Tabling at the Farmers Market for the No on Recall Campaign

By Connie Sullivan —

On the morning of August 15, Reggie Jue and I set up a table outside the Farmers Market at Peninsula High School.

In spite of the poor location on the sidewalk by the parking lot exit, we had a successful morning.  Engaged Democrats spotted us from across the vast expanse from the market to our table and came over to talk.

Several thanked us for being there to talk about this important issue with voters.  The ones who were not already on our mailing list signed up.  That’s always the hardest to get people to do. Success!

Three good Democrats donated to the lawn sign program (we only had 4), and one of those three lives in a very prominent spot on Via Del Monte.  I’ve since seen her sign, which makes two on that busy PVE street, one at the lower end and one at the top.  Couldn’t be better placement for the recall effort!

You may remember that we tabled every Sunday for 10 years until the market moved from the Peninsula shopping center to the high school parking lot.  The market manager no longer allows us to table near his market.  His contract with the school district apparently covers the entire parking lot and the field house, so tabling is relegated to the public sidewalk.  The closest sidewalk is by the exit to the parking lot, where there is virtually no foot traffic.  Now people need to spot us and come over.  Only the truly dedicated Democrats (the choir) do that, so there’s no opportunity to engage the not-so-engaged Democrats, Independents and Republicans, as we used to be able to do.  We didn’t feel it was useful to set up where there is exactly zero foot traffic, so we stopped.

If we elect a Democratic majority school board, I’m hopeful we can change that contract to set up a free speech area (for everyone, of course) in a space away from the market but inside an area that gets some foot traffic.  Another reason to elect Democrats in the upcoming school district race next year.