What Is Wrong With Florida?

[Psychoblues]

Judge throws out Florida voting law. Is this a further right wing conspiracy to distort and disallow the wills of the voters of Florida?

BY GARY FINEOUT
[email protected]


TALLAHASSEE -- A federal judge ordered state election officials to stop enforcing a 2-year-old voter registration law, ruling Tuesday that there is already proof that the change put in place by the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature has resulted in ``actual harm to real individuals.''

About 14,000 people have not been able to register because of Florida's ''no match'' law that requires a citizen's name on a voter registration form be matched with a Social Security number or driver's license number. The law has been challenged by the NAACP and other groups that say the law unfairly blocks blacks and Hispanics from being able to register to vote.

Many of those who had their registration rejected since January 2006 when the law took effect are from South Florida. The groups that filed the lawsuit told the court that 35 percent are from Miami-Dade County and 8 percent from Broward.

U.S. District Judge Stephan Mickle rejected arguments from the state that the law is needed to deter possible voter fraud, pointing out that the state has not been able to prove that the 14,000 voters now in limbo engaged in voter fraud. He said the requirements put in place by Florida lawmakers apper to conflict with federal voting rights laws.

''The disenfranchisement, however unintentional, causes damage to the election system that cannot be repaired after the election has passed,'' Mickle wrote in the order.

Secretary of State Kurt Browning said in a statement that his office would immediately appeal the decision. ``I am disappointed in the court's ruling today which enjoins enforcement of the Florida law requiring verification of voter registration applicants. This law is perfectly consistent with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and in my view the Legislature appropriately enacted this important anti-fraud provision as part of Florida's Election Code.

''I also think it is is unwise to introduce such a major change in Florida's election procedures on the eve of Florida's Presidential Preference Primary and we will appeal immediately,'' he added.

The decision to block the state from enforcing the law comes at a critical time, since the deadline is approaching for people to register to vote in the Jan. 29 presidential primary election. Those who want to register to vote for the primary and the property tax amendment have until the end of the month.

Justin Levitt, an attorney for the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law helping with the lawsuit, hailed the ruling and said it should lead to the state clearing the way to place those 14,000 people on the voter rolls.

''We think it's a big win for the voters of Florida who have one fewer administrative hurdle and bureaucratic barrier in their way,'' Levitt said.

More: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/brea...ry/349183.html

And it really ain't even just begun?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[Gunny]

Judge throws out Florida voting law. Is this a further right wing conspiracy to distort and disallow the wills of the voters of Florida?

BY GARY FINEOUT
[email protected]


TALLAHASSEE -- A federal judge ordered state election officials to stop enforcing a 2-year-old voter registration law, ruling Tuesday that there is already proof that the change put in place by the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature has resulted in ``actual harm to real individuals.''

About 14,000 people have not been able to register because of Florida's ''no match'' law that requires a citizen's name on a voter registration form be matched with a Social Security number or driver's license number. The law has been challenged by the NAACP and other groups that say the law unfairly blocks blacks and Hispanics from being able to register to vote.

Many of those who had their registration rejected since January 2006 when the law took effect are from South Florida. The groups that filed the lawsuit told the court that 35 percent are from Miami-Dade County and 8 percent from Broward.

U.S. District Judge Stephan Mickle rejected arguments from the state that the law is needed to deter possible voter fraud, pointing out that the state has not been able to prove that the 14,000 voters now in limbo engaged in voter fraud. He said the requirements put in place by Florida lawmakers apper to conflict with federal voting rights laws.

''The disenfranchisement, however unintentional, causes damage to the election system that cannot be repaired after the election has passed,'' Mickle wrote in the order.

Secretary of State Kurt Browning said in a statement that his office would immediately appeal the decision. ``I am disappointed in the court's ruling today which enjoins enforcement of the Florida law requiring verification of voter registration applicants. This law is perfectly consistent with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and in my view the Legislature appropriately enacted this important anti-fraud provision as part of Florida's Election Code.

''I also think it is is unwise to introduce such a major change in Florida's election procedures on the eve of Florida's Presidential Preference Primary and we will appeal immediately,'' he added.

The decision to block the state from enforcing the law comes at a critical time, since the deadline is approaching for people to register to vote in the Jan. 29 presidential primary election. Those who want to register to vote for the primary and the property tax amendment have until the end of the month.

Justin Levitt, an attorney for the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law helping with the lawsuit, hailed the ruling and said it should lead to the state clearing the way to place those 14,000 people on the voter rolls.

''We think it's a big win for the voters of Florida who have one fewer administrative hurdle and bureaucratic barrier in their way,'' Levitt said.

More: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/brea...ry/349183.html

And it really ain't even just begun?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Yeah. it's a horrible thing expecting voter registrations to match actually living people who reside in the state. Whatever could they be thinking?

 

[Psychoblues]

Obviously you didn't read the article.

Yeah. it's a horrible thing expecting voter registrations to match actually living people who reside in the state. Whatever could they be thinking?

And you don't know a damn thing about the caging of votes.

 

[Taomon]

Judge throws out Florida voting law. Is this a further right wing conspiracy to distort and disallow the wills of the voters of Florida?

BY GARY FINEOUT
[email protected]


TALLAHASSEE -- A federal judge ordered state election officials to stop enforcing a 2-year-old voter registration law, ruling Tuesday that there is already proof that the change put in place by the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature has resulted in ``actual harm to real individuals.''

The judge is right. No where in the Constitution does it require this information in order to vote. This is because SS numbers, and photo IDs are things manufactured as our government grew and wanted control of the masses. And not for the better.

Florida disenfranchised thousands of voters in the 2000 and 2004 elections with loopholes to keep blacks and hispanics from voting.

Not all blacks are criminals and not all hispanics are illegal immigrants. It is that racist mindset that the GOP and Jeb Bush counted on to enforce these archaic and Klanesque laws.

 

[Toro]

Plus, here in Florida, this type of thing was done for decades to keep blacks from voting, so the visceral response against it isn't surprising.

 

[Taomon]

Plus, here in Florida, this type of thing was done for decades to keep blacks from voting, so the visceral response against it isn't surprising.

True, but since we cannot change the past we should all band together to shape our future. I got the backs of the people on this one Toro

 

[Mr.Conley]

Yeah. it's a horrible thing expecting voter registrations to match actually living people who reside in the state. Whatever could they be thinking?

No one takes issue with the end, only the means.

 

[William Joyce]

Florida disenfranchised thousands of voters in the 2000 and 2004 elections with loopholes to keep blacks and hispanics from voting.

Not all blacks are criminals and not all hispanics are illegal immigrants. It is that racist mindset that the GOP and Jeb Bush counted on to enforce these archaic and Klanesque laws.

I haven't heard about this. What are the loopholes used?

 

[trobinett]

I haven't heard about this. What are the loopholes used?

Come on WJ, you don't think you'll actually be supplied that information, do you?

 

[Psychoblues]

It's readily available for you, trobby.

Come on WJ, you don't think you'll actually be supplied that information, do you?

Obviously you'd rather not hear about it.

 

[Gunny]

No one takes issue with the end, only the means.

Backatcha. Taking issue only with the end when it suits you to do so. Voting is a Right. With Rights comes responsibility. People all to often nowadays in this country want all of the privilege without the responsibility and that's just crap. plain and simple.

It is common sense that one should have to show ID to vote. It is common sense that voters should be registered, and it is common sense to weed out those that are improperly registered or have lost their right to vote in certain states.

Otherwise, you have fraud on the mass scale.

But all you and those on the left see is that you think only liberal votes get tossed out. If that is in fact the case, maybe you ought to look at who you've got supporting you instead of trying to blame the rules or the GOP.

I voted for the first time in Miami. You have to be pretty damned dumb to screw it up.

 

[mattskramer]

I have no sympathy for those who don’t take the time and trouble to pay attention and follow the instructions. The Butterfly ballot was not that difficult to understand. The people in Florida need to learn the difference between a bingo card and a voter ballot. They need to accept responsibility for their actions.

 

[Psychoblues]

gunny, in his ignorance, assumes the thousands turned away in Florida, Ohio, New Mexico and other states did not know the rules.

I've seen and experienced the gestapo methods of those that would rather that I didn't vote. I wonder why they all happen to be Republicans?

 

[Gunny]

gunny, in his ignorance, assumes the thousands turned away in Florida, Ohio, New Mexico and other states did not know the rules.

I've seen and experienced the gestapo methods of those that would rather that I didn't vote. I wonder why they all happen to be Republicans?

PB, it's a fact the votes were discounted either for improper registration or improper voting.

You lefties want your votes counted, get the knuckleheads you want voting for your politicians to fill out the forms correctly. I'll bet their welfare and food stamps forms are filled out right.

 

[Psychoblues]

I disagree.

PB, it's a fact the votes were discounted either for improper registration or improper voting.

You lefties want your votes counted, get the knuckleheads you want voting for your politicians to fill out the forms correctly. I'll bet their welfare and food stamps forms are filled out right.

Republicans have never desired a popular vote. They excluded blacks, women and non property owners for years. They would still rather that Democrats like me could not vote now even though I voted for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and would have voted for John McCain in 2000 had he been the Republican nominee. Sadly, gwb stole that nomination and bought the appointment. Democrats like me will not forget that.

I was always taught to keep on the Sunny Side. I suggest you just keep it between the ditches.

 

[Gunny]

I disagree.




Republicans have never desired a popular vote. They excluded blacks, women and non property owners for years. They would still rather that Democrats like me could not vote now even though I voted for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and would have voted for John McCain in 2000 had he been the Republican nominee. Sadly, gwb stole that nomination and bought the appointment. Democrats like me will not forget that.

I was always taught to keep on the Sunny Side. I suggest you just keep it between the ditches.

BS. Republicans don't exclude votes. They don't control which votes are and are not included. Seems to me His Gore-ship was did a damned good job of excluding military overseas write-in votes that arrived after the deadline while he was attempting to steal the 2000 election right in front of everyone.

Not to mention that ANY mark on a card that was not otherwise blemish-free but for a punch perfectly in the Bush column was a "vote for Gore."

So GMAFB on the BS, huh?

 

[jillian]

BS. Republicans don't exclude votes. They don't control which votes are and are not included. Seems to me His Gore-ship was did a damned good job of excluding military overseas write-in votes that arrived after the deadline while he was attempting to steal the 2000 election right in front of everyone.

Not to mention that ANY mark on a card that was not otherwise blemish-free but for a punch perfectly in the Bush column was a "vote for Gore."

So GMAFB on the BS, huh?

Actually, not quite true.

Every grass roots political operation tries to do two things... a) get the other guy's name off the ballot; and b) exclude likely voters for the other side.

And, yes, repubs DO exclude votes. That's why thousands of black voters who had names "like" felons weren't allowed to vote in 2000. It's also why state troopers were pulling people over by black precincts in Florida at the time.

Now, how could they do that? Because they had a repub governor who appointed a repub secretary of state.... secretary of state controls who gets to register to vote and who gets to vote. Same thing in Ohio in 2004 when the genius there decided not to let people register unless the registration was on paper of a particular weight.

It's the reason I now won't vote repub for a governor. Are dems any better? Probably not. I know of one local election where precincts where particular candidate would have made a strong showing didn't get voting machines.... and that race was dem vs. dem. Honest truth.

 

[Gunny]

Actually, not quite true.

Every grass roots political operation tries to do two things... a) get the other guy's name off the ballot; and b) exclude likely voters for the other side.

And, yes, repubs DO exclude votes. That's why thousands of black voters who had names "like" felons weren't allowed to vote in 2000. It's also why state troopers were pulling people over by black precincts in Florida at the time.

Now, how could they do that? Because they had a repub governor who appointed a repub secretary of state.... secretary of state controls who gets to register to vote and who gets to vote. Same thing in Ohio in 2004 when the genius there decided not to let people register unless the registration was on paper of a particular weight.

It's the reason I now won't vote repub for a governor. Are dems any better? Probably not. I know of one local election where precincts where particular candidate would have made a strong showing didn't get voting machines.... and that race was dem vs. dem. Honest truth.

LMAO. Sorry, but no sale. This is conspiracy theory stuff with no real basis in fact.

I will agree that one side is no better than the other, and I can agree that there certainly are some shady goings on out there, or at least attempts to do so.

But a state-wide conspiracy? I don't think so.

 

[jillian]

LMAO. Sorry, but no sale. This is conspiracy theory stuff with no real basis in fact.

I will agree that one side is no better than the other, and I can agree that there certainly are some shady goings on out there, or at least attempts to do so.

But a state-wide conspiracy? I don't think so.

No conspiracy.. it wasn't that complicated. It's just politics.

You can believe it or not, but I know what happened here with the voting machines.

 

[Gunny]

No conspiracy.. it wasn't that complicated. It's just politics.

You can believe it or not, but I know what happened here with the voting machines.

I was referring to the FL thing where you have a conspiracy to disenfranchise voters starting with the Governor's office. While you may call it "just politics" it requires a cast of thousands to carry it out -- the same inherent flaw in all mass-scale conspiracy theories. In which case, there'd have been mass squealing following shortly thereafter.

Do I think politicians are above reproach? Hardly. But most aren't suicidal and THAT is exactly what the outcome of such a massive effort to defraud would amount to.

As far as the voting machines go, I don't question that as I know nothing about it.