Petition Frenzy

There is an online petition frenzy for Mitt Romney to release more tax returns. Online petitions don't really hold any weight, but people feel good about them. So maybe it doesn't matter that there are so many petitions out there, but it is fuel for the press as content for "what the people want."

These tax return petitions are all about the class envy. Make people mad about how much Mitt Romney has earned. Get mad at all the tax breaks and deductions he gets. Try to prove he is shifty and hiding something. However, even if he did release his tax returns, how many of us would be able to make heads or tails out of the returns? Don't most people have trouble with simple tax returns?

I have found 25 petitions asking for Romney's tax returns and I wonder "why so many?" Wouldn't it be better for one strong petition and everyone promotes it? Does anyone look first for a petition? Or are these petitions like blogs and voice an opinion instead of as a tool to influence policy?

The following is list of the tax return petitions that I have found:

site	date	goal	name
dccc.org	?	100,000	100,000 STRONG TELLING MITT ROMNEY TO RELEASE HIS FULL TAX RETURNS
forcechange.com	7/18/2012	?	Tell Mitt Romney to Come Clean About His Financial History
forcechange.com	7/15/2012	?	Mitt Romney Must Release More Years of His Tax Returns
progressmichigan.org	?	?	Mitt Romney: Release Your Tax Returns Dating to Your Time at Bain
dscc.org	?	?	Demand Mitt Romney Release his Tax Returns
signon.org	?	50	Pay Your Fair Share of Taxes - Ethics, not just Legal Compliance
democracyforamerica.com	?	?	What is Romney hiding?
padems.com	?	?	Tell Mitt Romney To Stop Hiding And Release His Tax Returns
thepetitionsite.com	?	1,000	Insist that Mitt Romney releases his tax return now!
moveon.org	?	?	Mitt Romney: Release Your Tax Returns
leftaction.com	date	25,000	Tell Mitt: "Stop hiding your tax returns"
change.org	?	200	Romney for President, Inc.: Release your Tax Returns from 2005-2009
change.org	date	100	Arizona Secretary of State: Check Mitt Romney's papers
change.org	?	100,000	Mitt Romney Campaign: Release 10 years of tax returns
change.org	?	100	Mitt Romney: TO PRESENT HIS TAX RETURNS FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS
change.org	?	200	What is he hiding?
change.org	?	100	Mitt Romney: Release your tax returns!!
change.org	?	200	Mitt Romney: Release additional years of tax returns
change.org	?	100	Maricopa County Sheriff: Investigate Mitt Romney's Tax Returns and Olympics Contracts
change.org	?	500	Candidate for President of The United States: Disclose your tax returns.
change.org	?	100	Mitt Romney: Show multiple years of Mitt Romney's tax returns to the American people.
change.org	?	100	Mitt Romney: show his tax return for 10 years min.
change.org	?	100	Citizens of the United States of America: Demand Mitt Romney release at least 10 years of tax returns.
gopetition.com	7/17/2012	10,000,000	Release Romney's Last Twelve Years of Tax Returns
ipetitions.com	?	?	US Voters Need to See Mitt Romney's 2000-2011 Tax Returns

The conservatives comparable sealed files issue is President Obama's school records. Other presidents have released them, but President Obama has not. I have found 2 petitions.

site	date	goal	name
petitiononline.com	?	?	Expose Barack Obama and Free America
thepetitionsite.com	?	5,000	obama disclose your information

This does not mean there are not petitions out there on Obama issues. You can find many birth certificate and impeach petitions. Keep looking and you can find more crazy items. Actually, there are a lot of crazy petitions period!

Does any of this mean anything? Should the politicians pay attention or is it noise?

There is one more petition about Mitt Romney's tax returns you should look at and sign. It was put up by Godfather Politics, and there is a blog entry from him you should read.