93-Year Old Veteran Denied the Right to Vote Because Of Texas ID Law
[su_center_ad]Early voting has been underway to nearly a week in Texas, and election judge William Parsley said on Sunday he has seen just one voter turned away at his polling location. At the Metropolitan Multi-Services Center in downtown Houston, the criminal from whose vote we are protected was an elderly veteran whose license was no longer…
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D.B. Hirsch is a political activist, news junkie, and retired ad copy writer and spin doctor. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
KABoink_after_wingnut_hacker October 27th, 2014 at 1:05 pm
The law is working exactly as intended by the GOP.
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 1:12 pm
As long as firearms fetishists can stroll around Walmart with a rifle, who cares if an elderly veteran is disenfranchised?
But if one person is somehow inconvenienced by waiting for a background check when trying to buy a gun, it is surely the end of freedom as we know it.
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
The bright side is that gun license doubles as a valid voter ID!
rg9rts October 27th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
In open carry states for sure.
Larry Schmitt October 27th, 2014 at 1:13 pm
“…the people rejected are a drop in the bucket. Maybe a tenth of a percent…” So of course, they don’t matter as individuals who were denied the right to vote. And how many actual fraudulent votes has this law prevented? Anyone? Buehler? That’s what I thought.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 1:16 pm
Simple solution: A national voter id issued to every US citizen. Every citizen of Mexico has one, complete with a fingerprint, and you can’t vote in Mexico without one.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-01-22/mexico-national-voter-ID-cards/52779410/1
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 1:24 pm
There’s nothing like having a solution in search of a problem, to occupy us.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 4:38 pm
Yeah. Those silly Mexicans wasted a lot of time and money on a nonexistent problem, because there’s no corruption in Mexico. And even if there is corruption in Mexico, there’s no corruption in the USA because – American Exceptionalism!
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
I’m sorry? You want to solve Mexico’s problems by having a national voter ID card here in the U.S.? WTF?
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Here’s what I am saying:
a. Mexico believed that it needed a voter id system.
b. Mexico was able to implement a system in a short time.
c. If you think that voter fraud couldn’t happen here, you must think that Americans are “exceptional” in some way, or else you think that Mexico never had a problem in the first place.
I don’t know how to make it any plainer. The fact is that people oppose voter id because they rely on voter fraud to win close elections. It is obvious to any thinking person. It’s just that some people don’t have the guts to admit it.
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
“The fact is that people oppose voter id because they rely on voter fraud to win close elections.” That is not a fact, it is a fantasy from the right with no basis here in the reality based world. No reputable organization has found voter fraud occurring in anything other than vanishingly small instances and certainly no instance that has affected the outcome of an election.
Come back when you can prove your statement, you would be the first.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 5:28 pm
Why is it that liberals see fraud and corruption at all levels of government and business, but refuse to admit the possibility of fraud and corruption at the polling place? The answer is obvious: liberals believe that voter fraud exists and that it helps them to win elections. These lame excuses about little old ladies being disenfranchised are getting tiresome. If Mexico can implement a voter id system, then the USA can surely accomplish the feat. But that makes liberals nervous. They’re not SURE that voter fraud is helping them, but they’re not willing to RISK it.
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 5:39 pm
Exactly which part of bring proof to your argument is eluding you? Don’t rant that it’s a lefty plot, it isn’t. We have better things, actual real things to be concerned about. Or, go to Mexico if you are so concerned about their voter fraud.
Why is it that ‘f’ing morons like you post such nonsense publicly and are surprised that you are mocked? Go back to whichever conspiracy site you came from, please, you are wasting our electrons on your lunatic imaginary problems.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 6:05 pm
If fraud and corruption are imaginary problems, then we should probably eliminate several government agencies. Do fraud and corruption exist in local governments? Do they exist in business? If so, then what makes you think that polling places are somehow immune to these problems? I mean, we’ve had widespread abuse of children by priests, and public school teachers raping their students. People are not angels. Without proper safeguards, shenanigans will happen. We both know it. It’s just that one of us has trouble admitting it.
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
The fact that you can only provide hypotheticals and nonsensical analogies, instead of actual VOTER FRAUD swinging elections should be a clue that the problem does not exist.
We have laws on the books that do not disenfranchise people.
As far as I am concerned, this whole voter id scam is a manifestation of the right wing wet dream to restrict voting to as few people as possible. Why else do we also get calls for reducing early voting days and closing polling places in poor and minority neighborhoods.
As few people as possible voting is what the right wing wants. We both know it.. It is just that one of us has trouble admitting it.
This is not just some fringe guy. He was a founding father of the Moral Majority and the Heritage Foundation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GBAsFwPglw
Paul Weyrich – “I don’t want everybody to vote” (Goo Goo)
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 6:18 pm
You’re right. I give up! Here’s the proof I was hiding from you:
http://www.tylervigen.com/view_correlation?id=2032
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 6:21 pm
Wow.
and to think I was going to have a baked potato tonight with my dinner and garnish with a healthy heap of sour cream. no sour cream for me, I will stick to butter with a dash of tabasco.
thank you for helping me to prevent the senseless injury or death of yet another motorcyclist.
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 6:24 pm
I do what I can.
jasperjava October 27th, 2014 at 7:40 pm
How convenient that your “proper safeguards” also have the effect of suppressing the rights of vulnerable voters.
Fraud in commerce and institutional corruption are not constitutionally protected activities. Voting is.
Dwendt44 October 27th, 2014 at 7:57 pm
There’s a big difference between alleged voter fraud and corporate or government fraud. The last two are all about money. Skim it, steal it, what ever. there’s no real financial gain in the voter fraud that I.D. is supposed to prevent.
Rigging the machines (Ohio), scrubbing the voter’s registration list of ‘black sounding names’ (Florida), shorting black and Hispanic precinct of enough voting machines, Many states, may well have a financial gain attached.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 8:23 pm
Money is not the only thing that motivates people. Hatred is also a powerful motivator.
tracey marie October 27th, 2014 at 8:52 pm
you would know
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 9:03 pm
Yes, I would know, because I have experienced hatred, and I have witnessed it. Hatred is part of the human condition. There is no point in pretending otherwise. In 2008 a lot of people expressed a real hatred of Mitt Romney, and a lot of other people expressed a real hatred of Barack Obama. Some people will do whatever they think they can get away with to help their candidate win, or to “punish” the candidate that they hate. That’s why we need permanent safeguards to protect the integrity of the voting process. For gosh sakes, Canada requires identification to vote.
tracey marie October 27th, 2014 at 9:10 pm
lol, such projection and phony victimhood. Take it somewhere else teabagg no one is buying your meme
Dwendt44 October 27th, 2014 at 9:55 pm
I’m sure there is a good deal of hatred targeted at President Obama, for instance, but when it comes to government or corporate fraud, it’s generally money and greed. There’s no real reward financially for me to impersonate you at the polls for instance. Fudging the books at a company or getting a kickback from a government supplier results in cash in hand; as long as you don’t get caught.
Election fraud, the kind that Republicans often resort to, also may have ‘rewards’. Power or graft etc.
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 6:07 pm
Why is it that conservatives had no concerns about fraud when Republicans were winning elections?
The answer is obvious. Conservatives know there is no voter fraud but having lost the popular vote 5 out of the last 6 Presidential elections as well as the fact that on a nationwide basis, more people voted for Democratic House candidates, they perpetuate the lie to justify these laws which are an excellent way of minimizing turnout just as conservative icon Paul Weyrich hoped.
Conservatives may not be SURE that high voter turnout is hurting them, but they are not willing to risk it and want to make sure that as few people as possible turn out to vote. Has nothing to do with the integrity of the electoral process and everything to do with partisan advantage.
So you see if you want to suspect the absolute worst about people who think differently, please understand that the favor will be returned.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
“So you see if you want to suspect the absolute worst about people who think differently, please understand that the favor will be returned.”
You’re helping to make my case. We need government oversight of the stock market, the banking system, and military contracts because people have legitimate concerns about fraud and corruption. People have legitimate reasons to “suspect the absolute worst” (borrowing your words). It is widely believed, and rarely disputed, that Jack Kennedy won the 1960 election because of his father’s mob connections. It doesn’t matter whether it really happened. What matters is that millions of people believe that it is plausible, just as millions of people believe that it is plausible that Gov Christie knew of the plan to close traffic lanes. People need to have trust in the system. That’s why we need government oversight and, in cases like BridgeGate, investigations.
So given all of those facts, you expect me to place complete faith in the goodness of mankind at the polling place?
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 6:47 pm
I have no expectations about you one way or the other.
I simply do not believe it is just an innocent coincidence that no voter id laws were being proposed until the GOP started losing elections, especially when someone who has defined 21st century conservatism clearly made reducing voter turnout one of the goals that conservatives should pursue.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 7:04 pm
I understand your point and I agree that it looks suspicious. I identify with the Republican party in the way I identify with the Windows operating system. I consider it slightly better than the alternative, but there is a lot that I don’t like about it.
Like a lot of Americans, I just want some reassurance that things are under control. I view elections as a contest of ideas, and I want the best ideas to win. I have voted for Democratic candidates numerous times in the past.
I have become well-acquainted with the Guatemalan immigrants who operate a pizza shop close to my house. One of the women is trying to help her elderly mother to legally come to the US. I like these people, and I am happy to have them as neighbors. My point is simply that they came here legally through a regulated process. I like well-regulated processes. I dislike unregulated processes. So I guess you can say I’m a Republican who favors regulation.
I distrust business people as much as I distrust ordinary voters. We are all cut from the same cloth. People do stupid things when they are motivated by righteous indignation. They key cars, they steal from their employers, they spit in rude customer’s meals. I happen to think that it is quite rational to suspect fraud and corruption wherever things are not well-regulated.
When I was a young man, it seemed as though things were pretty much under control. The older I get, the more it seems that things are out of control. Do you share that perception, or am I just becoming a curmudgeon?
I just don’t think it takes a conspiracy theory mindset to believe that a significant percentage of voters are willing to commit fraud, such as snow birds voting in Florida and in their home towns in the northeast by absentee ballot.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 2:48 am
You make sense in so many ways, but your basic distrust of everything and everyone doesn’t make you a curmudgeon; it makes you paranoid. I am not accusing you, but in my experience, people who suspect others of illegal acts have either committed them themselves, or at least have thought about it.
Robert M. Snyder October 28th, 2014 at 3:26 am
“in my experience, people who suspect others of illegal acts have either committed them themselves, or at least have thought about it.”
My neighbor is a cop. If you spent an hour listening to his stories, you might become a little paranoid too. I have never owned a gun and never felt the need for one. He tells me that I am naïve.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 3:47 am
Ditto on guns, too! You are right; talk for a while, and you are bound to find common ground. Are you sure you are a Republican? You don’t sound like any I have heard lately. Guns are usually the Holy Grail. To bed for me. Morning is here. 🙂
Robert M. Snyder October 28th, 2014 at 10:01 am
“Are you sure you are a Republican?”
I look at political parties the same way I look at computer operating systems. You have to pick one, but that doesn’t automatically make you a “fanboy”.
I use the Windows operating system. There are things about it that I really like, and things that I really dislike. Some people get into “religious wars” over operating systems or programming languages. Most people are more pragmatic, i.e. “the truth is what works”.
I look at religion in much the same way. To me it’s not about “being something”, but rather about “doing something”. I think of each day as a blank sheet of paper. I think of my talents, abilities, and resources as crayons. I think of God as my kindergarten teacher. My goal every day is to use the crayons I’ve been given to create a picture that is pleasing to God. I don’t ask “What am I supposed to draw?”, and I don’t try to copy off the person sitting next to me. Instead, I ask “What can I do with my talents, abilities, and resources to benefit others?”.
I don’t know for sure whether God exists. I don’t think we’re supposed to know. That’s why the word “faith” exists. To me, “faith” is the purpose to which that I dedicate myself in the face of uncertainty. Faith is choosing to dedicate yourself to something even if there’s no God and no heaven and no final reward, and even if it’s not endorsed by your political party or your church.
In short, I don’t look at political beliefs and religious beliefs as things to be “subscribed to”. I look at them as things to be “developed”. I look at paintings created by great artists and try to learn from them. And then I get out my crayons because I believe that God gave me a brain for a reason.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 2:39 am
And the party of small government turns on its heels, and wants intense government scrutiny and involvement in all citizens’ endeavors…yet believes businesses can self-police as regards product and environmental safety. No minimum wage is necessary because businesses will do what is right if it is what the market will bear. Let four wheelers drive through forests, let cattle ranchers disavow the government. The only time conservatives actually want government action involves paranoia. Close airports, put people in quarantine camps, build giant walls on our borders, demand voter IDs. And don’t get me started on social issues. The government is too big until it isn’t invasive enough.
Robert M. Snyder October 28th, 2014 at 3:13 am
I am in agreement with much of what you just wrote. I believe that the minimum wage is a good thing and I think it should be indexed to inflation. I do not believe that businesses can self-police on the environment. I think we have some common ground.
For many years I have been saying that Christians should follow the example set by Jesus. His example was not to change laws, but to change the way people think. He practiced persuasion, not coercion.
By the same token, I do not think that the government should legislate charity. People who want me to give to the needy should use persuasion, not coercion, to get me to open my wallet.
It seems that the left always wants to legislate things that I MUST do, and the right always wants to legislate things which I must NOT do.
I have a lot of respect for people who are willing to engage in vigorous debate. Their willingness to engage with me is a leap of faith on their part, because they are willing to believe that I might be capable of introspection and change. This kind of dialogue is hard work, but I think that we often clarify our own thoughts when we endeavor to express them to people who are not at first inclined to agree. I would much rather engage with people on this forum who will challenge my beliefs than to hang out in an echo chamber where everyone agrees with me.
I think democracy (and religion) works best when people are able to have faith in one another. You have rightly pointed out that my own faith in others is not always the greatest. I will think about that in the days ahead.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 3:20 am
Ditto. Maybe I need to rethink voters’ intentions, e.g., the snowbirds you referenced. I still tend to discount any false outcomes. 🙂
OldLefty October 27th, 2014 at 6:21 pm
Why is it that liberals see fraud and corruption at all levels of government and business, but refuse to admit the possibility of fraud and corruption at the polling place?
_______
They just go by the facts. The numbers don’t bear out ‘voter fraud” but they do “election fraud” and voter suppression.;
Ind. Rep election chief found guilty of voter fraud
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57371606/ind-election-chief-found-guilty-of-voter-fraud/
Aide
To Former Maryland GOP Governor Found Guilty Of Election Fraud
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-schurick-robocalls-verdict-20111206,0,7659803.story
Kentucky Republicans convicted of
election fraud
BY BEN HOFFMAN
Freddy
Thompson, 47, Republican Clay County Clerk, Chairman of the Board of Elections,
150 months (12 1/2 years)
Third
Former Clay County Official Sentenced In Conspiracy Case
Posted: Mar 9, 2011 11:57
AM http://www.lex18.com/news/third-former-clay-county-official-sentenced-in-conspiracy-case/
Iowa GOP chairman Matt Strawn
guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Voter Fraud
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/01/31/breaking-iowa-gop-chairman-matt-strawn-to-step-down-next-week/
Twisted Irony: Wisconsin GOP Aide Under Investigation for Voter Fraud
By: Sarah JonesMay 20th, 2011
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_ede5d49e-8272-11e0-a6e0-001cc4c03286.html
McCotter Campaign
Investigated For Election Fraud
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/05/29/mccotter-campaign-investigated-for-election-fraud/
Head of CA GOP Voter Registration Firm Pleads Guilty to Voter
Registration FraudJune 16, 2009 | 5:35 pm
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/06/owner-of-registration-company-pleads-guilty-to-voter-fraud.html
SACRAMENTO, CA –
Sacramento County elections officials have turned over what they say are
several suspicious voter registration cards that were collected by a for-profit
company hired by local and state Republicans to state election fraud
investigators.
http://www.news10.net/news/article/192033/2/Sacramento-elections-officials-GOP-voter-drive-suspicious
In a ruling issued two weeks before the
election, a federal judge rebuked Kenneth Blackwell for seeking to
“accomplish the same result in Ohio in 2004 that occurred in Florida in
2000
In the United States District Court For
the Northern District of Ohio Northern Division, The Sandusky County Democratic
Party et al. v. J. Kenneth Blackwell, Case No. 3:04CV7582, Page 8. http://electionlawblog.org/archives/10-20%20Order.pdf
GOP Official Sentenced in Phone-Jamming
Democratic Lines Were Blocked in 2002 as New Hampshire
Elected U.S. Senator,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/16/AR2006051601712.html
In 2003, Diebold CEO and
Republican fundraiser Walden O’Dell infamously pledged to “[help] Ohio
deliver its electoral votes to the president.”
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 6:56 pm
“lame excuse”? an American citizen being disenfranchised is a lame excuse?
your complete disregard for the rights of your fellow citizens simply reinforces my opinion that this is all about voter suppression.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/05/marriage-certificate-required-bureaucrat-tells/
96-year-old Chattanooga resident denied voting ID
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 8:21 pm
No, it is YOU who are completely disregarding MY right to have my vote counted EQUALLY among those of my fellow citizens. One citizen, one vote. If an elderly person needs assistance in registered or getting to the polls, then by all means let’s provide it.
Wayout October 27th, 2014 at 10:45 pm
Hey, and let’s not forget the fact that a voter ID card is required in South Africa and not one South African black, white or colored has any problem with that. In fact, the great Nelson Mandela urged everyone to get their ID card so that they could vote.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 2:20 am
Thank you; I immediately was ready to pounce on that “fact”.
MagnaDave October 28th, 2014 at 2:26 am
The highest number I have ever found is .00000013% of votes cast or about 1 in 10,000,000 votes. All the anecdotes, YouTube videos, James O’Keefe’s fake videos, and right-wing websites don’t change that.
rg9rts October 27th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
What do they charge??
Hirightnow October 27th, 2014 at 4:08 pm
How about a one time deduction from your first SS check upon retirement?
rg9rts October 27th, 2014 at 4:16 pm
Mexico wants your social security money?
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 1:48 pm
There was absolutely zero mention of any kind of voter id back in the good old days (around 2004) when Republican were winning elections.
That fact feeds my own and others’ suspicions that these id schemes are simply a way of realizing the dream of conservative activist Paul Weyrich to minimize the number of people who vote, and that there is no pressing fraud problem. Since there is no urgent problem, there is no rush to do this.
So I suggest the following.
Implement a national voter id card. The only people who will need one to vote will be those who turn 18 years of age after the bill becomes law. It will be purely optional for the rest of us. In this manner, there will be a gradual cultural change. No one who has been voting for years will be disenfranchised. New voters will have grown up with the national id as a normal part of life.
After several generations, we will then have a national id for voting and no one who has never previously needed one, will have to have one. As far as I am concerned, there is no harm done if a solution for a problem which does not exist, is not fully implemented for 50-60 years.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 4:40 pm
So you’re saying that we will need a couple of generations to do something that the Mexicans were able to accomplish overnight?
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 5:39 pm
No. I am saying that the most fair approach to addressing a non existent problem is to phase it in over several generations.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 2:18 am
When you turn 18, it could be like registering for the draft. I like it. Better yet, we need voting to be mandatory. Isn’t that the case in Australia?
Rschmandt October 27th, 2014 at 3:50 pm
I like this idea. It’s a one time expense, and could even be combined with a SSN, to protect against identity theft.
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 4:11 pm
even a one-time expense would be a likely violation of the 24th amendment.
if the ID’s are not provided for free, then the government is requiring an expenditure of money in order for you to vote. that is about as clear cut a violation of the 24th amendment as you can have.
OldLefty October 27th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
Conservatives hate them.
The point is not to stop fraud, is is to stop the kind of eligible voter.
Wayout October 27th, 2014 at 9:37 pm
But many Mexicans are probably voting here without one.
Obewon October 27th, 2014 at 9:57 pm
Non US Citizens can’t vote unless they legally become citizens. However your vote supported PA Guber Corbett who has a 99% probability of being dumped because uninformed fools didn’t know how to vet anything but a fool like themselves. Blame yourself for your own unanimous failures at everything.
Oh Look! Trucker Wayout Dumped by safer & superior “Free market” self-driving Trucks! Daimler Trucks Unveils Autonomous-Driving Trucks. http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/drivers/news/story/2014/07/daimler-trucks-unveils-long-term-plan-for-autonomous-driving-trucks.aspx
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 10:03 pm
A friend of mine is married to a woman who was born and raised in Mexico. She has lived most of her adult life in a rural PA town as an American citizen. The couple visits her family in Mexico every year around Christmas time. If Miranda tried to vote in a Mexican election, she would probably look and sound just like a local. But without a voter id, she could not vote. However, if one of her sisters visited the US and tried to vote in one of our elections, she would not need to present any form of ID. If Miranda knew the name of a local resident who is registered but no longer votes, her sister could use that name and nobody would know.
Obewon October 27th, 2014 at 10:05 pm
Is that why just 31 voter impersonator fraud convictions from 2000 to 2014 of 1B+ Votes cast? It’s the name, address and required voters signature match stupid!
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 10:17 pm
Obewon, that’s not good enough in Canada. Is that because Canada is controlled by Republicans?
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e
Obewon October 27th, 2014 at 10:21 pm
Quit trying to deflect from Repubs Officials admitting Voter ID disenfranchises Dems and ‘Lazy Blacks’: N.C. GOP Official Resigns After Saying Purpose Of Voter ID Is To Suppress Votes Of Democrats, ‘Lazy Blacks’ http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/10/25/2835101/gop-asks-party-official-resign-admits-voter-suppresses-democratic-votes/
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 10:47 pm
I would oppose any voter id law that was crafted in a way intended to suppress voter turnout. But I have not heard any criticism of the Canadian law that requires better proof of ID than the US federal law. Is the Canadian law controversial in Canada? You’re the man with the data. Show me what you’ve got!
BTW, that’s pretty clever how you deflected away from my Canadian example by accusing me of deflecting away from your examples that you had not even provided yet. Methinks you are a Ju Jitsu expert!
At my polling place, which is in a small, rural community, I do not have any fears of voter fraud. That’s because everybody knows everybody! The county in which I live had about 80K residents in 1900, 1910, 1920, and every census up to and including 2010. While the population of the USA has quadrupled, our county’s population has remained constant. We’ve got lots of streams and forest, but nothing to attract business. So life around here is pretty low key, and I really doubt that we have a voter fraud problem here, where I live.
Obewon October 27th, 2014 at 11:01 pm
You know Repubs admit in court they’re unable to find vote fraud?
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 11:19 pm
I won’t dispute it with you. There does seem to be very little hard evidence of voter fraud, at least not that I have seen. But in every other aspect of life, we are constantly hearing reports of people breaking the law and doing underhanded things. If I asked you to believe that corruption is rare in the business world, what would you say? What percentage of large and small businesses are ever convicted of doing anything illegal? A very small percentage to be sure. Yet I could probably name at least half a dozen small businesses that “prefer cash” because it’s untraceable. I once paid $25 in cash to have a tire repaired, and watched as the business owner put my twenty in one cash box and the five in a separate box. This kind of small-scale tax evasion is rampant, and it is rarely reported or prosecuted. Yet you ask me to believe that nothing underhanded takes place in the polling place. I’m sorry. I just can’t accept it. And apparently Canada and Mexico can’t either, because both countries require better proof of ID than the US does.
Obewon October 27th, 2014 at 11:25 pm
Bob GOP admits there isn’t any voter fraud, repubs haven’t found any voter fraud, and that the entire Voter-ID “Disenfranchisement” scam is because their party is dead with voters.
Since Age 22 in 1980 I’ve been self-employed as a business owner all my life and I’ve always reported corruption the few times I’ve seen it. Including top secret national security violations.
Robert M. Snyder October 27th, 2014 at 11:46 pm
You never answered my persistent question about why the Canadians find it necessary to have stricter requirements than the US, and why this apparently isn’t controversial in Canada. You’re basically saying “We don’t need it because we don’t have a problem.”. I am willing to acknowledge that you might be correct. I am asking you to acknowledge is that it is possible to craft a voter id law that is fair and not burdensome. I think the Canadian example proves this. Will you meet me halfway and acknowledge that Canada’s voter id requirements could be duplicated in the US without disenfranchising anyone? After all, or weather and geography are a lot friendlier than Canada’s.
Obewon October 28th, 2014 at 12:00 am
? I’ve proven GOP’s Voter-ID is Repubs own self-admitted anti-democracy US Voter Disenfranchisement scam. I’m not interested in Canadian Voting. They don’t have GWB’s HAVA required US Certified Birth Certificates, etc before any vote is cast.
Robert M. Snyder October 28th, 2014 at 12:45 am
You’ve proven that some Republicans have admitted to nefarious objectives. That does not prove that all Republicans have the same motives. I am just an ordinary citizen. My only involvement with politics was one year on my local school board. Frankly I don’t like most of the Republicans on the national stage. The last politician I got excited about was Barack Obama in 2008. Maybe that’s why I’m finding it difficult to get excited about anyone now. I am motivated much more by principles than by party affiliation. So I don’t appreciate it when you imply that all Republicans are motivated by the same objectives as the worst members of our party. There are a lot of good, honest Republicans just as there are a lot of good, honest Democrats. My dad was a Republican and my father-in-law was a Democrat. I loved them both and I tried to understand both of their points of view. I had heated arguments with both of them. Everyone’s got legitimate concerns, but they typically jump right to their proposed solutions without really explaining what motivates them. If you and I were senators, I’ll bet we could sit down and craft a solution that addressed my concerns about fraudulent voting while also addressing your concerns about disenfranchisement. From a technical standpoint, I don’t think it would be very difficult. When I had arguments with my fathers, we had a vested interest in finding common ground. But our political leaders seem to think that they have a vested interest in prolonging and deepening our disagreements.
Obewon October 28th, 2014 at 1:14 am
Your own PA Repubs admitted under oath ‘No voter fraud.’ GOP admits their scam is voter disenfranchisement. You’ve been suckered e.g. just 31 vote fraud convictions from 2000-2014.
Voters aren’t buying into the GOP scams any longer. That’s why repubs lost 5 of the past 6 popular POTUS votes, having no path to 271 EC votes. Good luck trying to sell science illiteracy, debunked by any 5th grader.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 2:13 am
OK. Good post. I still disagree with the voter fraud premise, however.
Robert M. Snyder October 28th, 2014 at 2:38 am
I would like to stipulate that the voter fraud issue is not my chief concern. I am actually more concerned about corrupt poll workers who might “lose” a box of paper ballots, or someone who manages to tamper with an electronic voting machine in order to influence the votes it records. If someone wanted to change the outcome, this would be far more practical than trying to recruit large numbers of “shill” voters. Those points have been made many times by Democrats, and I will not contest them.
My concerns stem from a general perception that a lot of people are figuring out ways to game the system. For example, the postal clerk at my local post office told me that people are coming in every day to buy money orders with EBT cards. It was her belief that people are using this loophole to convert the cards into cash so they can use the money to buy things that the cards are not supposed to be used for, such as cigarettes, liquor, and lottery tickets. Stories like that do not increase my confidence in the government’s ability to detect and prevent small-scale fraud.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 3:02 am
Have you heard of the massive fraud in Medicare? I believe some of FL governor Scott’s wealth is tied to it. But Congress slashed the budget for reviewers of claims. Big government is expensive. I think retirees like me should be able to volunteer to review claims for improprieties, with identifying information hidden, of course. There are doctors that solely work for Medicare that make over a million a year.
Robert M. Snyder October 28th, 2014 at 3:19 am
These people should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Since my college days, in the 1980’s, I have always said that I am “proud” to pay taxes that are used to care for the elderly, disabled, orphans, etc. But it makes me angry when I hear about people abusing the system for personal gain. Fraudulent claims by doctors and people who fake disabilities are robbing the system of resources that could otherwise be used to do MORE for those who truly need help.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 2:11 am
In your rural town, “nobody would know” if a Mexican citizen tried to use another registered voter’s name? Come on; the townsfolk wouldn’t know the real registered voter, who no longer votes(why not?) Mexicans are commonplace, so no one would look at them? And it is just so simple for a foreigner to figure out who is registered, but doesn’t vote. Maybe they get a copy of the voter rolls, and call everyone. Yeah, that’s it. And why would they want to? To get one stinking vote, which wouldn’t change any election, and would be a helluva lot of trouble with no change in the outcome. I’d say you are more likely to contract Ebola than for this scenario to play out. But your story about Christmas visits to Mexico was a nice diversion.
Robert M. Snyder October 28th, 2014 at 2:51 am
Actually, I think it is plausible. We have an extended family from Guatemala who operate a couple of local pizza shops, and an extended family from China who operate two local Chinese restaurants. Their children attend public schools. But there is a language barrier, so most patrons do not seem to engage in small talk with these families. I have made an effort to become acquainted with a few members of the Guatemalan family. I feel comfortable with them largely because I took Spanish in HS and college (even though I do not speak it very well). I have spent more time conversing with Rosa than anyone else. Rosa’s dad has developed Alzheimer’s. She visits him three times a day to help him with his insulin injections. He doesn’t get out much. Suffice it to say the little old ladies who operate the polling station probably have no idea what he looks like. Any person in the right age range who appears to be Hispanic could easily assume Rosa’s dad’s identity and vote without raising any suspicion. Not that it’s likely. But who ever would have guessed that people would be converting EBT cards to cash through the postal service?
mea_mark October 28th, 2014 at 9:46 am
Some people get cash assistance on their EBT card. It is quite possible they are getting money orders to pay rent and other bills with it, that is what it is for. Most landlords don’t take EBT cards. Assuming people are committing crimes when they are not because you don’t know what is going on, is not a healthy thing to do.
Ron Jackson October 27th, 2014 at 1:17 pm
Remember right wingers love veterans
rg9rts October 27th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Can I have my preparation H now please
HessenBalkan October 27th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
gymnasts put that on their hands to heal rips 🙂
rg9rts October 27th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
Right….smarty
HessenBalkan October 27th, 2014 at 1:40 pm
lol…some do!!!
rg9rts October 27th, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Its late….did you walk the puppies?? …..lets drive them nuts here too LOL
HessenBalkan October 27th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
have to walk them now…was hanging around Marlies already for a while…see you later
rg9rts October 27th, 2014 at 1:43 pm
TTFN after I check notifications I’ll be back
Pilotshark October 27th, 2014 at 1:21 pm
why that`s a great appreciation of the greatness generation.
SMH should have let him VOTE he has paid for that right! without having to put up with just pure BS
rg9rts October 27th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
The license might have expired but he didn’t…..the ultimate in stupidity…
Roctuna October 27th, 2014 at 3:06 pm
Hard science, and sci-fi writer David Brin forms a hypothesis, tests it, and finds the poll tax laws fail the test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNnVEVhDSQc
Hirightnow October 27th, 2014 at 4:07 pm
Hasn’t this sh!tbag state seceded yet?
Budda October 27th, 2014 at 4:18 pm
Texas’ strict regulations have prevented at least ten people from voting thus far….right. Yet how many have not bothered to deal with it or couldn’t get the necessary ‘correct’ I.D.?? Voter suppression at work.
Wayout October 27th, 2014 at 9:36 pm
Oh cry me a river! Ten people you say? That’s right, ten people too lazy to comply with the law.
Obewon October 27th, 2014 at 10:09 pm
Why are you admitted illegal gun transporting traffickers “too lazy” to comply with gun laws?
Wayout October 27th, 2014 at 10:50 pm
I comply with all laws, gun and voting alike. If I have to show an ID to exercise my 2nd Amendment right, a voter ID should not be a problem for anyone wishing to exercise their voting rights.
Hey Obe, have you heard the Dems on the FCC board want to regulate internet free speech? This is just par for the course for liberals who want control over everything.
Obewon October 27th, 2014 at 11:49 pm
You know Repubs admit in court they’re unable to find vote fraud?1. ‘Voter Fraud’ Fraud?: PA Gives Up, IA Can’t Find Any, WI Struck Down! 5/12/2014 http://www.bradblog.com/?p=10619
2. July 2012 Pennsylvania admits there has been no voter fraud! http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/24/1113252/-Pennsylvania-admits-there-has-been-no-voter-fraud
3. Highly Respected 7th Circuit Conservative Judge Posner Rips “Voter ID” Laws–and the GOP–in Blistering Opinion. OCT 13, 2014 http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/13/1336362/-Highly-Respected-Conservative-Judge-Rips-Voter-ID-Laws-and-the-GOP-in-Blistering-Opinion
allison1050 October 28th, 2014 at 3:08 am
Guess you don’t know that most Americans don’t vote but the few that have participated in voter fraud for 1 is Ann Coulter.
Red Eye Robot October 27th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
Texas hasn’t denied anybody, He still has 8 days to get proper Id. Meanwhile a new study says 14% of illegal aliens are registered to vote http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/10/24/could-non-citizens-decide-the-november-election/
Roctuna October 27th, 2014 at 5:54 pm
He’s 93, he could be dead in 8 days. The Tx gop conveniently forgets the fact that you have to show other acceptable forms of ID to register. When I voted last week, there was no interest in my voter reg card, just my drivers license.
Gladys1963 October 28th, 2014 at 3:29 am
I didn’t even have to show that.
tracey marie October 27th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
deflect, deny and lie…the teabagg way
Abby Normal October 27th, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Yeah, you have to watch out for those 93 year-old World War II veterans. I wouldn’t trust some guy who risked his life to fight Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan either. Who the hell does he think he is? So what if he probably doesn’t drive any more? And maybe he has no family to drive him places. He can always hitch a ride to someplace that will issue him an ID that’s acceptable to the stinking Republicans.
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 6:19 pm
Be fair! The state did offer to take him and pay for his time, didn’t they?
tracey marie October 27th, 2014 at 9:00 pm
after the fact
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 9:24 pm
That’s the only time it counts.
Anomaly 100 October 27th, 2014 at 7:09 pm
You know how sneaky they are.
tiredoftea October 27th, 2014 at 9:24 pm
Slow, but sneaky.
Obewon October 27th, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Before ANY vote is ever cast, every voter must produce a Certified U.S. Birth Certificate via GWB’s HAVA. GOP admits voter ID disenfranchises legally registered Dems and all legacy minorities. 6 Other Times Republicans Admitted Voting Restrictions Are Just About Disenfranchising Democrats. http://www.nationalmemo.com/6-other-times-republicans-admitted-voting-restrictions-are-just-about-disenfranchising-democrats/
Red Eye Robot October 29th, 2014 at 7:04 pm
Really? How was ACORN able to fraudulently register hundreds of thousands of a people to vote? (including Mickey Mouse)
In my state all you have to do is fill out a post card and drop it in the mail. And I’m totally sure online voter registration verifies ID. Care to make up another story?
Obewon October 29th, 2014 at 9:31 pm
Lol! How would Micky Mouse from Disneyland USA Vote by providing GWB’s HAVA Required Certified Birth Certificate? Only airheads don’t know it’s against the law to NOT provide 100% of voter registrations as submitted. “ACORN” kindly sorted the likely jokes on top of the pile -Ensuring they didn’t break the law while alerting authorities to attempted frauds.
Vs RedEye’s Arrested & Repubs CONVICTED for Illegally throwing away Dem Registrations. God you’re the dumbest airhead on Earth.
Anomaly 100 October 27th, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Only a Republican would find it acceptable to deny a 93-year-old veteran his right to vote.
Julie G October 28th, 2014 at 1:53 am
Just wait until they figure out he was a registered GOPer.
whatthe46 October 28th, 2014 at 3:46 am
if he was, he won’t be any longer. hopefully he’ll live long enough for another round.
Warman1138 October 27th, 2014 at 6:38 pm
I’m surprised there isn’t a provision allowing dead conservatives to vote without proper identification.
searambler October 27th, 2014 at 8:09 pm
Voter ID laws aren’t designed to prevent voter fraud. They’re designed to prevent voter participation…..
Wayout October 27th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
Mandela supported voter ID’s. If he thought it was a good idea, who are we to argue?
arc99 October 27th, 2014 at 11:31 pm
Post apartheid South Africa did not even have voter registration until the late 1990’s.
A PR move to implement voter registration in a country that did not have it, is hardly the same thing as telling people who have been voting for decades that suddenly their eligibility is suspect because some right wing politicians are getting nervous about losing elections.
But if emulating South Africa is so appealing to you, let us also consider their system of free basic health care available to everyone
annaaurora October 30th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
You know what I think. I think this an American travesty. I think we should all get chipped, how about that. Lots of people out there don’t want to get chipped, but they’re OK using that gun license for any fucking thing. So how’s that you right wing assholes let’s take it up a notch.