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September 26, 2006

poll tax 2006

Plus ca change. From the NAACP Legal Defense Fund:

Today, the House of Representatives voted to undermine the political participation of Americans by approving the deceptively named "Federal Election Integrity Act." The bill imposes new, substantial, and unnecessary barriers to vote in federal elections by establishing a single form of identification-- one that proves citizenship -- as an ironclad requirement to vote.

Just three months ago, the House voted to continue to break down barriers to the polls by renewing the Voting Rights Act after considering several amendments that would narrow the coverage of the Act. But just hours ago, the House retreated from its commitment by voting in favor of the Photo ID Bill without permitting any amendments to be offered.

Theodore M. Shaw, Director-Counsel and President of the NAACP LDF stated that "the bill effectively transforms the vote from a right to a privilege by elevating the privileged over those citizens who will disproportionately become ensnared in this voting trap including: African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, the elderly, disabled, and poor. It's a modern poll tax. Any bill that would require all eligible citizen voters to engage in a bureaucratic process to obtain a citizen ID that includes swearing poverty in order to vote is corrosive and undemocratic. Against the backdrop of limited anecdotal evidence that fraud is a problem, it elevates an administrative requirement above a constitutionally protected right. That is un-American."

While supporters have cited polls of dubious relevance to justify this law that turns the clock back to the days of tests and devices designed to "protect" the polls, LDF Assistant Counsel, Jenigh Garrett explained that "the plain truth is that if Americans were polled before Katrina's flood waters hit most would have truly believed that the residents of New Orleans would have had the ability and financial means to ensure their safety * of course, the truth was very different. [full story]

Steve Gilliard sez re. the claims this measure is needed to prevent voter fraud:

Voter fraud=brown people voting.

Keep worrying about Diebold. They're passing the new poll tax as we speak.

I will say, though, that I dunno if the rise of modern day poll taxes makes the easily-hacked Diebold voting machines a "head-fake," as Steve so pungently put it. Republican racism like the CIA's sub-basement: The terrorist torture room can very easily be right next door to the paymaster's office where they pay off active terrorists in hopes of making them into "assets." When your skunkworks are broad and deep and nefarious enough, literally anything can happen in parallel without contradiction or confusion.

Posted by ebogjonson in politricknal sciences, on September 26, 2006 9:52 AM

Comments

Posted by: RayCeeYa at September 26, 2006 1:04 PM