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Election reflections
An obscene amount of money was spent on the political campaigns leading up to the elections of November 6, 2012. This is all the more troubling when we learn that many people were denied the right to vote, were prevented from voting in the best possible circumstances, or had their ballots declared invalid.
We obviously have not heeded the lessons of November 2000. How can we make sure that these longstanding problems will finally be corrected, four years hence?
1) As so much money is being channeled into campaigns, purportedly to correct so much that is awry in our society, the law should require that one-third of this money be transferred to the state or federal government – depending upon the nature of each campaign – to allow for the opening of more polling places and the updating of our voting tools, so that everything is in perfect working order next time around. Surplus revenue should go to our public schools.
2) Spending more than one hour in line to cast a vote is unacceptable. People need to receive timed tickets as they take their place in line to vote, and after one hour, the state government will pay a fine to each person who is in line for more than 60 minutes, which will increase by 50 percent of the original amount with each additional half hour. This will provide the states with a much-needed incentive to get their houses in order. Ideally, we should find new, secure, and efficient ways to cast our votes, without having to travel to polling places.
3) Let us make voting mandatory, as it is in a number of other democracies. The American people need to take charge of their future, and that act begins inside the voting booth. Like it or not, politicians decide where we are heading. Ignoring them isn’t the answer. Having an informed electorate that understands the choices available to it, and chooses the best among these, is a step in the right direction. Those who do not vote will be fined if they do not have valid excuses. These fines will generate revenue allowing us to improve the voting process. Surplus revenue should go to our public schools.
4) Since there is still confusion in some places as to what constitutes proper voter identification, let us finally introduce the identification card in this country. We can learn how to implement this, as well as much else, from our friends in Europe. Ignoring well-functioning models, just because they are not our own, isn’t the answer.
5) All attempts to intimidate or mislead potential voters about their voting rights should be investigated to the full extent of the law, and those who are found guilty should be severely fined. Voting is a basic civil right. The revenue from these fines should go to the public schools that are educating the citizens of this country and that are in need of greater support.
Once we have achieved this, we will be on the right track.
MICHAEL AMY, ROCHESTER
Praise for ‘Motherhood the Musical’
Couldn’t disagree with Adam Lubitow more on his disappointing review of Downstairs Cabaret’s “Motherhood the Musical.” As an “old man” and grandfather to four granddaughters, 8 years and under, I must report that both my wife and I found the production and the cast very musical, entertaining and realistic in its theme. The three mothers and the mother-to-be were high energy and very talented. We would encourage both women and men to see this show while it’s still here.
HOWARD GOLOVE, HENRIETTA
This article appears in Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2012.
Michael Amy – Some of your suggestions are fine. But I’m afraid that overall your attempt to put American voting “on the right track” has gone off the rails.
First, we have no need to update our voting tools. What we need to do is go retro. We once had perfectly reliable mechanical voting systems in which the voter merely flicked a series of levers. No confusion, No long winded lectures on how to use the system. No multi-step fill in the blank and then throw the paper in the reader (remembering to first take it out of the card board sleeve) . And most importantly, the votes were tabulated by hand and phoned in to a central location so you could be sure that you, and not some hacker, were calling the shots. Then for unfathomable reasons it was thought necessary to replace an effective and efficient system with zoomie high tech drek and the next thing we knew we had hanging chads and constantly breaking down computer interfaces.
Secondly, mandatory voting is as bad an idea as mandatory jury duty. If someone hasn’t the interest to vote then what in hell do we gain by forcing them to do so? Do you think that if they know that they either have to vote or pay a fine they’re suddenly going to become informed model citizens?
Lastly, a national ID card would be a great idea if we had a problem that called for one. But since voting fraud is a non-existent issue why spend tens of millions creating a useless card? What’s the next step? Hiring a few hundred thousand guys in black uniforms to stand outside voting places saying, “Achtung ! Papers, let me see your papers !” ?
I was relieved to read the Feedback post by Gerry W. “Republicans’ History”. It is refreshing to know that folks like he are still out calling attention to the true history of our political parties. (Further, I am equally impressed that Rochester City News published it on 11/28 even though it is against their own political leanings — kudos on that, it is what separate you from the other news opinion options available today). Before the defenders on the Left blurt out “that was a long time ago” or the usual in the face of facts always do the hate-Bush psycho babble, I’m going to add to Mr. “W’s” post. That within the last 100 years, it is the Democratic party that has jailed people based solely on their ethnic background, (World Wars), it was a Democratic President that jailed women for exercising their right to protest (voting), it was the wife of a Democratic Senator that led to a group that formally sought to obstruct artistic expression (PMRC), it was a Democratic Congress that hauled corporate officers to the Hill threatening them to stop making public the accounting charges associated with The Affordable Care Act, it is the Democrats that continue to find ways to restrict choice and standards in Education, Energy, and Commerce (2008 to present) — with the lone exception of a women’s right to kill a fetus at anytime during her pregnancy – the aim of the Democrat has always been and continues to be the restriction of liberty, and keeping the populace as dumb and dependent on government as possible. To the extent you value liberty, you only need to look where citizens have always looked — the Republican party.
M. Abraham – Thanks for the historical revisionist comedy. Like most apologists for the GOP you confuse , intentionally or thru ignorance, the Republican and Democratic parties of the past with their 21st. Century namesakes, even though the underlying political philosophies of each have radically altered over time.
For instance the once-proud and liberal , Big Government, emancipationist and black rights Republican party of the 1860s, after staggering thru the following decades as a increasingly conservative and exclusionary party (the Teddy Roosevelt era being a short term aberration) , with a brief moment of glory as the few remaining moderates cooperated with LBJ to force thru the voting rights acts of the 1960s, has now become nothing but a Far Right collection of Tea Party drones and “47%er” bigots.
During this same period, the reactionary conservative, slave- holding ,states’ rights Democratic Party, after doing nothing for 40 years became a populist and progressive party under William Jennings Bryan and Woodrow Wilson (although still more-than a little racist) finally flowering into a modern, liberal, human rights-oriented party, no longer tied to the dead weight of states’ rights , under FDR, Truman, Kennedy and LBJ.
So if you want to continue to contend that today’s Republican and Democratic parties are in anyway a reflection of what they were decades or a century and a half ago, feel free. We can use the laughs. Although I doubt it will be possible for ANY GOP comedian to top this ;line…
“the aim of the Democrat has always been and continues to be the restriction of liberty, and keeping the populace as dumb and dependent on government as possible. To the extent you value liberty, you only need to look where citizens have always looked — the Republican party.”
@Chaim: Your description of the contemporary Democrat party is so generous. May we most respectfully suggest that it would be more aptly described as a motley crew of communists; atheists; eugenicists; abortionists; pornographers; blame-America-firsters; third-rate academics; guilt-tripping over-privileged white liberals (many of them expensively educated way beyond their native intelligence); tree-huggers; and assorted hippies, stoners, slackers and lunatics.
Interesting to note, too, that areas such as New York City have remained solid blue historically even while you claim the party’s ideology has “radically altered over time”.
j.a.m – Apparently you believe that the Party of Jefferson became the Party of Jefferson Davis and then became the Party of Barack Obama without any change in ideology. .And interesting how that party of “over-privileged white liberals ” garnered 70% + of both the black and Latino vote. Oh, I forgot… that must be the fruits of keeping the populace as dumb and dependent on government as possible.