Rep. Feeney (R-FL) Introduces New Elections Bill

[JohnGideon]

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001894.htm

Would Make It Tougher For Democratic Voters To Vote
Would Not Guarantee Accuracy Of Results


Guest blogged by John Gideon

In a move that some people found amazing and others expected, Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) has filed a new elections bill. HR-3910 – Verifying the Outcome of Tomorrow’s Elections Act of 2005 does nothing to verify the outcome of "tomorrow’s" elections, but it does further the RNC’s wish to keep as many poor, elderly, disabled, and people of color (in other words – normally Democratic voters) away from the polls as they possibly can.

And who is this Rep. Feeney? If you recall, he was the person alleged to have asked for a programmer to write software to switch the touch-screen votes, undetected, in Florida. Clint Curtis, whose story was originally broken here at BRAD BLOG, was the programmer. When asked about this latest step by Feeney, he responded via email simply: “Appears that Mr. Feeney is still trying to protect his fixed voting system”.

Around the water coolers on “The Hill”, there has been talk that Rush Holt’s Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act (HR 550) would be going to mark-up sometime in October. It is timely that suddenly Rep. Feeney would produce a bill that will now allow the House leaders to blend the two bills and make one bill that represents their fascist vision.

This bill provides for a voter verified paper audit trail but it leaves to the states how that audit trail will be used, if at all. No verification there.

The outrageous portion of the bill is the part that discusses a voter ID requirement. No driver’s license, state ID card, student ID, library card or utility bill will do, according to this bill. Instead, in order to qualify, a voter will require:
(2) MINIMUM DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS- To meet the requirements of this subsection, a State shall include, at a minimum, the following information and features on each photo identification issued to a person by the State for purposes of subsection (b):

(A) The person's full legal name.

(B) The person's date of birth.

(C) The person's gender.

(D) The person's number for the form of the identification.

(E) A digital photograph of the person.

(F) The person's address of principle residence.

(G) The person's signature.

(H) Physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for fraudulent purposes.

(I) A common machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements.

(3) MINIMUM ISSUANCE STANDARDS

(A) IN GENERAL- To meet the requirements of this subsection, a State shall require, at a minimum, presentation and verification of the following information before issuing a photo identification to a person for purposes of subsection (b):

(i) A photo identity document, except that a non-photo identity document is acceptable if it includes both the person's full legal name and date of birth.

(ii) Documentation showing the person's date of birth.

(iii) Proof of the person's social security account number or verification that the person is not eligible for a social security account number.

(iv) Documentation showing the person's name and address of principal residence.


And what if the voter is an absentee voter? According to this bill they will have to include a copy of their ID, with all of the voters personal information, in the envelope along with their ballot.

Last week, in response to the unbelievably poor Baker-Carter Commission report, and the rumors in DC that HR-550 may be going for ‘mark-up’, VoteTrustUSA and other groups began a write-in campaign asking members of congress to leave HR-550 untouched. This seems to be the best approach at this time. http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=VTUSA&hotissue=1

[stillcool]

1. oh, now thats balls....

So much so, it seems like a joke. I just sent an email about this to my rep yesterday...thanks for this.

[JohnGideon]

2. This is NO joke

This bill does one thing and one thing only. It ensures that people of color, the elderly, disabled, and the poor do not get to vote.

This bill also represents an unfunded mandate for the states thus ensuring that the states have to take funds away from services they perform for the citizens of the state in order to fund the issuance of these cards.

This is another step in the privatization of our vote. It must be stopped.

[demodonkey]

3. Guys, this is SERIOUS. It is a bad BAD bill and big trouble for us. LOOK!

If you haven't done so go to the VoteTrustUSA e-mail blaster and contact your Congressperson to support HR 550 AS WRITTEN.

http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=VTUSA&hotissue=1

If this Feeney crap gets rolled into HR 550 during markup, and it gets passed like that, we are going to have HAVA II, only worse. Not only the worst possible form of Voter ID, we'll get a VVPR that is worthless because it can never become the official record of the vote. They are throwing us a bone with no meat on it, and hoping we won't notice.

Please kick this to the moon and recommend.

Now.

Folks, the battle for our vote has REALLY begun.

[MelissaB]

4. kicking and recommending

:kick:

[The Doctor.]

5. You mean 'Feeney'? The guy who tried to rig the machines in Florida?

http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=10175&fcategory_desc=E-Voting%20Machines%20/%20Vote%20Integrity

Seriously... this is out there.

[texpatriot2004]

7. Yes, that is the same one, that is Feeney. n/t

[alittlelark]

6. Lets skip this bill and dye voters fingers purple when they vote.

Then we'll know it they're tryin' to cheat!:silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly:

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. I hope Feeney gets indicted.

[Fly by night]

9. Feeney. What a limp and crooked weeney.

[bunny planet]

10. Kick, kick, kick, kick, kick

If Feeney were here, I'd KICK him. What a douchebag of liberty that guy is.

[JohnGideon]

11. The summary of why this is bad:

This summary is from a member of DemocracyForWashington. It is spot on:

This is another unfunded mandate. It requires the state to adopt digital technology and commit to digital and paper storage. It requires the state to wait to issue photo-identification until the following has been accomplished:
"Before issuing a photo identification to a person, the State shall verify, with the issuing agency, the issuance, validity, and completeness of each document:"

"`(i) A photo identity document, except that a non-photo identity document is
acceptable if it includes both the person's full legal name and date of
birth.

`(ii) Documentation showing the person's date of birth.

`(iii) Proof of the person's social security account number or verification
that the person is not eligible for a social security account number.

`(iv) Documentation showing the person's name and address of principal
residence."

On its face, this means that if you bring in a birth certificate to validate your name and birthdate, your social security card, and your telephone bill to validate your address, then the state must contact the state or county that issued your birth certificate, the Social Security Administration, and your telephone company before they can issue your state identification card or driver's license. The state is essentially required to distrust state and federal documents and private business records because they passed through a citizen's hands.

It removes the convenience of voting by mail for the poor, the old, and the infirm, requiring them to go out and get a photocopy of their license to send with their ballot. This means that those already disenfranchised are even less likely to have a voice in governing us. We can't claim to want to empower the poor while at the same time adding layers of bureaucracy in front of them.

This is an interesting clause that should raise some questions? This act will require states to:

"`(A) Employ technology to capture digital images of identity source
documents so that the images can be retained in electronic storage in a
transferable format."

So that they are transferable to whom?

This act is arguably worse than the REAL ID Act except that doesn't explicitly grant unprecedented, unchecked, power to the Department of Homeland Security. This act represents the bigger and more expensive government that the Republican Party represents. It goes too far in disenfranchising the poor, the old, and the ill and it too strongly states the level of distrust a government should have for its citizenry.

[autorank]

12. The arrogance of power. I can't believe this. It's pathetic.

They must think that a few lousy voting machine companies can keep them in power forever. What a silly assumption. People are fed up with them now--about 58% and the number is rising. To govern you must be legitimate. That means, you must govern with the consent of the governed. People will soon be howling for Bush/Cheney/Neocons to leave without waiting for an election. what difference do their voting machines make then.

Let them indulge themselves with this garbage.

The truth is coming out soon. Too bad for all the enemies of democracy.

There time is up. Ours has just begun.