August 12, 2012
A News21 analysis 9 (click here) of 2,068 alleged election-fraud cases since 2000 shows that while fraud has occurred, the rate is infinitesimal, and in-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tough voter ID laws, is virtually non-existent.
A News21 analysis 9 (click here) of 2,068 alleged election-fraud cases since 2000 shows that while fraud has occurred, the rate is infinitesimal, and in-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tough voter ID laws, is virtually non-existent.
In an exhaustive public records search, News21 reporters sent thousands of requests to elections officers in all 50 states, asking for every case of fraudulent activity including registration fraud, absentee ballot fraud, vote buying, false election counts, campaign fraud, casting an ineligible vote, voting twice, voter impersonation fraud and intimidation....
There is that old saying, "If it's not broke, don't fix it." That is exactly why the Republicans don't listen to the public. $3.6 million is a lot of money. Money that could have been used better throughout the state.
The $3.6 million is to IMPLEMENT the law. That means as soon as the first round of voter IDs are printed and used in an election they become obsolete. No one ages? No one changes their hair color? No one puts on weight or takes it off? No one has plastic surgery in North Carolina? That is a joke, there are more plastic surgery offices in NC than anywhere else along the east coast of the USA.
Will people stave off any aging, hair color changes, weight reduction of plastic surgery because they have to look the same as the voter ID picture? Of course not. I'll tell you a true story.
I obtained a USA passport and used it. The airlines required it and when it came to picking up tickets there was never a problem. I had the passport for eight years. I was taking a flight and was in the line for security. The TSA person looked at my boarding pass, my ticket and my passport and then looked at me. Now, mind you I just was at the ticket counter. He said this isn't you, it looks nothing like you. I was devastated. Here was a TSA person stating I was committing fraud and I hadn't.
A supervisor was called over and asked for my driver's license and of course I had one of those. He compared the two documents and the pictures and looked at the issue date. He told me I could proceed through. Now, you tell me what if some volunteer at the voter sign in book decides I look nothing like my picture on my Voter ID. There is only one Voter ID. The reason people have a Voter ID is because they don't have a driver's license. They had to make a special trip to the licensing agency to obtain a picture ID. Now, what happens?
What if I am an African American believed to be voting Democratic in Florida and both the volunteer or paid electioneer decides I don't look like the Voter ID picture. Fraud? Charges are pressed and quite frankly I will have gone through expense and time to obtain a card that has just excluded me from voting and caused me a legal problem when I am innocent.
PROPER Governance always takes into account any and all circumstances citizens face when such laws are passed. Why when there is absolutely NO FRAUD anywhere in the USA are these monies beings frivolously spent when Voter ID will create a new barrier for a voter to confront? Money that never needed to be spent occurred because of FRAUD. The fraudulence begins with the propagandized idea that voting for elections isn't safe. THAT IS A LIE AND WE KNOW IT IS A LIE. Somehow voting for elections is the same as driving or cashing a check or getting on an airplane. It isn't.
The last thing that should happen in this country is for Voter ID laws to be enacted, they waste money, cause all kinds of problems for citizens and are very expensive. While states are seeing reasons to spend $3.6 million to implement these unnecessary and frivolous laws they never tell the citizens of any state what it is going to cost to MAINTAIN the integrity of the law. It is going to cost plenty, including false accusations and court time, court and lawyer fee costs, as well as monies to be spent every year to insure voters look like their pictures so no one can be falsely accused as committing fraud.
One other thing. In the future since these laws are invoked this November, don't discuss the rate of fraud in elections because it will go up. ONLY discuss CONVICTIONS because there still won't be any.
In North Carolina the licensing agencies are PRIVATELY owned. Now, who is it exactly that is having their palms greased with state money for an unnecessary service. It is no different than the handicap hang tag and it's drastic change in appearance that requires more than $5.00 each time it is issued. Now, it costs $10. $5 for the handicap tag and another $5.00 for the plastic sleeve it has to go in. Amazing. Republicans come up with absolutely hideous ways of spending hard earned taxpayer dollars. It is time to remove those from office that simply use government for profit rather than efficiency and protection of the citizens and most importantly protection for their RIGHTS!
April 18, 2013
There is that old saying, "If it's not broke, don't fix it." That is exactly why the Republicans don't listen to the public. $3.6 million is a lot of money. Money that could have been used better throughout the state.
The $3.6 million is to IMPLEMENT the law. That means as soon as the first round of voter IDs are printed and used in an election they become obsolete. No one ages? No one changes their hair color? No one puts on weight or takes it off? No one has plastic surgery in North Carolina? That is a joke, there are more plastic surgery offices in NC than anywhere else along the east coast of the USA.
Will people stave off any aging, hair color changes, weight reduction of plastic surgery because they have to look the same as the voter ID picture? Of course not. I'll tell you a true story.
I obtained a USA passport and used it. The airlines required it and when it came to picking up tickets there was never a problem. I had the passport for eight years. I was taking a flight and was in the line for security. The TSA person looked at my boarding pass, my ticket and my passport and then looked at me. Now, mind you I just was at the ticket counter. He said this isn't you, it looks nothing like you. I was devastated. Here was a TSA person stating I was committing fraud and I hadn't.
A supervisor was called over and asked for my driver's license and of course I had one of those. He compared the two documents and the pictures and looked at the issue date. He told me I could proceed through. Now, you tell me what if some volunteer at the voter sign in book decides I look nothing like my picture on my Voter ID. There is only one Voter ID. The reason people have a Voter ID is because they don't have a driver's license. They had to make a special trip to the licensing agency to obtain a picture ID. Now, what happens?
What if I am an African American believed to be voting Democratic in Florida and both the volunteer or paid electioneer decides I don't look like the Voter ID picture. Fraud? Charges are pressed and quite frankly I will have gone through expense and time to obtain a card that has just excluded me from voting and caused me a legal problem when I am innocent.
PROPER Governance always takes into account any and all circumstances citizens face when such laws are passed. Why when there is absolutely NO FRAUD anywhere in the USA are these monies beings frivolously spent when Voter ID will create a new barrier for a voter to confront? Money that never needed to be spent occurred because of FRAUD. The fraudulence begins with the propagandized idea that voting for elections isn't safe. THAT IS A LIE AND WE KNOW IT IS A LIE. Somehow voting for elections is the same as driving or cashing a check or getting on an airplane. It isn't.
The last thing that should happen in this country is for Voter ID laws to be enacted, they waste money, cause all kinds of problems for citizens and are very expensive. While states are seeing reasons to spend $3.6 million to implement these unnecessary and frivolous laws they never tell the citizens of any state what it is going to cost to MAINTAIN the integrity of the law. It is going to cost plenty, including false accusations and court time, court and lawyer fee costs, as well as monies to be spent every year to insure voters look like their pictures so no one can be falsely accused as committing fraud.
One other thing. In the future since these laws are invoked this November, don't discuss the rate of fraud in elections because it will go up. ONLY discuss CONVICTIONS because there still won't be any.
In North Carolina the licensing agencies are PRIVATELY owned. Now, who is it exactly that is having their palms greased with state money for an unnecessary service. It is no different than the handicap hang tag and it's drastic change in appearance that requires more than $5.00 each time it is issued. Now, it costs $10. $5 for the handicap tag and another $5.00 for the plastic sleeve it has to go in. Amazing. Republicans come up with absolutely hideous ways of spending hard earned taxpayer dollars. It is time to remove those from office that simply use government for profit rather than efficiency and protection of the citizens and most importantly protection for their RIGHTS!
April 18, 2013
RALEIGH — The proposed new (click here) voter photo ID law could cost North Carolina as much as $3.6 million to implement – the price of providing free photos to those without driver’s licenses, and voter education efforts, state officials said.
The voter ID bill cleared another hurdle Thursday when it was approved by the House Finance Committee 18-10 in a vote that followed party lines with Republicans in favor and Democrats against. It is scheduled for a full House vote next week.
The legislative staff prepared an analysis of how much it would likely cost to implement the law which requires voters to provide a photo ID by the 2016 election. It would also require a trial run for the 2014 election.
One of the biggest costs will be providing free photo IDs to persons who do not hold driver’s licenses or other government-approved photos such as student IDs for state-supported campuses....
