Chapter15
One month later, with making no changes to the posting, the vast majority did favor such a law. Mac had previously told Frank that he posted a general idea and Frank updated Mac telling him Dr. Singh was working frantically and to sit tight until the two would meet with Dr. Singh in two weeks.
Dr. Singh, who had no objection to a preview posting, at this meeting, updated them regarding the amazing progress she had made. Dr. Singh optimally wielded the vast network she had firmly established dispersing the campaign most effectively and efficiently. In this one and a half month, a formal initiative petition for a state statute had been finalized and filed with the Secretary of State's office. There still remained the long legislative due process between filing, revision, rehearing, titling, and possible appeals and submitting the signed petitions. Roughly 100,000 signatures would be required. Mac, having informed Dr. Singh that his page had received thousands or positive responses, was sure the needed number of signatures would be gathered in the allotted six months.
With a bastion of exasperated pediatricians, obstetricians, ophthalmologists, cardiologists, et al, all caring for the ravages of diabetes alone, the idea metastasized in Colorado's medical community and the backing of several highly esteemed medical associations had been earned. It was only mid-January; this extremely powerful coalition, headed by Dr. Singh with a squadron of petition circulators, could get this on the November, 2015 ballot.
Amassing the two hundred petition circulators and having each sign their respective affidavit was completed by the end of January giving them more than enough time before the early August deadline. Those involved assuming Colorado would be the optimal state for such an endeavor to date had not been disappointed. Mac left his place every day at ten in the morning to start knocking on doors and to further spread the news. The first month was strictly spent in the Green Mountain area. Green Mountain and its surroundings are on the western bounds of Lakewood, equidistant from the northern and southern bounds of Lakewood. As the name implies, it is quite hilly, all the hills very long, a couple of them San Francisco grade. These hills made for a tiring day especially when many people were not home or not receptive to the petition. The usual four hours of canvassing in that area garnered him a few signatures. Some quick math told him that five hundred was the average number of signatures per circulator needed to get the initiative on the ballot. This being his brainchild prompted him to get at least one thousand.
The second day canvassing outside the Green Mountain neighborhood Mac had a welcome surprise seeing Joe the counselor from Arapaho House detox center opening the door. "Mac?" asked Joe.
"Joe! How are you?"
"Clean and sober, thank you very much. How about yourself?"
"With some Antabuse assistance, same as you now, for well over a year now."
"That's awesome Mac, glad to hear it. I can't imagine you were just in the neighborhood and stopped by to say hi. I don't remember if I ever mentioned my last name to you."
Mac enjoyed a little chuckle, "No, I'm out and about getting signatures for this petition." Mac held up his clipboard to show Joe. "I don't suppose you've maybe heard about the proposed initiative Lose It or Hoof It?"
"The attack on fat people and not letting them drive, are you kidding? It's all over the place." And Joe was right, constructive notice was present in the Denver Post and Westword, television ads, and all the local national television affiliates already had several news stories and commentaries concerning the issue, not to mention the medical community's roadside billboard advertisements strategically placed statewide.
"Yeah, I guess it is pretty hard to miss by now," Mac answered.
"What, are you into politics, don't like fat people, or extremel