babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sat Aug-14-10 01:15 AM
Original message
Checkmate, from the President
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/opinion/10tue1.html?_...
A Welfare Check and a Voting Card
Published: August 9, 2010
After years of deliberate neglect, the Justice Department is finally beginning to enforce the federal law requiring states to provide voter registration at welfare and food stamp offices. The effort not only promises to bring hundreds of thousands of hard-to-reach voters into the electorate, but it could also reduce the impact of advocacy organizations whose role in registering voters caused such a furor in 2008.
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, better known as the motor-voter law, is well-known for making it possible to register to vote at state motor vehicle offices. However, the law also required states to allow registration at offices that administer food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, disability assistance and child health programs. States were enthusiastic about the motor-vehicle section of the law, and millions of new voters got on the rolls while getting a driver’s license. But registration at public assistance offices proved far less popular.
In part, that was because of additional paperwork at those offices, but in many states, Republican officials did not want to provide easy entry to the voting rolls for low-income people whom they considered more likely to vote Democratic. The Bush administration devoted its attention to seeking out tiny examples of voter fraud and purging people from the rolls in swing states. It did little to enforce the motor-voter law despite years of complaints from civic groups and Democratic lawmakers.
In April, however, President Obama’s Justice Department sent the states a set of guidelines making it clear that it expected full compliance with the public-assistance office section of the law — the first time in the 15-year history of the motor-voter law that the Justice Department has explained what kinds of offices are covered and what procedures are to be used. The guidelines make it clear that people applying for benefits must not only be offered the chance to register but must be given help in filling out the forms if they ask. If states do not comply voluntarily, lawsuits are likely to follow.
The administration will undoubtedly be accused of acting in a self-serving political way by making it easier for more Democrats to vote. The effort may have that effect. But it is worth remembering that the recession has brought millions of new people to food stamp and other welfare offices in the last two years, many of whom may not be traditional Democrats. In addition, government offices are much more likely to provide reliable registrations than Acorn or other advocacy groups that were widely accused of fraudulent sign-ups in the last cycle. Welfare offices generally have extensive methods of verifying identities in order to provide benefits, and it is illegal to provide false records there.
But the best reason to applaud the Justice Department’s new posture is that it will bring more voters into public life. When advocacy groups sued Ohio and Missouri to force their public assistance offices into complying, huge groups of new voters surged onto the rolls — more than 100,000 in Ohio, and more than 200,000 in Missouri. Nationwide enforcement by the Justice Department could add millions more. The more people who have access to the ballot, the better the country will be.
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How is this checkmate :confused:Simple.
MI. just had their primary and Detroit had a 17% voter turnout. It's around 60% for the General Election, and going down every cycle.
Simple.
Use socialist economic policies to destroy economy and get people hooked on the public dole then when they file for benefits tell them if they dare vote republican they and their children will starve.
If Obama can't do it, who can?
In their (wet)dream. With 47% paying no taxes to support the social programs, the system is going to crash.
Cute, but if they're too lazy to work, they're too lazy to vote. They're probably too lazy to sign up to vote even given this.
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It doesn't take a large percentage if you sign them up 20-30 times each.
I'm not saying it won't work some. But let's face it, most people interested in the political system and wanting to vote will do what it takes to sign up and vote. If you're having to shove it under their nose to get them to sign up, then even if they do they're likely too disinterested to make the effort. Of course, now it means they can get called for jury duty, which is its own scary thought.
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Historic NY Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sat Aug-14-10 05:41 PM
Response to Reply #30
51. thanks for explaining there are people screaming all over here...
Edited on Sat Aug-14-10 05:41 PM by Historic NY
Democrats & Liberals are mostly generous to those less fortunate.
From watching COPS for many many years I can safely say that most Obama supporters on that show do not have current, up to date, valid Drivers Licenses. :innocent:
Cute, but if they're too lazy to work, they're too lazy to vote. They're probably too lazy to sign up to vote even given this.
.
Uh..... doncha have to show ID in order to get free bees? When are they goin' to start bitchin' it's illegal to request that because it is now voter intimidation?
Welcome to 2005: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/27/AR2005102702171.html
Oh I know they shoot down the ID to vote every time it's tried! I was speakin' of the ID for welfare requirement!
If you have to show ID in order to collect the state's free bees and and have to show ID, they'll bitch it is the same as showin' ID to vote! You will no longer have to show ID to sign up for welfare!
I see a massive influx of welfare recipients in the near future!