July 01, 2011 05:03 AM UTC

Petitions Submitted for Paid Sick Days

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• by: Colorado Pols

It takes only 3,973 cured signatures  to qualify an issue for the Denver ballot. That might sound like quite a few, but in reality, that’s chump change, especially for the professional organizations which specialize in signature gathering.

That’s why we’re not terribly surprised to have received this press advisory today. From the Campaign for a Healthy Denver:

DENVER – Forty advocates wearing infectious disease masks will deliver more than three times the 3,973 petition signatures required to qualify for the ballot to the Denver City Clerk on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.  

WHAT:            Denver paid sick and safe time initiative campaign submission of petition signatures to qualify for November ballot

WHO:              Campaign for a Healthy Denver activists; a local business owner, a public health expert and a campaign spokesperson will make brief remarks

WHEN:            Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE:          Office of the Denver City Clerk, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Department 101/first floor, Denver

WHY:              Submit petition signatures for the paid sick and safe days initiative for Denver’s November ballot

VISUALS:        Forty advocates will wear infectious disease masks; Large stack of petitions to be handed to city clerk staff

This is a pretty uncontroversial issue and we can’t see many people opposing it. At the very least, we can’t see the type of vocal opposition needed to take this kind of issue down. Polling has indicated that 65% of Denver voters would support the measure, and while we’re not entirely sure that the margin will be that high, we’re confident that the hardest part of this whole process will be getting the measure on the ballot.

Still, though, what an odd way to get press attention. They’re going to have 40 people wearing infectious disease masks down at city hall? Imagine the poor TV viewers who had the volume off when they see that footage pop up on screen. It’s going to be a SARS scare all over again. But hey, at least you could get paid for the time you take off work.  That is if hypochondria qualifies under this measure.