Governor Tom Wolf has imposed a gift ban, but it only applies to state employees. Bethlehem has a gift ban, too. Most local governments allow them. his needs to stop.
As I've reported as recently as last week, all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties have been directed to have new voting systems in place for next year's Presidential election. One way or the other, you'll be paying the bill for machines that include a paper trail. But are the best products being purchased? According to a disturbing report from Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, officials in 18 counties accepted gifts from vendors that ranged from free trips to Las Vegas, dinners and even tickets to an amusement park.
No official accepted any gift in Northampton or Lehigh County.
“Even if this activity was permitted under the law, county officials who are making decisions about spending taxpayer dollars should not accept anything of value from the companies that are asking for their business,” DePasquale said. “It’s not only about the need for officials to follow the letter and the spirit of the law; it’s about preserving the integrity of their role in the democratic process.”
17 comments:
Paper ballots, manually counted may be a lot of work, but it prohibits many kinds of electron fraud and helps to insure the validity of the election.
Voters, with government-issued REAL-ID photo-identification, and verified to be on the official voter list by the election officials at the polling place can be used to validate the voter is whom they claim to be and are registered to vote in the election.
If a voter appears at the election site and fails to have REAL-ID credentials or is not on the official voter list for the election shall not be allowed to vote. PERIOD. It is their responsibly to provide proper voting credentials, no one else's.
This is business as usual in commissioner government in counties. A few guys run everything and "transparency" does not exist. It should be harder to pull this crap in Home Rule counties but only if the legislative branches fight to be an independent check and balance on the every powerful executive branch.
Bremt.
Be ready for backlash.
Does the gift ban preclude depositing money in a correction institution commissary account?
I am a super voter who has lived at my current address and voted at the same polling place for over 40 years. I am well known by name and sight recognition to the election officials who serve at my polling place. I have a valid PA photo drivers license and a valid US passport if photo ID is ever needed. I have no intention of obtaining REAL-ID credentials to exercise my right to vote at either my current location or a new location if I make a likely decision to move in the next few years. The cost and inconvenience of obtaining REAL-ID is not justified by the hyped up accusations of voter fraud mostly perpetuated by right wing zealots.
In regard to the blog topic of gifts being discussed, I believe Bernie's concerns are generally valid.
Easy-peasey solution for 8:05AM. All any polling place identification law put into place has to require is “REAL ID compliant” identification. Your passport is your admission; it’s already compliant.
You do not need REAL ID compliant ID to vote:
https://www.votespa.com/Register-to-Vote/Pages/Voter-ID-for-First-Time-Voters.aspx
Amon 8:03 you should be proud of yourself and sign you name. The City of Easton just might fall to a left wing socialists.The total votes against the registered voters was about 15 percentage. That means that mr.Panto possibly could be beat by about 27 votes . .This lady is dangerous . I know she has baggage that I’ll disclose if she should beat Mr.Panto. - Then she faces Reilly,a firefighter- EMT and an Artilery Vet of the Middle East. So stay turned. I sign my name under the 1st Admenment and will enforce it under the 2nd.
Anon 7:47 I consider you a threat against Northampton County Judge Murray .STOP your posts. I’ve got nothing else to do but help him or his family if you persist. STOP !
Can remodeling gifts or total kitchen redone in this the new street light
ponzie scheem? Gifts in such a pandering process of democratic voting machines can't and won't be traced back to citys vendors.
This is a blog fraud.
It is time for Mr. Cochran to stop intimidating people. The young woman running for Mayor has every right to do so. His racist and misogynist rant against her is anti-/American. He should apologize for his veiled threat regarding the second amendment. He should stop bullying people.
There were no racist or misogynistic statements made by me. Exaggerating or “twisting “ accusations at best by your statements Anon 12:49 no name . The young woman has a right in deed . She’s got character,energy and a great posted PR film for her campaign. I’m sure she is a nice person,well meaning and perhaps an upcoming community leader. That’s great,but she Is falling down with any expressed or stated experience that lends her skill at this point to all the employees and the problems and projects ,union contracts ,layers and layers of regulations. Nobody is bullying her. This like making an airline Captain of a heavy aircraft (like 777) out of a Piper Cub crop duster pilot. Surely even you or me could sit in the seats togather and look like we’re flying.the aircraft. ( with the autopilot on. ) Plane crashes while you and me are the pilots ,..because we ran out of ,”knowing how to “ . Good day.
yes, you did.
Evan in Africa, fingerprinted voter cards are made . What kills me is the expense of a voter machine,that could simple and uncomplicated and unconnected to any other data output. Recently i obtained a walk around list for 3rd Ward Easton ,only . The number of students is alarming. So students from out of state that compromise most of them ,some from foreign countries appeared to be voters here as left overs from the Obama push that occurred at liberal colleges around the this nation .most should be purged now to get a new baseline up there. Some students put some issues at risk later . If they say they are from California and get grants but vote here or ,have drivers license in another state that by law should have sent a computer send to screw them up. Now Lafayette College has evan taken down buildings that these students were registered at and the county of Northampton has not responded to a purge. I’ve been advised that only about 200 students are really on campus now at this point - look at the list , it’s crazy ,they ,the school professors proppigated it. My Kid Henry is a Infantry Marine and has been deployed 3 times in less than 4 yrs. presently in Middle East .He Filed Via Absentee Ballat last election and the students should be required to do the same.
What about the politicians who accept contributions or donations to their charitable funds or to some other form that they eventually profit fund. No politician should be able to take any money or make any money from their run for office. Nor should any of their family. An it should be for a minimum of 10 years after their last political activity. Even if they get out of office and still stay in politics somehow they should not be able to profit in any way from it.
If they do they should be tried have all there assets and there family assets taken if found guilty for anything more then a dollar and then let to rot. And that public record should follow them forever.
On top of that if it is some foreign entity person, country or company they should be tried for treason and dispatched accordingly.
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