Howard Troxler at the
St. Petersburg Times shatters the emergency alarm box:
April 19, 2011
Having solved all other problems, the Florida Legislature now turns to the most dangerous threat of all …
Voting.
No kidding. The 2011 Legislature is considering, and its committees have approved so far, bills that would:
• Cut Florida's early-voting period (nearly one out of five ballots were cast early in 2010) from two weeks to one.
• Bar anyone who has moved or changed a name, such as newly married women, from updating their information at the polls on Election Day and receiving a regular ballot. They would have to cast "provisional" ballots instead.
• Crack down on, and expand penalties for, groups that try to register new voters — which used to be considered an all-American activity.
• Make it even harder for citizens to change the Florida Constitution by setting an earlier expiration date for petition signatures.
.....
And who is most likely to be barred from casting a regular ballot? Who moves more? College students, young people. Who is most likely to change a name? Women. The stereotype, with justification, is that they lean Democratic. ..... I have been impressed, overall, with the extent of this Legislature's assault on the lives, well-being and pocketbooks of Floridians to the benefit of private interests, and have wondered how long it will take for Floridians to realize it (if ever). But this Legislature is even more clever than I realized — in case the voters ever do wake up, it will be that much harder for them to do anything about it.
And our fierce fighter Mr. Troxler gives us some
unhappy news in his latest piece today:
April 21, 2011
.....
I have decided it does not matter as much what one does in life, as whether one does it well, and continues to find satisfaction in it. The Emperor Diocletian, having ruled the entire Roman world, decided to chuck it all so he could tend to his garden, which I hope he did very well.
As for me, in the place we are going, I think I will learn to make jam, walk Louie the Dog every morning, try to be a good person and a good citizen. I can assure you that it will be far beyond the reach of the Florida Legislature.
This is my way of sneaking in the news that for my own purposes and goals in life, my last column here will be sometime in early June. In newspaper lingo this is known as "burying the lead." You and I still have a few weeks together that I intend to put to good use. In fact, I will be asking you to help.
God, we are going to miss this guy.
Best to you, Mr. Troxler. I understand exactly what you are talking about.
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