Alabama sends message: We are too broke to care about right and wrong

[Expat1 971]

like i said i personally do not get whining racism from this op ed. i get voter disenfranchisement. calm down.

I don't. Here's why. In addition to the official state ID cards for non-drivers available at the local courthouses, Alabama also provides free voter ID cards available at the local registrar's offices.

http://whnt.com/2015/10/01/secretary-of-state-alabamians-can-still-easily-obtain-photo-ids-for-voting-despite-driver-license-office-closures/

Merrill said people who need a photo ID can obtain one at the Board of Registrars office, located in each of Alabama’s 67 counties. He said there is another option, too.

“If for some reason those citizens are not able to make it to the Board of Registrars, we’ll bring our mobile I.D. van and crew to that county. By October 31 our office will have brought the mobile I.D. van to every county in Alabama at least once,” Merrill said. “One of the most fundamental rights we as Americans are afforded is our right to vote. As Alabama’s Secretary of State and Chief Elections Official, I will do everything within my power to ensure every Alabamian is able to exercise their right to vote.”

What am I missing here? Alabama should hand cash to them for not making any effort at all to "exercise" their right to vote? Why didn't the op ed mention the voter ID card program (which is separate from the state ID card program)?

Edited October 3, 2015 by Expat1

[JohnR! 5,495]

Circular reasoning.

That would be relevant if perhaps the voting booths had been closed in those areas. One has nothing to do with the other.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

Those satellite offices are a waste of money and frustrating for the end user. Their days and hours of operation are variable, and the wait times are atrocious. I would much rather drive an extra hour to the regular DMV office for service I could count on than to struggle with people who travel for a day or two to a remote site and hate their life because they can't be at home, and it is passed on to the customer.

Budget cuts are never an easy thing for any organization. Closing state parks, national guard armories, law enforcement, etc., those are things that are hard to get rid of, but something has to be done to make cuts.

[decocker 7,198]

I don't. Here's why. In addition to the official state ID cards for non-drivers available at the local courthouses, Alabama also provides free voter ID cards available at the local registrar's offices.

http://whnt.com/2015/10/01/secretary-of-state-alabamians-can-still-easily-obtain-photo-ids-for-voting-despite-driver-license-office-closures/

Merrill said people who need a photo ID can obtain one at the Board of Registrars office, located in each of Alabama’s 67 counties. He said there is another option, too.

“If for some reason those citizens are not able to make it to the Board of Registrars, we’ll bring our mobile I.D. van and crew to that county. By October 31 our office will have brought the mobile I.D. van to every county in Alabama at least once,” Merrill said. “One of the most fundamental rights we as Americans are afforded is our right to vote. As Alabama’s Secretary of State and Chief Elections Official, I will do everything within my power to ensure every Alabamian is able to exercise their right to vote.”

What am I missing here? Alabama should hand cash to them for not making any effort at all to "exercise" their right to vote? Why didn't the op ed mention the voter ID card program (which is separate from the state ID card program)?

they have the option of a voter id card, the obstacle is getting that card - considering the restrictions on the times and places this can be done. the card may be free but the time and ability to travel is not. also, saying the mobile id unit will come to each county at least once isn't the same as an office who has hours open to the public throughout the week..

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

Considering that the average drive to obtain an ID is around 30-45 minutes, I don't think that can be considered a hardship that will keep voters out of the booths, if they have any desire to vote.

[decocker 7,198]

Considering that the average drive to obtain an ID is around 30-45 minutes, I don't think that can be considered a hardship that will keep voters out of the booths, if they have any desire to vote.

so you buy the spin. i don't.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

so you buy the spin. i don't.

No, actually, I do not. The spin I keep seeing is that it's a racial thing, aimed at keeping blacks from voting. Poppycock. And closing a few contract offices that do driver testing will not hamper the issuance of IDs, either DL or voter. Much ado about nothing, to be precise.

[decocker 7,198]

No, actually, I do not. The spin I keep seeing is that it's a racial thing, aimed at keeping blacks from voting. Poppycock. And closing a few contract offices that do driver testing will not hamper the issuance of IDs, either DL or voter. Much ado about nothing, to be precise.

spin. bit of a difference.

Officials in Alabama -- which has a Republican governor and a GOP-controlled Senate and House of Representatives -- announced Wednesday a decision to shut 31 driver’s license offices because of budget cuts, Slate reported. But as the CBC noted Friday, the shuttered offices are located in rural areas and counties where more than 75 percent of the registered voters are African-American.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

spin. bit of a difference.

In other words, these are targetted budget cuts designed specifically to disenfranchise people in those districts who are not worth anything to the people in charge because they derive no benefit from them at elections.

Institutional corruption, in other words. It's only spin to anyone who has closed their eyes and ears to this happening before. It's routine.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Trumplestiltskin

[decocker 7,198]

In other words, these are targetted budget cuts designed specifically to disenfranchise people in those districts who are not worth anything to the people in charge because they derive no benefit from them at elections.

Institutional corruption, in other words. It's only spin to anyone who has closed their eyes and ears to this happening before. It's routine.

pretty much.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

Well let's see if it's "spin", or "disenfranchisement", shall we?

I went alphabetically, for ease, and don't have time to do them all for you (shouldn't have to do ANY, but I am starting to see a trend here of people who don't research topics much):

Baldwin - 85.7% white, 9.4% black
Bibb - 75.8% white, 22% black
Bullock - 25% white, 73% black
Butler - 58% white, 41% black
Chambers - 57% white, 43% black
Cherokee - 93% white, 4.6% black
Choctaw - 56% white, 43% black
Clay - 78% white, 20% black

Ok, I am starting to see a trend here. Unfortunately, unless Alabama forces blacks to live in the lower half of the alphabet, I don't see any case for discrimination. But that's just my "spin" on it.

spin. bit of a difference.

In other words, these are targetted budget cuts designed specifically to disenfranchise people in those districts who are not worth anything to the people in charge because they derive no benefit from them at elections.
Institutional corruption, in other words. It's only spin to anyone who has closed their eyes and ears to this happening before. It's routine.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I guess it depends on whether or not you see the idea as a precedent. It isn't.

[decocker 7,198]

Well let's see if it's "spin", or "disenfranchisement", shall we?

I went alphabetically, for ease, and don't have time to do them all for you (shouldn't have to do ANY, but I am starting to see a trend here of people who don't research topics much):

Baldwin - 85.7% white, 9.4% black

Bibb - 75.8% white, 22% black

Bullock - 25% white, 73% black

Butler - 58% white, 41% black

Chambers - 57% white, 43% black

Cherokee - 93% white, 4.6% black

Choctaw - 56% white, 43% black

Clay - 78% white, 20% black

Ok, I am starting to see a trend here. Unfortunately, unless Alabama forces blacks to live in the lower half of the alphabet, I don't see any case for discrimination. But that's just my "spin" on it.

first you say you're not buying the spin (because you're spinning)..then you say alabama is only closing 'a few contract offices' but these 'few contract offices' require deeper 'research' but 'for ease' provide a racial breakdown of only 8 counties out of 31. unravelling the spin...eat it up.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

first you say you're not buying the spin (because you're spinning)..then you say alabama is only closing 'a few contract offices' but these 'few contract offices' require deeper 'research' but 'for ease' provide a racial breakdown of only 8 counties out of 31. unravelling the spin...eat it up.

I never claimed to be a hard-charging reporter. I may be only slightly less lazy than others who read something and just accept it as truth without researching it 100%, but at least I AM willing to do a little work to show that some journalist is full of you-know-what.

Tell you what, you look up the other 23 counties and prove me wrong and the writer of the article right. Then get back to us with the stats. Until then, I shall continue to believe, as I did from the start, that the race-baiting remarks were unfounded.

[decocker 7,198]

I never claimed to be a hard-charging reporter. I may be only slightly less lazy than others who read something and just accept it as truth without researching it 100%, but at least I AM willing to do a little work to show that some journalist is full of you-know-what.

Tell you what, you look up the other 23 counties and prove me wrong and the writer of the article right. Then get back to us with the stats. Until then, I shall continue to believe, as I did from the start, that the race-baiting remarks were unfounded.

cool. i'm just going to let the congressional black caucus, john lewis and aclu deal with it. might be my apathy speaking but i don't think they'll need your personal endorsement.