After Signing Law Disenfranchising ID-less Voters, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Closes 10 DMV Offices

[Skip_In_Boulder]

Source: ThinkProgress.org

By Ian Millhiser on Jul 25, 2011



Earlier this year, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker became one of the many GOP governors to sign a law disenfranchising voters who do not have a photo ID — a law that disproportionately affects elderly voters, young voters, students, minorities and low-income voters. Having disenfranchised tens of thousands of Wisconsin voters, Walker is now making it harder for many of these voters to obtain the ID they need to regain their right to participate in the next election:

Gov. Scott Walker’s administration is working on finalizing a plan to close as many as 10 offices where people can obtain driver’s licenses in order to expand hours elsewhere and come into compliance with new requirements that voters show photo IDs at the polls.

One Democratic lawmaker said Friday it appeared the decisions were based on politics, with the department targeting offices for closure in Democratic areas and expanding hours for those in Republican districts. Rep. Andy Jorgensen, D-Fort Atkinson, called on the state Department of Transportation to reconsider its plants to close the Fort Atkinson DMV center. The department plans to expand by four hours a week the hours of a center about 30 minutes away in Watertown.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/07/25/277592/walker-closes-dmvs/

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Looks like the Republicans in Wisconsin have come to the conclusion that they will loose in the recall elections.

[jberryhill]

1. Transparent Scum

No other words for it.

Just scum.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Skip_In_Boulder.

[hlthe2b]

3. I'm not a violent person, but I'd not shed a tear if someone

delivered the ass-kicking this cretin so richly deserves.

[sakabatou]

4. Walker needs to go.

[madrchsod]

5. car/van pool....

i noticed the Fort Atkinson dot is leased. i suppose that it a good enough excuse to close the site.


here i thought the south was where all the bad guys were

[TxVietVet]

24. I lived and worked in SE Wisconsin for over 20 years. Extremely prejudiced people are there.

They are not hard to find. Most I knew, listen to the hate radio broadcasts from the conservanazis, staying up on the talking points of the day. I worked in Watertown and Ft. Atkinson. Watertown is by far more conservative and more prejudiced. They always made jokes about the minorities in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha.

[Old and In the Way]

6. This is how a One Party state operates.

Republicans view Democracy with contempt. They consider themselves the only political party worthy of dictating the law the rest of us.

[TxVietVet]

25. I live in a one-party county and state. They dictate. They view voters with contempt.

A$$holes is all they are. The pulpit pimps even give out propaganda for the conservanazis. They rule hand in hand. They want a white conservanazi christian dictatorship. When the minorities approach 33% of the population, I don't think the conservanazis can control them and the working whites who still have a job.

[hughee99]

7. The ID-less people need to be heard!

These are people who can't leave the US, can't open bank accounts, don't drive and don't use almost any government services. Hell, they don't even lend from the public libraries. These are people who create very little burden for the government, but pay their various taxes, sales, income, etc... and they need to have a voice.

[HereSince1628]

8. That 30 minute drive? It's at least 20 miles one-way.

And there isn't public transit between them. It's an area of small towns and family sized agriculture. While it's true that most people drive and most people over 16 have some sort of vehicle, that's undoubtedly not universally true. Jefferson County dems are going to need to do some outreach to find and help those who need transportation.

[iwishiwas]

9. closing the stanley and abbotsford ones meaning folks

will drive an hour either to Eau Claire or Wausau. damm.

[handmade34]

10. I am not in Wisconsin

if I were, I would be organizing volunteers to help people to a DMV, to the polls, help anyone that needs help getting an ID card... until Walker goes, it behooves Democrats to get out there and act

[valerief]

11. Why is he allowed to breathe? nt

[tblue]

12. Almost makes ya think he's afraid of how we'd vote. Duuhhh!

Sad.

[Skip_In_Boulder]

15. They are afraid of how people will vote.

The fact is that when voters turn out in elections, Republicans loose. That is what they are trying to prevent.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Capitalocracy]

17. Nope.

We're not like them, my friend.

[Mugu]

27. No profile and calling for violence,

oh great.

[Bjorn Against]

29. We believe in non-violence here

It is the far right that preaches "second amendment solutions" that kind of talk is not welcome here. We have been doing well with non-violent resistence to Walker, people like you only damage our movement. Enjoy your short stay, I expect pizza delivery soon.

[HankyDubs]

14. leme guess

all in democratic leaning areas.

[RBInMaine]

16. Just focus on August 9th guys, and take back the WI Senate. Drive an electoral stake up his ass!

[midnight]

18. Poll workers can ask, BUT we still DON'T have to show....

"The law will requires poll workers to immediately begin asking voters to show state-issued IDs before they vote. But voters won't be required to actually produce the IDs until next year. In the meantime, voters who come to the polls without IDs will be handed a flyer outlining the new requirement.

Debate over the photo ID proposal highlighted the partisan divisions in Wisconsin following the bruising battle earlier this year over Walker's campaign to weaken public sector union bargaining rights.

Wisconsin Republicans had tried to enact a voter ID requirement several times over the past few years but were repeatedly thwarted by Democrats."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/25/wisconsin-voter-id-law-scott-walker_n_867090.html

[McCamy Taylor]

19. If this were a southern state the DOJ could step in.

[proReality]

20. Isn't there any kind of federal law that can stop him from pulling this crap? n/t

[blm]

21. They know they lose in any fair election, so, they spend their energy devising ways to steal them

losers who fear losing will steal

[Yon_Yonson]

22. Scottie you just wallow in your short term victories because we are coming for you

First your brownshirts then the recall starts for your sorry ass

[FreeBillClinton]

23. Isn't this the type of thing the Feds would investigate under a different administration?

It seems like even under a republican, democratic outrage would be strong enough to get this kind of voter disenfranchisement stopped. But, with a "democratic" president we get someone too weak to stop it and democratic politicians who don't want to criticize him for it.

[TxVietVet]

26. This is no difference than the old Southern POLL TAX.

The conservanazis want to be the NEW CONFEDERACY. Someone should file suit. That probably won't happen until afte an election. I remember when the state AG Van Hollen ran on a platform of finding all these illegal voters and rooting them out. He was also going to investivate and try the whole Dole government because the dumbass Van Hollen said it was the most corrupt in history. Well, one illegal voter (the only one tried BTW) was caught and jailed. Then, the dumbass convicted a government official and had it thrown out when it got to appeal probably because of Van Hollen's incompetence. JB Van Hollen is a worthless POS conservanazi.

[Blue Owl]

28. That's just what a fucking sack of shit does

a festering, leaky sack of shit at that.

[alarimer]

30. I hate these people.

Don't you dare try to tell me that Republicans are people too. They are not, they are fucking evil. And people who vote for them are evil or stupid or both.

[Yon_Yonson]

33. Amen

[Scuba]

31. K & R

[Politicalboi]

32. Some rich Dem donor should

Provide bus or van services just to the DMV's throughout Wisconsin now till the 2012 elections. We have to start soon because their DMV's will end up looking like the voting lines the closer the elections get there. And with more time, it will give a breather for people to get what they need to get their ID's. And send coupons for the buses to ONLY Dems. I'm surprised they don't make the law that you can't use a different DMV that is not in your neighborhood.

[mod mom]

34. Paging Eric Holder. It's so plainly obvious that this is about voter suppression!