| By Robert - Jun 24th, 2008 at 10:29 am EDT |
| Also listed in: Voter Protection |
Categories: Civil Rights, Disabilities Community, Hispanic and Latino Issues, Jobs and Economy, Senior Issues, Student Issues, Voter Rights, One Wisconsin Now - The "tOWN Hall"
Having looked all over my house for my missing driver’s license, it was clear that I needed to make a trip out to the DMV in Madison to get a replacement—a perfect chance to spell out what goes into a trip to the DMV, like thousands of Wisconsinites will have to do if state leggies and “voter ID” advocates Jeff “Poll Tax” Stone and Joe “Can’t Prove a Voter Fraud Case” Liebham had their way and passed a ridiculous voter ID law in Wisconsin.
The DMV office in Madison I went to is open from 8:30-4:15 MWF, and from 10-5:45 Tuesday and Thursday – not exactly convenient for a 9-6 working man. But hey if I want to vote, I need an ID, right Jeff? So I bit the bullet and took off from work at 3 pm on Thursday. So I’m already being charged for my right to vote – losing at least 3 hours of work time, and using 3 hours of my vacation time. So far, total estimated cost: $50.
On “normal” days, I walk to work. But today, since I need my car to get to the far-east side DMV, I had to pay to park - $6 more.
Once I got to the DMV, the usually-crowded parking lot was nearly empty, 10 cars by my count—sweet this won’t take long, so I thought. However, once inside, it became clear that many of my fellow Madisonians had taken the bus or some other method of transport, and the wait was going to be much longer. I settled in under my iPod headphones and waited it out…finally, my number’s called. I waited about 35 minutes, not too bad.
The new ID itself cost me $28. Total cost so far: $84.
Then, back into my car for the trip downtown, an 8 mile round trip, at $4/gallon (thanks GWB and McCain!). Estimated cost: $5-7. Total cost for getting my new “Voter ID?” Almost $90.
I’m guessing I won’t be getting a reimbursement from Liebham or Stone for the costs I’ve incurred to practice my most basic democratic right.
Now, should “Poll Tax” Stone get his way, the DMV is going to be flooded with Wisconsinites eager to vote (we do, after all, consistently beat national averages for voter turnout), so it’s safe to say that my wait time (and thus my hours off of work) will certainly increase. Not to mention the nearly $1 million cost increases that would be incurred by the state (aka the taxpayers for all you “my taxes are too high” conservative types) and the ballooning of DMV staff and jurisdiction (for you small-government types).
If Liebham and Stone really cared about protecting the integrity of elections, they’d kick out Diebold and their crap voting machines, pay for comprehensive poll worker training, and make sure that we have enough ballots so every Wisconsinite who wants to vote has the chance. But they don’t—Voter ID is just a partisan political tactic employed by those scared of the voters they’re supposed to represent.
Comments are closed for this post.
Show me one example of how inadequate poll worker training disenfranchised anyone.
Show me one example of when an insufficient number of ballots disenfranchised anyone.
I can point to several examples of how simple voter ID would have prevented voter fraud - which did disenfranchise the entire voting public.
Lastly, perhaps you should get a moped like the rest of your liberal friends, since your car apparently gets under 10 miles to the gallon.
Link
http://www.jsonline.com/story/ index.aspx?id=782721
Link
Or maybethese things aren't really that big of a deal. They're only elections, after all.
There are cases of books on the 2004 election in Ohio that prove beyond any doubt that voting machines cast votes for a different candidate than the voter intended. Check out Link for a curosory introduction.
Poll Training? A joint Bush DOJ and Milwaukee DA investigation into supposed voter fraud during the 2004 election found only 7 verifiable cases of "fraud" ALL of which were attributed to clerical errors.
And where are your cases of voter fraud? oh that's right, they DON'T EXIST!
Besides, the point of my post was to highlight the cost that would be incurred at every level to implement a policy that prevents NOTHING, only to create barriers to voting to many who can't affort the 90 bucks it costs to get an ID.
Using same laptop for on sight registration ... with a cheap USB camera to take the picture.
Using same laptop for on site registration ... with a cheap USB camera to take the picture.
The simple fact is that I have a right to vote. Getting an ID is expensive. Therefore, it's a POLL TAX! End of discussion.
The financial cost of having an ID is way too much. Doyle as well as Tommy have increased those fees in recent years. The same goes with the birth certificate. Both should be free, and the DMV should be properly funded to have decent hours.
The social costs for not having an ID is also too high. You could not bring your kids - if you have them - to Chicago to visit the Sears Tower, go grocery shopping, and even get a job.
The political costs of not having an ID is again too high. While you don't need one to vote, you do need one to contest a vote. An ID is voter insurance, pure and simple. If someone lacks an ID and their vote is challenged, they don't vote, whereas, they do, if they have an ID.
Stop the poll, and the poll tax ceases.