story by Tamara Audi was on page A3 in the Wall Street Journal (link and full story below). Ms. Audi interviewed several of the business owners who were major contributors to the Yes on 8 Campaign, which would take away marriage equality in California. The second story (link and full story below) is by Bill Ainsworth and appeared on the front page of the San Diego Union-Tribune. That story deals with an apparently leaked email regarding some serious concerns internally within Doug Manchester’s core company Manchester Financial Group regarding our boycott of Doug Manchester’s hotels. http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=37196903&msgid=513224&act=DRDW&c=302269&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boycottmanchesterhotels.com%2F
The boycott includes the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego because Doug Manchester gave $125,000 to take away marriage equality here in California.

There now appears to be a pattern coming from the major donors to the Yes on 8 side, as their stories change considerably.

Terry Caster owns A-1 Self Storage, with 40 locations around California. The Casters and his family gave nearly $300,000 to the Protect Marriage – Yes on 8 campaign. In today’s Journal story, Terry Caster now says that he only got a few calls a day due to our Call Terry Caster Campaign, http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=37196903&msgid=513224&act=DRDW&c=302269&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.callterrycaster.com%2F which asks callers to question Mr. Caster on why he gave so much money to push for a constitutional amendment to write discrimination into our California Constitution for the very first time. Back on July 31, 2008, San Diego’s GLT newspaper reported that Mr. Caster’s assistant Nadine Roberts was handling his phone messages originally, but by the next day she indicated that Mr. Caster set up a special voicemail to field the calls generated by the campaign. That doesn’t sound like "just a few calls" to us.

Additionally, William Bolthouse of Bakersfield, CA has given $100,000 to Protect Marriage this year. Mr. Bolthouse is the 3rd generation to run his family farming operation. They are the world’s 2nd largest carrot producer and the makers of Bolthouse Farms Fruit Smoothies and Vegetable Drinks that are sold in thousands of supermarkets around the county. Bolthouse Farms continues to go out of its way to distance itself from William Bolthouse’s support for many controversial causes, and says that he is not involved in the company. Our research shows that the Bolthouse Family sold a 57% interest in the company to a consortium of Bank of America and Madison Dearborn Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm in 2005. However, the family apparently retained 43% of this $1.2 billion company. William Bolthouse’s own son-in-law, Andre Radandt is the current Chairman of the Board. We are considering possible action directed at this company after Labor Day.

And finally, what may now be the most famous political contribution in American history, Doug Manchester’s $125,000 to Protect Marriage has brought with it a wide array of responses from Mr. Manchester over the past several months. He said he gave money for about 6 different reasons in 6 different interviews, and now says that he is "saddened by the divisive nature of the movement." Well, Mr. Manchester apparently had no hesitation when he joined the "movement" to take away the freedom to marry for millions of same-sex couples in California by contributing $125,000.

"These people have put Constitutional Amendments on the ballot in 29 states over the last several years to hurt gays and lesbians and have done so with impunity," said Fred Karger, Campaign Manager of Californians Against Hate. "We want to let the world know who all of these major donors are, so that our millions of friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers can chose whether they want to support these businesses or not."
Companies Tied To Initiative Backers Are Pulled Into Fray
By TAMARA AUDI August 27, 2008; Page A3

When William Bolthouse, a California philanthropist, donated $100,000 in March to support a proposition to ban gay marriage in California, calls and emails poured in -- not to Mr. Bolthouse, but to the corporate offices of a company that bears his name -- even though he sold it three years earlier.

"It wasn't us, it's not our fault," says Jeffrey Dunn, now the chief executive of Bolthouse Farms, whose juice bottles are sold at upscale markets such as Whole Foods.

Bolthouse Farms is the latest target in what has become an increasingly bitter political fight in California. As gay-rights activists attempt to defeat the upcoming ballot initiative, called Proposition 8, they are going after not just individuals, but also companies to which they are connected, however tenuously.

"Mr. Bolthouse has said, 'I'm not connected to Bolthouse Farms at all.' But we don't accept that," says Fred Karger, who runs Californians Against Hate, a new gay-rights group that is leading the charge to identify and publicize corporate connections to significant donors. He notes that Mr. Bolthouse's son-in-law is chairman of the company and that Bolthouse Farms markets itself as a fourth-generation company.

Next week, Californians Against Hate is planning to push its tactic further by publishing a "Dishonor Roll," a list of individual and corporate donors who give $5,000 or more to groups campaigning on behalf of Proposition 8. The list will include the donor's name, employer and the corporate logo of that employer -- even if the company itself didn't donate to the Proposition 8 fight.

Mr. Karger said the tactic isn't intended to keep individuals or companies from donating, but is meant to educate the public so consumers can make informed choices. He said including corporate logos of businesses whose employees donate is fair game, since that information is publicly available on government Web sites that track donors. "Our larger message is to other business people," Mr. Karger says. "It's a free country, you can give as much money to this campaign, but we are going to publicize that and people can make a decision on whether or not they want to support those businesses."

Some Proposition 8 supporters see the effort as crossing a line. "To tell a business owner that they can't express their beliefs on an issue is a really stupid thing," said Terry Caster, the owner of A-1 Storage, a self-storage company based in San Diego. Californians Against Hate says Mr. Caster and his family gave about $300,000 to support Proposition 8, prompting the group to make him the focus of a call-in campaign. Mr. Caster said he received a few phone calls a day that petered out after several weeks, and his business wasn't affected.

Mr. Dunn said Bolthouse Farms's bottom line wasn't affected by the publicity and that his company has made an effort to correct wrong information on blogs that said Mr. Bolthouse still owned a large portion of the company.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in California in June after the State Supreme Court ruled a ban was unconstitutional. That set the stage for a ballot proposal to outlaw gay marriage. Both sides see California as the crucial battleground state that could determine how far same-sex marriage rights can be extended. Fund raising has poured in from across the country.

From January to the end of June, the largest campaign to ban gay marriage had raised $2.6 million, according to the California secretary of state's Web site.

The largest campaign to protect gay marriage raised $2.5 million during that period. Both sides said they had raised considerably more since then.

Some large corporations have waded into the fray. San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric, the state's largest utility by revenue, donated $250,000 to defeat Proposition 8. A spokeswoman said the company received some complaints from its 20,000 employees and six million customers, and it was able to handle the protests internally.

Other companies haven't had it so easy. San Diego's Manchester Grand Hyatt is now the target of a boycott that was kicked off after its owner, Doug Manchester, donated $125,000 to the campaign to support Proposition 8. With the help of a local union, gay-rights activists managed to convince two professional associations to cut back on some events they planned to host at the hotel. A hotel official said both groups are keeping the rooms they have blocked off for their events but moved some meetings and other events to other venues.

In an email responding to a reporter's question, Mr. Manchester said, "We have received support from those that are in favor of Prop 8 which has made up for some of what is being lost as a result of the boycott. Nonetheless, we are saddened by all the divisive nature of the movement."

A spokeswoman for Hyatt Corp. in Chicago said it doesn't require its hotel owners to follow any particular policy. "We absolutely don't have a position on the proposition itself but we have a really strong, long track record of inclusiveness in terms of the way we welcome our guests and the way we treat our employees. Doug Manchester...in no way speaks for Hyatt," said the spokeswoman.

That distinction may be harder to make as gay-rights groups offer fuller public profiles of private donors. Jennifer Kerns, a spokeswoman for ProtectMarriage.com, the largest fund-raiser for the Yes on Prop 8 campaign, says she expects it will become more difficult to entice corporations to contribute to her cause.

"The moment [Mr. Manchester] wrote the check, he found himself to be the target of numerous boycotts and protests," she said. "Our side has a significant challenge in that." Ms. Kerns noted that the greater chunk of her group's funding will likely come from individuals and religious groups, such as the national Catholic organization Knights of Columbus, which recently contributed $1 million to the campaign.

Write to: Tamara Audi at tammy.audi@wsj.com
San Diego Union-Tribune Link:

Manchester executive is troubled by boycott

He warns hotel owner about alienating gays
By Bill Ainsworth
U-T SACRAMENTO BUREAU
August 27, 2008

SACRAMENTO – Officials at the Manchester Financial Group have argued for weeks that a boycott by gay rights and union groups hasn't hurt business at its two San Diego hotels, the Manchester Grand Hyatt and The Grand Del Mar.
But a top company official, in an e-mail obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune, painted a different picture, saying the boycott could have dire consequences for hotel owner Doug Manchester that could cost him millions of dollars in lost business.

In a July 29 e-mail to Manchester, Paul Wilkins, chief financial officer for the group, said he believed “this boycott effort will cost you millions of dollars of lost revenue and possibly tens of millions of dollars in lost value for both the Manchester Grand Hyatt and The Grand Del Mar.”
Wilkins, who did not return several phone calls seeking comment, also warned about the dangers of alienating the gay community, which he called a “large and very affluent market segment.”

Further, he said The Grand Del Mar “is still struggling financially” 10 months after opening and the “absolute last thing The Grand needs right now is a boycott.” Gay rights and labor unions called the boycott in July to protest Manchester's donation of $125,000 to Proposition 8, which would amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

Manchester's money, along with contributions by several other prominent San Diego residents, helped provide the funding to put the initiative on the November ballot.
The measure would overturn a California Supreme Court decision in May that paved the way for California to follow Massachusetts as the second state in the nation to allow same-sex marriages.
Since the boycott began, several groups, including the county retirement board and the Association of American Law Schools, canceled events at the Manchester Hyatt, one of the largest hotels on the West Coast.

Manchester, in an interview yesterday, said the fears expressed by Wilkins in the e-mail have not come true because his assumptions were “totally incorrect.” “He was alarmed at the potential,” Manchester said. “As a matter of fact, we have picked up lots of business since the boycott began.” Manchester said he was disturbed that the Union-Tribune had obtained the e-mail exchange, which he called a confidential transmission.

A prominent developer, Manchester has been a generous political contributor. State records show that in 2006 he gave about $147,000 to a variety of largely Republican causes.
Manchester said he gave to the effort to ban same-sex marriage because of his Catholic faith – the church opposes same-sex marriage. But, he said, he welcomes gays and lesbians to his hotels and he continues to support gay and lesbian workers. In a July interview, Manchester said he does not intend to give any more money to Proposition 8.

Yesterday, Manchester said he was rejecting Wilkins' recommendations in the e-mail that Manchester try to defuse the controversy by asking for his $125,000 donation to be returned or by making an offsetting donation to the campaign against Proposition 8. Wilkins wrote in the July 29 e-mail that his recommendations were motivated solely by his desire to protect Manchester's business interests. But Wilkins' e-mail angered Manchester. “I appreciate your rightful concern,” Manchester wrote in a July 29 response, but he added: “I am now really angry and I consider this a personal attack on myself and my family.” Manchester seemed more conciliatory yesterday, saying the chief financial officer was “attempting to do whatever he felt was right.”

Wilkins wrote that boycotts are difficult to measure. Most people, he said, will not take the time to explain why they are canceling or not booking at the hotels, but will simply cross “your name off the list of hotels being considered for their next big corporate event.”

“More than 400 companies in the Fortune 500 now provide equality of treatment to their gay employees and these are companies that book our group business,” he wrote.
Wilkins said that the controversy could prompt action from the Hyatt Corp., which manages the Manchester Grand Hyatt. He noted that there have been calls to extend the boycott to all Hyatt hotels and for the company to end its contract with Manchester.

That “could open you up to significant legal liability,” Wilkins wrote. The Hyatt Corp. has reached out to gay and lesbian customers and employees, earning high marks from gay rights advocates for its efforts.

The campaign against Manchester's business represents a rare use of boycotts in California's expensive ballot battles. Religious conservatives have used boycotts during the past decade against corporate giants that they believe are becoming too cozy with the gay and lesbian community, including Ford, Disney and McDonald's.

Some analysts say gays and lesbians are a critical market for high-end hotels.
Community Marketing Inc., which serves the gay and lesbian tourist market, has conducted surveys showing that gays and lesbians are more likely to travel than other citizens.
In his e-mail, Wilkins said that “nearly every other luxury hotel in California is actively seeking out and marketing to the gay community to get their business. . . . We should be doing the same.”

One San Diego hotel company, the Evans Hotels, which operates The Lodge at Torrey Pines, has been reaching out to the gay community. The company has been donating a percentage of its sales from same-sex weddings to help defeat Proposition 8, said Bill Evans, director of operations for Evans Hotels. Evans said it's the right thing to do, but it's also good business.
“Since we are making money from these situations, we want to support them,” he said.
The latest Field Poll shows that Proposition 8 is losing, with 51 percent of likely California voters against it and 42 percent in favor.

The issue has sparked an intense, emotional debate, drawing contributions to both campaigns from across the nation. Supporters argue that the ban is needed to preserve the sanctity of marriage; opponents say it would deprive gays of their civil rights.

-- end --

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

4,000 Law Professors Move Convention Next Door to San Diego Marriott Hotel

August 20, 2008 Contact: Fred Karger
619.592.2008

Manchester Grand Hyatt Boycott --
4,000 Law Professors Move Convention Next Door to San Diego Marriott Hotel


SAN DIEGO, CA -- Please read the story below that broke yesterday in the National Law Journal re: the decision reached by the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) to move their January 2009 convention away from Doug Manchester’s Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel to its major competitor, right next door, the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. This was due to Doug Manchester’s contribution of $125,000 to the campaign to take away marriage equality in California for same-sex couples.

There are few more sought after groups for conventions by cities and hotels than 4,000 law professors. We are thrilled that AALS has agreed to honor the boycott that Californians Against Hate and our allies called for one month ago. Thank you AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW SCHOOLS!!! Here is the link to their web site and their statement:
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=37196903&msgid=508002&act=DRDW&c=302269&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aals.org%2Fevents_am2009.php

See below (after the story) for links to some of the News Coverage that Californians Against Hate has received from around the globe:



August 19, 2008



Protests get law school conference moved from San Diego hotel

Amid a threatened boycott by groups representing thousands of law professors, the Association of American Law Schools has decided not to hold its annual meeting at a San Diego hotel whose owner is a foe of same-sex marriage.

The AALS issued a statement Monday saying that although it would adhere to its contract with the hotel to reserve a block of rooms for the conference, the meetings, seminars and other events would be held at a different location.

The decision came after three legal education groups sent letters to the AALS calling for it to move the meeting site away from the Manchester Grand Hyatt. The hotel's owner, Douglas Manchester, has donated $125,000 to an initiative to outlaw same-sex marriage in California.

The groups, which included the Legal Writing Institute; the AALS Section on Legal Writing Research and Reasoning; and the AALS Section on Teaching Methods, had said that they would not attend events held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. The Society of American Law Teachers also had urged the AALS to move the meeting.

Mark Wojcik, chairman of the AALS Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues, said Monday that he was satisfied with the decision.

"It sends a big message," he said. "They're ensuring that not one additional penny goes to support these discriminatory moves." Wojcik is director of global legal studies at John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

The AALS also has rooms reserved at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and has decided to move the conference events to that location. Ironically, Manchester developed that hotel as well, although currently he does not own any part of it, said Carl Monk, executive director of the AALS.

Manchester was not available for comment.
-Leigh Jones


Television

KGET – TV NBC Bakersfield -- http://www.kget.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=a42b3c4e-7fe6-4c26-8a55-f5bf38ff303c


Newspapers

The National Law Journal -- http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202423529779

San Diego Union-Tribune -- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080807-1900-bn07protest.html

GLT Editorial -- http://www.gaylesbiantimes.com/?id=12816

Bay Area Reporter -- http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3247

GLT -- http://www.gaylesbiantimes.com/?id=12824&from=rss

San Diego Cit Beat -- http://www.sdcitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/join_the_fight_jerry/7229/

National Law Journal -- http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/subscribe.jsp

Blogs

Gay City News -- http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19898540&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568857&rfi=6

The Earth Times – London -- http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=37196903&msgid=508002&act=DRDW&c=302269&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.earthtimes.org%2Farticles%2Fshow%2Fmarch-on-manchester-set-for%2C472156.shtml

Inside Higher Ed -- http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/08/06/qt

Chronicle of Higher education -- http://chronicle.com/news/article/4939/citing-hotel-owners-donation-4-groups-threaten-to-boycott-law-schools-meeting

Volokh Conspiracy -- http://volokh.com/posts/1217966756.shtml

40 Years in the Desert -- http://40yrs.blogspot.com/2008/08/boycott-threatened-over-association-of.html

Digg -- http://digg.com/world_news/Californians_Against_Hate_mounts_successful_protest

The Shark -- http://theshark.typepad.com/weblog/2008/08/aals-boycotts-s.html

The Shark -- http://theshark.typepad.com/weblog/2008/08/update-aals-cav.html

Hunter of Justice -- http://hunterforjustice.typepad.com/hunter_of_justice/2008/08/where-will-aals.html

Legal Writing Institute -- http://feministlawprofs.law.sc.edu/?p=3859

Californians Against Hate Blog -- http://californiansagainsthate.blogspot.com/2008/08/cal-terry-caster-campaign.html

Institute for Marriage and Public Policy -- http://www.marriagedebate.com/2008/08/boycott-threatened-over-meeting-sight.htm

Protect Marriage Equality -- http://blog.protectmarriageequality.com/2008/08/17/californians-against-hate-urges-calls-to-equality-opponent/

Straight Talk on Marriage -- http://straighttalkonmarriage.blogspot.com/2008/08/californians-against-hate-mounts.html

Marriage Equality News -- http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/2008/08/californians-ag.html

Pam’s House Blend -- http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=6546

Vote3R -- http://www.vot3r.com/stories/Californians-Against-Hate-mount-successful?

Box Turtle Bulletin -- http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/08/17/2670

SD Urban -- http://sdurban.com/blog/2008/08/civic-center-complex-meeting-wednesday.html

Baptist Press -- http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=37196903&msgid=508002&act=DRDW&c=302269&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bpnews.net%2FBPnews.asp%3FID%3D28673


-- end --

Photos From "Yes On Prop 8" Fundraiser Protest

Here are some of the protesters at Saturday's Yes on Prop 8 fund-raiser in Ranch Santa Fe Another satified customer. A neighbor interested in the Republican Fact Sheet

Gustavo and Brian greet arriving guests Brooke Beare of Channel 6 News interviewing Aunt Paula


Queta being interviewd by Channel 17 --Univision News

Lots of horns, cheering and waving from the many passer-bys

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Catholic Church Contributes Additional $1,000,000 to Yes on 8 Campaign


Adding to its earlier contributions of $250,000 and $25,000 the Knights of Columbus, the political arm of the Catholic Church, has contributed a record amount to take way Marriage Equality in California.

http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1302592&session=2007&view=late1

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HEADQUARTERS
CITY: NEW HAVEN
STATE/ZIP: CT / 06510

ID NUMBER: NONE
EMPLOYER: NONE
OCCUPATION: NONE

AMOUNT: $1,000,000
TYPE: INITIAL
TRANS. DATE: 8/14/2008
FILED DATE: 8/15/2008
TRANS #: 1356236-INC37437




Friday, August 15, 2008

Mormon Foot Soldiers


The Mormon Church is apparently reaching out to its members. This letter details their effort to funnel churchgoers to the Yes On Prop 8 campaign. (Click on Image To Enlarge)

The Chino Hills Five


Our friends over at Calitics.com reported an interesting story on their web site recently about the curious connection between five Chino Hills donors to Yes On Proposition 8 and the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that followed the very next day. 

"Some funny stuff from the Prop 8 Donor roll. For months there haven't been any donations from Chino Hills, and then on July 24, there were 3 donations of $5,000+.  Then on July 28, 2 more $5K+ donations.  Guess what else happened the next day? Yup, an earthquake centered in Chino Hills.  If you follow your typical right-wing logic, isn't this the deities being enraged with Prop 8?" 

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Memorandum

TO: Brian Brown, Executive Director, National Organization for Marriage

Maggie Gallagher, President, National Organization for Marriage

FROM: Fred Karger, Campaign Manager, Californians Against Hate

Re: Response to Your Email of August 8, 2008

DATE: August 13, 2008

I received a copy of the email you sent out attacking many Californians who stand up for equality and fairness including me. You see California has a rich tradition of leading the way on equality. It goes back to women’s suffrage where California was the 6th state in the nation to allow women the right to vote in 1911. This preceded the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that went into effect 9 years later in 1920. Additionally, California was the first state to make interracial marriages legal in 1948, 19 years before the United States Supreme Court did so. Maybe since your organization is based in New Jersey you were unaware of these facts, but Californians are leaders on many issues and we also resent outsiders who come into California to take away our rights and bully us.

I was delighted to see your continued defense of one of your largest patrons, San Diego mega developer and hotel owner Doug Manchester who gave $125,000.00 to your effort to take away our newly recognized fundamental right to marry in California (but more on that below). Somehow you try to justify his contribution, while attacking individuals and companies that are opposed to your hateful Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 8 on the November ballot.

What about all of the corporate contributions that your organization, the National Organization for Marriage and Protect Marriage receives from companies? Here are some of them:

    Fieldstead & Company, Irvine , CA - $400,000

    The Vineyard Group, LLC, Mesa , AZ - $60,000

    Adamo Construction Management, Lakeside , CA - $35,000

    Container Supply Company, Garden Grove , CA - $25,000

    TB Penick & Sons, San Diego , CA - $20,000

And Mr. Brown, let’s not forget who started this battle not just here in California, but all across the United States. You and a handful of men and women backed by big companies and wealthy donors who have put Constitutional Amendments on the ballot in 29 states. You and your allies are attempting to turn the clock back on civil rights and are forcing the gay and lesbian community and our friends to spend millions of dollars just to defend fairness and justice and stop your campaigns of fear and hate. Californians do not like organizations like NOM from Princeton, New Jersey, American Family Association (AFA) from Tupelo, Mississippi and James Dobson’s Focus on the Family from Colorado coming in to California which have spent millions of dollars in an attempt to write discrimination into the California Constitution for the very first time.

NOM has contributed over $1,000,000.00, Focus on the Family $400,000.00 and AFA $500,000.00.

Californians Against Hate will be publishing all of the contributions that have come in to hire the hundreds of professional signature gatherers and all of the money that is now coming in to run your campaign. We will post them on our web site www.californiansagainsthate.com for the world to see. We want to let our millions of friends and allies around the country know exactly who is contributing the millions of dollars to take away our freedom to marry. Then people can choose whether they want to support these businesses or not.

You continue to defend Doug Manchester and even say in your email (copy below) that, “due to the mere fact that one of the key businessmen involved donated to protect marriage, gay advocates have begun a nationwide campaign to hurt the entire--and entirely unrelated--business enterprise.” One of the key businessmen? There has been so much coverage of Mr. Manchester and his $125,000.00 contribution that I am sure that you are aware Mr. Manchester owns the hotel that bears his name, the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.










And yes, we have called for a boycott of his hotel because of his $125,000.00 contribution. The boycott has been very successful. Individuals are canceling reservations and lots more are simply not booking rooms. Several big conventions are going to other San Diego Hotels. Not sure if you have seen all the media coverage of the boycott or seen our web site www.boycottmanchesterhotels.com but many groups are leaving the Manchester Grand Hyatt and lots of San Diegans are going elsewhere to stay, eat, drink, shop, park and even get married.

 

Another San Diegan that gave even more money to your campaign than Doug Manchester, Terry Caster and his family, who contributed almost $300,000.00 are the owners of A-1 Self Storage Company. Mr. Caster is apparently getting inundated with people calling asking him why he has given so much money to end marriage equality in California . A-1 Self Storage has 40 locations throughout California , and I read that they had to put in a special phone line to field all the calls. Not sure if you have been to that web site www.callterrycaster.com but it has had thousands of visits just in the last 2 weeks.

 

So, Mr. Brown, while I do enjoy reading your emails, and I am sure they are helping you raise money, I only hope that you will be accurate and tell the truth as you send out your fund raising appeals over the internet.

 

Californians Against Hate was established to act a Truth Squad during this campaign. We will be watching and reporting on what we see.

 

Copy of Brian Brown email of August 9, 2008

NOM Marriage News: California Edition August 8, 2008

 

Dear Friend of Marriage,

"Grandma, my teacher says if grandpa was a girl, that's okay, you could still be married!"

That's one of the voices on the television and radio ad the National Organization for Marriage has run in different states. (A link to the ad is at the bottom of this letter.)

It's a quick way to alert parents and grandparents to an essential truth: Same-sex marriage is not about what two men do in private. It's about the values our government is going to actively promote for all our children--including in our public schools.

The vast majority of Californians, including supermajorities of Hispanic and African-American voters, agree with you and me: We don't want public schools teaching 8-year-olds that gay marriage is okay. That's a decision that should be left to parents and our values.

But you and I also know: Unless we pass Prop 8 in California , it won't be. The government will step in to make sure every young child in California schools is thoroughly indoctrinated in the virtues of gay marriage as a great civil rights triumph. (Can you donate $100 to protect marriage today? What about $10 or even just one dollar--we need every dime to protect marriage for generations to come. Please go to http://nomcalifornia.org to donate!)

That's equally true in Florida , where voters have a chance to protect marriage by voting Yes on 2 (you can donate to Yes2marriage.org), or in Arizona , where we need 50% of Arizonans to vote yes on the Arizona Marriage Protection Amendment. It will be true in New Jersey , New York , Rhode Island and any of the other states where the gay marriage lobby is actively seeking to ram same-sex marriage through the legislatures, a political payoff for years of patient political organizing and donating on their part.

The Grossmont Unions School District in eastern San Diego county became the first California school board to recognize that Yes on Prop 8 is an educational issue, too: The school board voted 4-0 to endorse Proposition 8. Yes on Prop 8 protects our children from inevitable gay marriage propaganda in public schools.

How can you as a parent object to your 6-year-old being taught that gay marriage is okay if that's what in fact the law of California says?

David Parker, the Massachusetts parent who was arrested when he tried to prevent his kindergartener from being exposed to pro-gay marriage books, can confirm what is at stake here.

One woman who was at the Grossmont Union School District meeting said that opponents of Prop 8 were so mean-spirited, rude, and insulting--calling Californians who support Prop 8 haters and bigots--that the silent majority in the audience erupted in cheers when the board overruled them.

"The next thing the board should do is insist on classes in respect so that young people understand how to speak at a public meeting," my informant told me.

In this case the teens were only following their "betters": the mainstream media, the California Supreme Court, Hollywood , San Francisco 's Mayor Gavin Newsom, and gay marriage advocates like Fred Karger's Californians Against Hate.

All the powerful folks agree on one thing: It's perfectly okay to denounce, insult, misrepresent, and intimidate people who support marriage. In their eyes, those of us willing to stand for the transcendent good of marriage as the union of husband and wife are just haters and bigots who deserve to be silenced and intimidated.

And it's increasingly clear the opponents of Prop 8 don't care much that they intimidate or harass those who disagree with them. Ordinary norms of civil discourse, democratic debate and process don't seem to apply to anti-Prop-8ers. When you've dubbed yourself the civil rights movement of the century, apparently you get to run right over people who disagree with you, without any pang of conscience.

Take Attorney General Jerry Brown for example. He's the man charged with upholding and defending the normal rules of law. Instead he's dedicated himself to twisting and bending as many rules as he can to defeat Prop 8. Jerry's undemocratic antic began before the California Supreme Court ruling, when he specifically disavowed in his court briefs (allegedly defending Prop 22) the truthful and winning argument that had persuaded supreme courts in New York , Maryland , and Washington to uphold marriage laws.

Next step in Jerry Brown's bag of tricks? Redo the ballot initiative language in ways designed to make it as hard to pass as possible. As far as I know this has never happened in California history. When a ballot initiative is filed, language is developed that describes the initiative, people sign petitions, and it goes on the ballot. Stepping in mid-game to let the Human Rights Campaign rewrite the ballot language to make it fail? Par for the course, in this debate.

Just this week Jerry Brown pulled another trick out of his bag: Prop 8, he pronounced (as if it were up to him to decide), would not be "retroactive," meaning the gay marriages that have already taken place won't be affected. (Well, there's one plus side: At least they can't argue that we're taking away any existing rights from people!)

Sometimes the anti-democratic tendencies of the gay-marriage lobby go too far. Even the California courts could not swallow the idea that Prop 8 should be struck from the ballot on the ground that it's not merely an amendment but a revision of the entire constitutional scheme. That is the desperate argument gay marriage advocates made in their increasingly frantic attempts to deprive California voters of our civil right to vote for marriage in California this November.

I wanted to let you in on the latest on the boycott against the Manchester Hyatt. That poor hotel, of course, has nothing to do with Prop 8, one way or another. It's just a great hotel right there on the bay in San Diego . But due to the mere fact that one of the key businessmen involved donated to protect marriage, gay advocates have begun a nationwide campaign to hurt the entire--and entirely unrelated--business enterprise.

Think of all the people they are willing to hurt--the hotel employees, the customers who will be inconvenienced, the investors--to get what they want: to enforce the idea that people like you and me, who think marriage means a man and a woman, are just like racial bigots and should be treated the same way.

Meanwhile the real scandal is over at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company--a regulated public utility, which (according to Equality for All) donated $250,000 to defeat Prop 8. Can you imagine? A public utility is skimming money off people's electric bills to donate $250,000 to overturn the will of 61% of its customers--even as it spends millions to try to persuade voters to defeat Prop 7, an alternative energy bill!

I'm going to email Peter A. Darbee, the Chairman of the Board of PG&E, and tell him: I’m voting Yes on Prop 8 and Yes on Prop 7. And I'm going to ask all my friends and neighbors to do the same.

If you have strong feelings on Prop 7, you may not want to go there.

But if, like me, you want to let this public utility understand that they are going to pay a price if they try to overrule the majority of Californian voters, on a matter (marriage) that is just not an electric company's business...

Email Peter A. Darbee at peter.darbee@pge-corp.com, or call Nancy E. McFadden, the company's public affairs representative, at (415) 267-7070. Be polite, but tell her you are voting Yes on Prop 8 and Yes on Prop 7 because of PG&E's decision to make its customers pay to defeat Prop 8. (And can you email me at pgandemarriage@yahoo.com to let me know what she says?)

Here's the difference between the Manchester Hyatt and PG&E: The Manchester Hyatt did not donate to Prop 8, but attempts are being made unfairly to punish the hotel anyway, because just one businessmen associated with the hotel gave money.

PG&E is using its customers' money to defeat the will of the majority of its customers.

That's a big difference.

Expect more absurdities and insanities as the campaign progresses.

But remember too: We know who wins in the end, don't we? And we know who will win this November.

It's an honor to stand with you, for marriage.

God bless you,

Brian


Brian S. Brown

Executive Director National Organization for Marriage

20 Nassau Street, Suite 242

Princeton , NJ 08542

bbrown@nationformarriage.org 

P.S. You can view our national ads on the meaning of marriage by going to http://www.nationformarriage.org and clicking on "Get Informed."

(C)2008 National Organization for Marriage. 

AAFP Members Call For Boycott


Everyone from lawyers to doctors are our joining the debate about whether their respective organizations should hold conferences at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel, in the wake of a boycott launched by Californians Against Hate. 

The latest example of this is a statement released by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), assuring their membership about the hotel’s commitment to diversity. 

The written statement below came in response to a barrage of concerns from AAFP members about the choice of venue for their annual Congress of Delegates and Scientific Assembly.

Assembly Housing

AAFP Statement, July 29, 2008: The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, the headquarters hotel for this year’s AAFP Congress of Delegates and Scientific Assembly, is owned by Doug Manchester. Mr. Manchester recently donated $125,000 to support Passage of Proposition 8, an amendment on the November ballot banning same-sex marriage in California. This action has generated calls from various groups for a boycott of the hotel.

Both the AAFP and the Hyatt Hotel Corporation have clear and consistent policies embracing and encouraging diversity in the workplace. Hyatt’s commitment to diversity has been reaffirmed in a letter to AAFP members and staff.

The AAFP’s policies on diversity in the workplace and diversity in AAFP education activities are available online.

Hyatt Management's Letter :

http://www.aafp.org/online/etc/medialib/aafp_org/documents/cme/courses/conf/assembly/hyattletter.html

AAFP's Diversity Policies:

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/d/diversityworkplace.html

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/d/diversityasssuring.html

Friday, August 8, 2008

Call Terry Caster Campaign

NEWS RELEASE Contact: Fred Karger

July 31, 2008 619-592-2008

Californians Against Hate “Call Terry Caster Campaign” – Day 3

San Diego’s Biggest Donor to Protect Marriage -- Phones Ringing Off-the-Hook

SAN DIEGO, CA -- What possesses a family to give nearly $300,000.00 to change history and write discrimination into the California Constitution?

Well, here is what the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on March 15, 2008 on Caster family patriarch, Terry Caster:

Caster, who heads Caster Cos., which owns A-1 Self Storage
and other commercial properties, said he believes that marriage
between a man and a woman is fundamental to society.
“Without solid marriage, you are going to have a sick society,” he said.

This guy must really not like same-sex marriage. Mr. Caster and many of his eight sons and daughters and their husbands and wives gave a combined total of $292,600.00 to the Protect Marriage campaign between January and July of 2008.

Why so much money? Is same-sex marriage that much of a threat to the Caster family and to society as a whole? Is his family so fearful of creating a “sick society” that they are willing to take away the recently attained freedom to marry in California? And where do all his children get the $9,100.00 they contributed to the Protect Marriage campaign?

Terry Caster - $100,000 on 1/5/08
Terry Caster - $62,500 on 2/5/08
Terry Caster - $10,000 on 3/27/08
Barbara Caster - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Brian Caster - $10,000 on 1/28/08
Brian Caster - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Brian Caster - $10,000 on 7/8/08
Candice Caster - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Cha Cha Caster - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Christina Caster - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Craig Caster - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Gary Davidson - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Justin Caster - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Kenneth Kremensky - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Mechele Kremensky - $9,100 on 4/10/08
Nick Caster - $9,100 on 4/10/08

Terry Caster is the owner of A-1 Self Storage of San Diego http://a1storage.com/ and was the most generous of San Diego County’s many major donors to Protect Marriage. Mr. Caster is a very successful businessman, no doubt. A-1 Self Storage has 40 locations all over California with 28,000 storage units and 4 million square feet of self storage. He and his family have every right to contribute as much money as they want to this effort, but we are very curious as to why Mr. Caster saw fit to contribute so much money to their campaign of fear and hate.

So we are asking our millions of friends and supporters all over the United States to help us by Calling Terry Caster and asking him why he and his family are so strongly against marriage equality.

Call Terry Caster at A-1 Self Storage Toll Free
Corporate Office Number: 800-219-4854 ext. 106
Customer Service Number: 800-210-8979

When you call, please be respectful and courteous to Mr. Caster and his associates.
If the numbers are busy, please keep trying.

We have launched a brand new web site with more information on our latest undertaking: www.CallTerryCaster.com

Californians Against Hate www.californiansagainsthate.com will act as a truth squad during the next 3 months. Our purpose is to let everyone know the major donor supporters of Proposition 8. With that information, people can chose whether or not they want to patronize the businesses owned by these major donors.

We will recommend action against some of the major contributors as we did two weeks ago in calling for a boycott of Doug Manchester’s three hotels www.boycottmanchesterhotels.com We will announcing additional activities re Terry Caster and his A-1 Self Storage Company next week.

Californians Against Hate will post all these major contributors on our web site in the very near future and disseminate this information through our facebook group page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17558919762&ref=mf and other new media.

It is sad to me and so many other Californians to see so much money being given out of fear and hate to try take away the freedom to marry for loving couples across this great state.
Terry Caster and his wife have 38 grandchildren. What message is he sending to all his grandchildren and to an entire generation of young people?

-- end2 --

Comic-Con Supports Boycott

News Release Contact: Fred Karger

July 25, 2008 619-592-2008

Is the Manchester Grand Hyatt Boycott Working? Plenty of Rooms Available This Busy Weekend Marriott Marina Hotel Next Door – SOLD OUT!

SAN DIEGO – In spite of the huge Comic – Con International Convention at the San Diego Convention Center 2 blocks away from Doug Manchester’s Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel his hotel is NOT SOLD OUT again this weekend. There are rooms available in every category.

But if you want a room at Manchester’s main competitor right next door the Marriott Marina Hotel, it is SOLD OUT. We found this out by going to Marriott’s on line reservation system and calling the hotel – SOLD OUT all weekend long.

Comic – Con International is one of San Diego’s biggest conventions. Last year over 125,000 people attended Comic –Con, making it the largest convention of it’s kind of the world and one of San Diego’s biggest conventions all year http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic-Con_International Even more were expected this year.

There were many comic – con blogs going around this week urging their convention goers to avoid the Manchester Grand Hyatt since Californians Against Hate called for a Boycott of Doug Manchester’s Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel and his two other hotels the Grand del Mar in San Diego and the Whitetail Club and Resort in McCall, Idaho. Manchester gave $125,000.00 this year to the Protect Marriage campaign to take away the recently attained freedom to marry in California.

Comic Con Blogers Urge Boycott of
Manchester Grand Hyatt – Here Are Some Links

http://comics212.net/2008/07/16/staying-at-the-hyatt-in-for-comic-con-guess-where-your-money-is-going/

http://www.afterelton.com/blog/lylemasaki/week-in-gay-geek-41-manchester-grand-hyatt-boycott-watchmen-trailer

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/07/16/dont-drink-at-the-hyatt/

http://io9.com/5026765/where-not-to-drink-at-san-diego

http://www.examiner.com/r-1227890~The_Week_in_Gay_Geek__Boycotts_at_Comic_Con__the__Watchmen__trailer_and_more_.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS286&ie=UTF-8&q=comic+con+boycott+hyatt&start=10&sa=N

Thank you for supporting this Boycott of Doug Manchester’s Hotels!!!

Manchester Grand Hyatt
Plenty of Rooms Available Again This Weekend!


Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego One Market Place San Diego, California, USA 92101 Tel: +1 619 232 1234 Fax: +1 619 233 6464 Maps & Directions

Our guaranteed best rate and no booking fees, only at Hyatt.com View details

Hyatt.Com Rate Rate Details
Rate requires full prepayment and is subject to special cancellation penalty.
Room Type:
Friday
Saturday
King
Room Details
399.00
399.00

Total Price Per Room: 798.00 USD 1
BOOK

2 Double Beds
Room Details
399.00
399.00 

Total Price Per Room: 798.00 USD 1
BOOK

Premium View 2double
Room Details
424.00
424.00

Total Price Per Room: 848.00 USD 1
BOOK

Premium View King
Room Details
424.00
424.00

Total Price Per Room: 848.00 USD 1
BOOK

Prevailing Rate Rate Details
Room Type: King
Friday $399.00
Saturday $399.00

Total Price Per Room: 798.00 USD 1

2 Double Beds
Friday 399.00 
Saturday 399.00

Total Price Per Room: 798.00 USD 1
BOOK

Premium View 2double
Friday 424.00
Saturday 424.00

Total Price Per Room: 848.00 USD 1
BOOK

Premium View King
Friday 424.00
Saturday 424.00

Total Price Per Room: 848.00 USD 1
BOOK

Marriott Marina Next Door -- SOLD OUT!
See for yourself – go to this web page

https://www.marriott.com/reservation/unsuccessfulSell.mi


Check Rates & Availability – Step 1 of 6
Friday, July 25 to Sunday, July 27, 2008

San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina
· San Diego, CA
· More hotel information
· ** NO ROOMS AVAILABLE FOR REQUESTED DATES ** **
· 1 room was not available at this hotel. Please make a selection from other hotels listed below.
The hotel(s) below have 1 room(s) available. Distance and direction from your original choice is noted to help with your selection.

-- end --

More Media Coverage

News Coverage #4
July 30, 2008

Newspapers

San Diego Union-Tribune -- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20080728-9999-1n28boycott.html

San Diego Union-Tribune -- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20080728-9999-1n28boyside.html

The McCall Star News – Idaho Statesman -- http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/453135.html

Ventura County Star -- http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jul/30/is-this-historic-or-not/

Sacramento Bee -- http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1119451.html


Blogs

Towleroad -- http://www.towleroad.com/2008/07/san-diego-activ.html

Gaylink News -- http://gaylinknews.com/prdetail.cfm?id=13670

Workers World -- http://www.workers.org/2008/us/san_diego_0731/

Feminists Law Professors -- http://feministlawprofs.law.sc.edu/?p=3806

Lavender Newswire -- http://news.lavenderliberal.com/2008/07/22/whos-behind-prop-8-a-web-site-dedicated-to-anti-gay-hotelier-doug-manchester/

After Elton -- http://www.afterelton.com/blog/lylemasaki/week-in-gay-geek-41-manchester-grand-hyatt-boycott-watchmen-trailer?&comment=47926
Gaywired -- http://www.gaywired.com/article.cfm?id=19735&section=67

Legal Writing Institute -- http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legalwriting/2008/07/lwi-joins-boyco.html

On Today’s Show -- http://signorile2003.blogspot.com/2008/07/on-todays-show.html

California Ripple Effect - http://ca-ripple-effect.blogspot.com/2008/07/taste-of-their-own-medicine.html

43rd State Blues -- http://www.43rdstateblues.com/?q=node/5298

Lavender Newswire -- http://news.lavenderliberal.com/2008/07/29/californians-against-hate-launches-call-terry-caster-campaign/

North County Blog -- http://www.northcountypridesd.org/PromoteLoveNotHate.htm

Inside Self Storage -- http://www.insideselfstorage.com/blogs/teri/

Sonoma County Democracy -- http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=fred+karger+caster&start=20&sa=N

Self Storage -- http://www.doselfstorage.com/index.php

Pam’s House Blend -- http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=6305