According to The Philadelphia City Paper, as much as 43% of voters in the City of Brotherly Love (437,237 people) could lack the Penn-DOT ID required to vote this November.
That's certainly enough to swing an election.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
▼
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
23 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
That is a scream!!!
ReplyDeleteTells you what a shithole that "City" truly is.
Almost half of the people are too goddamned stupid or lazy too have ID needed for so many things other than voting, yet they decided elections year after year.
Maybe the living-breathing-document douchebags are correct, that the Founders were not really all that smart. It is obvious that they never envisioned so much lazy, apathetic, leverpulling scum piled in one place that could have such a say in the nation they founded.
-Clem
Don't sugar-coat it, Clem. Tell me how you really feel.
ReplyDeleteMany in our "Founders'" days believed that you had to own property--have a stake, or something to lose--in order to vote. However, that notion has been dead for nearly two centuries so lets fast forward to today.
ReplyDeleteI used to think, "what is the big deal about requiring photo ID to vote?" The arguments for it seemed rational, and since I have photo ID, doesn't everybody?
However, the GOP talking points have been a specious mask to aid underlying political control.
First hint? PA House majority leader Turzai in June: "Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done."
Second hint? per the stipulation signed off by the GOP controlled Commonwealth of July 12, 2012 in the current case: "1.) there have been no investigations or prosecutions of in-person voter fraud in PA, and the parties do not have direct personal knowledge of any such investigations or prosecutions in other states; 2.) the parties are not aware of any incidents of in-person voter fraud in PA and do not have direct personal knowledge of in-person voter fraud elsewhere."
SO, either the second hint (a solution in search of a problem), or the first hint (GOP effort to suppress likely Democratic voters). Pretty obvious conclusion.
And as to the argument, "just go out and get a PennDOT ID", I just renewed my license this week. There are only two locations in Northampton County to get a PennDOT photo ID. You need a car to get there. And it took me 55 minutes from the time I walked in the door at the John Yurconic site on 191 to the time I walked out, and that was with only several license renewals ahead of me. And you think PA would be able to get a photo ID in the hands of up to several hundred thousand people by November?
Clem is a racist asshole that Bernie agrees with, since he never deletes his hate.
ReplyDeleteBO,
ReplyDeleteWhat would be a great comparison is to find out how many of these 43% are on welfare,, free medical and the like. Also what their race is.
By the way I have 2 forms of photo ID. I was shocked the first time I ever voted in PA and no one ask me to prove who I am. I really don't see what the problem is. But then I'm not trying to get away with anything.
Too Bad!!! I bet almost all of these people are receiving some sort of entitlement, welfare, medicaid, etc... Did they not have to show ID? Really? No wonder our state and federal governments are broke. How many of these people are not here legally?
ReplyDeleteYou know who is gonna get screwed by all of this: little old ladies who dont own a car and decided to let their license expire a couple years ago bc they didnt feel safe driving. They are by far the biggest percentage of voters without id's. Many of them have voted for 50 years and the only govt assistance they get is social security and medicare.
ReplyDeleteWhat the trial this week is showing is that tom corbett's administration is woefully incompetent in getting state govt ready to implement this thing. From the secretary of state not knowing what the law says (her words) to state party leaders telling us their real motives, we can finally see the full thrust of how terrible pa's right wing gop is in governing our state. I never thought i would miss the days of ed rendell.
The long list of acceptable IDs renders the requirement to produce an ID ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIf Philly's 43% are too stupid or unmotivated to obtain some form of ID in the year 2012, they shouldn't be making important decisions about who will run the government.
While some lament low turnout as apathy, there's an equally compelling case that low turnout results from satisfaction that things are running well. Even after the motivated vote, they regularly show their satisfaction by returning 95+% of incumbents.
Folks love to bitch. But when given an opportunity to change, they don't.
So what you are telling me Bernie is 43% of Philly voters are too lazy to get off their butts and get the FREE ID the state offers. How do these people fuction in our society. Cash a check-show ID, purchase something with a credit card-show ID, get pulled over by police-show ID. The elderly can take the bus to the DMV or the state can hold a special ID meeting at all elderly highrises or low income areas. Even if they do that, they will be too lazy to do it. Only 10% of the people even vote in this country. That is the biggest shame
ReplyDeleteSo let me get this straight...Republicans are the only people with ID's in the country? There are no elderly or black Republicans? Why is it racist to show an ID or expect people of color not to have an ID? Do black people not drive, are in the military, attend college, live in senior housing? These are all acceptable forms of identification. If I were black I would vote Obama out anyway. If a white President had the same record with blacks as far as unemployment numbers, welfare numbers, and food stamp numbers there would be hell to pay.
ReplyDeleteThis ID law was part of a larger pattern. From a Morning Call article last September:
ReplyDelete"There is legislation before the Pennsylvania General Assembly proposing to change the way the state awards its presidential electoral votes....Introduced by the majority leader of the state Senate, supported by the governor and financed by a well-paid lobby...The GOP, it is charged, is trying to win the next presidential election by changing the rules."
The lazy and stupid come in all races. Government isn't much sharper.
ReplyDeleteI heard a recent story of a man who died in 2001 being called for Norco jury duty. Although he failed to appear for jury duty, he voted twice for Barron last year.
Voting is a basic American right.
ReplyDeleteThe comments in this post are very revealing Bernie. Thank you.
Over 70 % are receiving some form of social benefit money. How do they get school lunches, food stamps and section 8 vouchers,etc without ID?
ReplyDeleteThe Inqirer did a weekend piece that shredded the assumptions on the high end numbers of no ID. Several on city council were on the list of no ID. Also a supreme court justice.
This number is too hard to believe.
Voter apathy in this country is a real problem and the more obstacles you throw in front of an already unmotivated electorate the more only those on extreme ends of the political spectrum will drive the country's politics. The extremists are the one's who are most motivated. You get the leadership you deserve it's been said. We are very close to the day when we will be lead by the rich oligarchs who can motivate the fringe with their bombastic ad campaigns driven by millions of dollars to support THEIR own interests while convincing the fringe that it is really for their benefit. WAKE UP! Why not make elections on weekends or make it a national holiday? Let's start getting rid of obstacles to voting so that the mainstream can maybe find it in their day to go to the polls. Don't put more things in the way like picture IDs. Like someone else here said, "this is a solution in search of a problem", and it is ENTIRELY politically motivated.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a problem getting to the polls or voting absentee in 33 years. The previous comment is a gripe in search of a reason. How do you know it's apathy vs. satisfaction?
ReplyDeleteThe following link shows a graph by a well accredited political scientist and professor on voter turn-out from 1948 to 2008. http://elections.gmu.edu/voter_turnout.htm When voters have been disillusioned by politicians (see 1968, 1972-76, 1988, 1996) for various reasons turn-out slides, but even when there is excitement for a candidate (see 1952, 1960, 1992, 2008) voter turn-out still peaks below 65%. This next link shows voter turn-out in many other industrialized western nations. There is quite a difference between us and the rest. The only country with lower turn-out that the U.S. is Switzerland. Most others have far higher turn-out. http://www.accuratedemocracy.com/d_stats.htm I too have made it a point to get to the polls and have had the luxury of being able to do so for 30 years. However, peoples' lifestyles have changed and many are put off by "one more thing" they need to get to on a work day. Face it, voting is the most important duty we exercise as citizens....shouldn't we make it as accessible as possible?
ReplyDeletei agree huntess as accessible as possible as long as u have an ID
ReplyDeleteToday's lower turnout is likely a result of satisfaction with a pretty comfortable existence. Our poor are overweight and have cable and smart phones. Our life expectancy has increased almost a decade in the last sixty years. The top selling books in this country are 1)cookbooks and 2) diet/fitness books.
ReplyDeleteApathy is bullshit.
Voting is a right but there are responsibilities as well. And it is not too much to ask to provide some basic form of ID to prove that you are indeed and American citizen entitled to vote. The lazy bums in Philly who don't have ID's only respond to Democrat intimidation to go to the polls. Or they simply vote for Bama because of his color. There is no thought process. Forget the concept of an "informed electorate."
ReplyDeleteYou're all missing the point: In the northern-half of Northampton County, their Replublican Representatives made it harder for 15,000 LEGALLY REGISTERED voters to cast their vote... WAKE UP PEOPLE, IT'S NOT THE ID THAT'S THE ISSUE.
ReplyDeletethey simply vote for Bama because of his color. There is no thought process. Forget the concept of an "informed electorate."
ReplyDeleteHow dare you judge anyone's motivation or capability to vote.
I suspect you yourself may have cast your vote based on obama's skin color.
Only those looking to cheat have a problem with getting an ID ...
ReplyDelete... gotta have one to drive, gotta have one to do this, gotta have one to do that ...
Only those looking to cheat, end of story.