PA. Legislature voting on Photo ID for Voters Law - Keeps WWII combat vet from voting

[JPZenger]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/03/06/439324/86-year-old-ohio-veteran-cant-vote-after-government-issued-id-is-rejected-at-poll/

The PA. Legislature is working on a voter suppression law that is hidden behind a requirement that all voters show an official photo ID every time they vote. Now, the law only requires it for the first time you vote. It is a solution in search of a problem.

The legislative leaders know that the people who are least likely to have a Driver's license or similar ID are lower-income seniors, the young, the disabled and persons who live in large cities. Guess how those people usually vote?

The link shows one of the many negative effects of this same type of law, which happened yesterday in Ohio:

"Paul Carroll, an 86-year-old World War II veteran who has lived in the same Ohio town for four decades, was denied a chance to vote in the state’s primary contests today after a poll worker denied his form of identification, a recently-acquired photo ID from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The poll worker rejected the ID because it did not contain an address, as required by Ohio law.

Carroll told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he got the ID from the VA after his driver’s license expired because he doesn’t drive anymore:

“My beef is that I had to pay a driver to take me up there because I don’t walk so well and have to use this cane and now I can’t even vote,” said Paul Carroll, 86, who has lived in Aurora nearly 40 years, running his own business, Carroll Tire, until 1975.

“I had to stop driving, but I got the photo ID from the Veterans Affairs instead, just a month or so ago. You would think that would count for something. I went to war for this country, but now I can’t vote in this country.' "

[livetohike]

1. Unintended consequences.....the GOP always acts before they think

They should be careful what they wish for.

[happyslug]

6. Unattended Consequnces?? Not by a long shot

The purpose of these laws are to cut off people who will vote Democratic. Right now the US is split along Urban-Suburban-Rural lines, with Rural America Solidly GOP, and Inner City American even more solidly Democratic. Thus the fight is over voters in Suburbia.

As part of this fight is the demand for Voting IDs, IDs that many urban people have a hard time getting for most Driver's license centers are NOT in inner cities (and when they are, are over booked). That problem TIED in with the fact such people often no longer drive (or can avoid driving), have much lower rates of having Driver's licenses do to the fact such licenses cost money.

Thus the GOP see Photo IDs as a way to cut out inner city voters, without cutting back on Rural or Suburban voters. Worse, it sounds "Nice" i,e, Drivers are use to having a photo ID, thus what is the problem? Especially if it is possible to get an Photo ID for free?

The two biggest problem with Photo IDs is twofold, both related to the fact we are dealing with the lowest economic group in America.

First, while most such laws permit you to get the ID for "free" but only if you want it to voting purposes only, if you want it for any other purpose you have to pay for the Photo ID. This gives the Impression that the objections to the requirement of Photo ID is meaningless, but that ignores one of the chief characteristic of people of this lowest economic group, the problem with applying for anything that MAY cost them money.

This SECOND problem is simple, when you are dealing with this economic group, they will NOT apply unless they know for sure the service is FREE. If you have to request for the Service to be Free, UNLESS you clearly point out that fact (Generally with a big sign saying the service is free) they will not apply for they are afraid if they apply they will be hit with a fee. This economic group is use to being Nickeled and Dimed for everything, thus the concept that something is free has to be CLEAR to them, or they will NOT apply for fear that it will cost them money.

Most systems for such "Free" Voters Photo IDs, says you must apply for a "Normal" photo ID, and when it comes time to pay, ask for the form to waive the fee for you only want it for Voting. In most states that have Photo ID, there is NO difference between the two types of photo ID, the only difference is if you request the Photo ID to vote only, no fee, BUT you must make that request, the default is to charge a fee (And most other people who want a Photo ID, will gladly take one "For Voting Purposes only" as a valid photo ID, another fact NOT told to low income people).

My point is this was the INTENTION, he is a Veteran who wants to protect his VETERAN rights (including medical care from the Veteran's Administration) and thus is a member of a group the GOP knows will vote to preserve those benefits and that means voting Democratic. Other people in need of Government assistance, also tend NOT to drive, thus have no photo IDs and being people who want Government Benefits tend to vote Democratic (even if they live in Rural and Suburban areas). Thus this IS the intention, but it is unspoken for if spoken it is clear the push is NOT to prevent voting fraud but to cut down the number of people who will vote Democratic.

[PA Democrat]

2. Many people with disabilities don't have driver's licenses and with all of the cuts

to public transportation, I guess they are out of luck getting to the driver's license center to get a photo ID.

That's how the Republicans roll. Cut services to a vulnerable population and then make them jump through hoops to vote.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. "It is a solution in search of a problem."

This is one of those huge wastes of their time. And one of those "issues" that they try to use to divide the population. They cannot point to all the voter abuses, but they, well, must be there....somewhere.

Nope, not here.

[JPZenger]

4. Senate approved it, with all Democrats voting against it

Senate approved it, with all Democrats voting against it

[HopeHoops]

5. PA is so fucked right now. GOP legislature and asswipe Corbett. What the HELL happened?

They get elected by pandering to the red zone people and then everything they do is against the interests of the red zone people. But they still get re-elected. Are people really that fucking stupid?

[JPZenger]

7. Phil. Councilman says Phila. should refused to enforce unconstitutional voterID law

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120309_Picture_this__Voter_ID_law_ia_about_to_pass.html?viewAll=y

Excerpts:

Democratic politicians and election officials in Philadelphia are apoplectic, saying that the law targets a virtually nonexistent form of voting fraud. Its ultimate goal, they say, is kicking President Obama out of the White House by reducing turnout among the city's low-income, minority and elderly voters. "It's part of the Republican agenda to suppress the vote," said state Sen. Vincent Hughes. "That's why I call it the 'voter-suppression rule.' "

State Rep. Rosita Youngblood calls it a "sham." Councilman Wilson Goode Jr. calls it "ridiculous." State Sen. Anthony Williams calls it a "charade" and vows to challenge it in court. "I think it's just a fear that Philadelphia, in particular, would turn out the way it turned out in the presidential election of November 2008," Goode said.

In Philadelphia in 2008, Obama defeated John McCain, 83 percent to 16 percent - a whopping margin of nearly 479,000 votes that state GOP Chairman Robert Gleason still describes as "almost statistically impossible."

Councilman Bill Green yesterday raised the specter of a showdown between city Democrats and Harrisburg Republicans, suggesting that the city could refuse to follow the voter-ID law altogether. "Let them come enforce it," Green snarled. "We all take oaths to the Constitution of the state of Pennsylvania, and if we believe it violates the Constitution, we have the right to keep to our oath."


Pa. Dem Rep. Steve Samuelson pointed out that the estimated $4 million cost for the state to carry out the law could instead be used to reverse the Governor's latest proposed cuts to Head Start and Public Libraries. Another estimate said it will actually cost the state $7 million to carry it out.

[JPZenger]

8. US Justice Dept. Blocks Voter ID Law in Texas and S. Carolina

The US Justice Dept. has acted to use its authority under the Civil Rights Act to try to block voterID laws in Texas and S. Carolina. Unfortunately, they don't have that authority in Pa.

[MadrasT]

9. Why is PA different? n/t