Mark West, president of Citizens for Government Accountability and Transparency, drops off 1634 signatures petitioning Chattanooga’s same-sex partner benefit ordinance to Brenda Hixson at the Hamilton County Election Commission.A few weeks ago, I wrote a column bemoaning the lethargic performance turned in by Chattanooga’s electorate during last year’s city elections. Since then, City Council’s lightning-rod domestic partners vote, championed by Councilman Chris Anderson, has seemingly awoken a sleeping giant.
I wasn’t sure they could do it, but Mark West’s tea party offshoot, Citizens for Government Accountability and Transparency, surpassed the total amount of signatures needed to force the issue to referendum. Not only did CGAT meet the number of names necessary, they sprinted past the marker, more than doubling the required amount.
Admittedly, I’ve had mixed emotions about the tea party since day one. However, when it comes to results, no contemporary group compares to what they’ve been able to accomplish since they burst onto the scene just a few short years ago. Whether you like them, hate them, or are ambivalent about them, you’ve got to hand it to them — they get things done. Period. And Chattanooga’s chapter should be a case study for other civic organizations near and far about how to effectively mobilize a citizenry.
So what happens now? Well, as Isaac Newton’s third law of motion tells us, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” With that in mind, I’m sure there will be a large-scale push-back against Mr. West and his allies by various groups inside and outside Chattanooga.
When Chattanooga’s City Council took up this ordinance, it looked very much like it could be an open-and-shut case similar to what was experienced in Collegedale and Knoxville. However, CGAT threw down the gauntlet, delivering the first major challenge to the increased domestic partners momentum that has been building across Tennessee. The upcoming August referendum will be the first major showdown on this issue in our state.