@Peter_Rickman
Registering to vote in Milwaukee.
Labor organizer Peter Rickman tweets this picture of people registering to vote in Milwaukee, at a Wisconsin Jobs Now block party.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker is reportedly working to close 10 DMV offices. State Democrats say the offices up for closure are in Democratic districts. Starting next year, Wisconsin will require voters to show IDs at the poll. The DMV is a primary source for those.
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This is the same thing Mitch Daniels did in Indiana. Required photo IDs and then shut down a large number of BMVs, a large number in Lake county. It did not stop Indiana from electing Obama, but it will be difficult to keep Mike Pence out or the governor's office with this poll tax disguised as a protection against voter fraud. The fewer African Americans that vote the better change Pence has. Pence is so confident of his victory he is asking all other candidates to "pledge" not to discuss any policy issues before the primary. The GOP has set up Indiana to guarantee Republican victories. All stories about Scott Walker will pale when Pence becomes governor and Indiana has not recall law.
Can we change subjects:
When the wealth have been distributed so unfairly for at least 50 years due to the policies, how can we reason that the redistribution of wealth is bad.. We know that there have been DISTRIBUTION of wealth...The policies are designed to keep the rich richer and the poor on the increase and the middle class on the decrease. So, who in the majority of the population (since the wealthy are only from 1-20% of the population who control 90% of the wealth)( and we are at least 80%) would want to keep the distribution as it is? That is moronic and idiotic thinking. Why are the majority in this country such schmucks and push overs that they let their policy makers do that and then those who are in charge get paid to protect someone else's wealth?
Is it just me who sees the truth of the matter? Just think they have distributed the wealth among themselves for more than 50 years. The majority that is you and I, have paid them to do so. They are not going according to societal rules of morality. There are some of them who have already reasoned (on their own, which is a feat) that it is immoral. Yet the majority of people do not see it????
This upward redistribution of wealth has come to the point where the 400 richest Americans have as much as the next 60%. In other words, a group of people who could fit in a decent-sized banquet hall have as much as nearly 200 million other Americans. The top 1% have as much as the next 90%! That is the stuff of revolutions, and is a far worse stratification of wealth than you see in even the worst of the legendary banana republics. Now THAT is what I call UNSUSTAINABLE.
It is just so hard to change, what is what we are finding out now. But they have awoken a sleeping giant, things will change but it's going to take a fight.
The tax loopholes the GOP refuse to close gives corporations a sum equal to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act every year without any stimulus effect.
According to “The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform” closing corporate tax loopholes would reduce the deficit by $1.1 trillion a year.
According to Mark Zandi from Moody’s Economy.com, corporate tax cuts return $0.30 in stimulus per dollar spent.
That means tax loopholes are adding $770 billion a year directly to the corporate coffers and only $330 billion as stimulus.
In the same Moody’s analysis, infrastructure spending returns $1.59 in stimulus per dollar spent.
If the US were to use money from corporate tax loopholes to fund infrastructure spending we could add $1.419 trillion in stimulus to the economy to create jobs fixing our aging infrastructure and create consumer demand, without adding a penny to the debt.
A meaningful stimulus for Main Street
http://www.epi.org/economic_snapshots/entry/webfeatures_snapshots_20081022
This comes as a surprise to whom? Everyone with common sense knows that the GOP cannot hold onto power without engaging in some acts that are unethical at best and at worst illegal
OMG my jaw just hit the floor , What the hell are these Jack-Wagons thinking ? Is'nt voter suppression against the law ? Come on Comet !!!!!!!!!!
I grew up in South Carolina.....so this is business as usual to me....nothing new at all. ya better get a big bag of OMG's ready for what is to come down the road. Ya ain't seen nothing yet!
I understand showing voter id at the polls. I get that, and am for it. You need an id to register to vote. Don't leave it at home when you go to vote. But I don't get closing the DMVs. That makes no sense to me at all. One more reason Walker will be enjoying a single term.
Well, at least he can help WI's unemployment rate---by putting more people out of work. In repub bizzaroworld, you bring the unemployment rate down by putting more people out of work and bring in more money to the Treasury by cutting taxes. Less is more, and more is less.
I doubt Walker will finish a full term. I think he will be recalled.
Many, many years ago, you were taxed if you wanted to vote.
These voter ID laws fall into that category.
The most ridiculous was the case of an elderly nun in Indiana.
She didn't drive. Really had no reason for an ID. She was stopped by a voting judge who demanded an ID. Never did get to vote.
The voting judge? Another nun who actually KNEW this nun.
So what does that tell you about these types of laws?
No, Miss Megan, you DON'T have to show ID in your precinct. The POINT of your precinct is that it's your neighborhood and the local election judges ARE local...they pretty much know who's who. Not only that, but they have complete voter rolls right in front of them...you go in and they check you off when they hand you a ballot. My across-the-street neighbor is the election judge in our precinct; if she doesn't know everybody and their dogs by now, I'd be very surprised.
The point here is that any bar, hindrance or hurdle put in the way of American citizens exercising their right to vote is illegal and unconstitutional. Period.
This just shows that the good sisters are sticklers for the rules. I used to work at a college run by an order of Sisters and they were very much into the rules and regulations. By her standards the sister who did not allow her Sister in Faith to vote was simply following the rules (law).
That's true, Carolinaladywithfan. I've vote at the same place for the last 30 plus years now, and have seen the exact same poll trolls each and every time. But I learned many years ago that what's legal or moral or right doesn't always seem to apply to certain of us. I don't really look around to see who else is or isn't "carded" when they vote. Couldn't care less, really. However, I've always remembered that my voter id wasn't enough, for whatever mysterious reason, the very first time I used that polling place, and being required to produce a driver's license as "proof" of who I am. It really doesn't matter to me anymore whether or not something is fair, because that's just how American society is laid out - unevenly. Yes, it sucks. Big time. But you can bet I always have my driver's licence in my pocket now when I go to vote. Just in case, you understand. That small inconvenience just isn't worth the effort it takes to get upset about. Voting is just too important, and I'm gonna have my say come hell or high water. I'll make my stand the day some redneck lays actual hands on me and tries to FORCIBLY stop me from voting. Have to admit, I'm looking forward to that.
Preach! I'm just hoping that some Teatard tries to play pollwatcher on me this November. I hope he/she likes the taste of pepper spray and the feel of a kick to the solar plexus.
keepintime and marceline: I'm not disagreeing with y'all, but my point is that when the redneck teatards lay hands on y'all to forcibly stop y'all from voting...it'll be too late! Make the stands now, when the state legislatures are considering these stupid bills to require IDs and/or close down Motor/Votor and early voting. NC passed a voter ID law and our Governor vetoed it. The legislature is considering an override vote now...we're still working the phones and email to make certain it doesn't get the votes to be overridden.
sorry, double post
Of all the things tried by these corporate lab-dog thugs, voter suppression is the most insidious.
Maybe Voter Suppression laws will be the antidote to Voter Apathy.
When people are working so hard to disarm you, you really learn how powerful your weapon is.
Very good point,Vox
I like that, @Vox.
They aren't even trying to hide the fascism anymore, are they?
This just in, all moderates and liberals are to wear patches on their person for identification purposes.
How many districts in Wisconsin are Republican? I cannot imagine there are too many and the few that there are probably would not have a DMV offfice in it - if they had their way :) . So closing ANY DMV office would by default be in a Democratic district. Would love to see the stats on that.
I think if you look back at the data around the time of the recent Wisconsin state supreme court election you'll see some nifty charts that answer your question, @skip, at least by county. But they will not show where the DMV office closures are.
So, Rachel, what have become? Which country am I in and what planet??? We've been fed so many lies, and half truths, you can't tell anymore what the real truth is because it's hidden in a million layers and if you guess at it to make some sense out of what you thought to be "leaders" of this country you always come up wrong because there's you and the Ed Show out there interpreting what these politictians are really saying! (He/She said this, but what they REALLY mean is this.....!!) Always the hidden meaning, the hidden agenda---well, the agenda isn't so hidden now, is it, but the GOP still tries to dish it and blame everything on Obama/Dems. Talk about a smug, arrogant Behner! Got a BIG shovel anyone?? These yoyo's who are trying to destroy us, will inevitably destroy them selves--it's that little universal law of cause and effect! Sitting back waiting for the thunderboldts and in the meantime, Rachel, keep up the good work. You are best!
Our destructive U.S. Congress is a direct result of the failures of our American education system that have resulted in unacceptable threats to American Democracy.
Out of control poverty and climate changes, losses of voting rights, economic opportunities and social stability are some of the worst-case scenario consequences we are already experiencing.
The domination of the nation's scholars by the power of money, that President Eisenhower gravely warned us about in his Farewell Address, is producing another greedy, corrupt, declining civilization of failed leaders throughout all of our political, economic and social institutions.
I must say that I agree with the fact that #1 Republicans are trying to protect the wealth of the wealthiest #2 trying to hold onto power by denying the vote to as many of us normal folks as possible. They want us to just sit back be quiet and take it hopefully we will not.
Amazing! But the People will always find the Power!
so blatant, yet nothing is done to stop it! recalls cannot come soon enough...
Governor Walker should take a page from Florida and set up criminal-law traps for registrars. Much, much more effective -- it's the only effort so far that's managed to scare off the League of Women Voters.
Just think if the Republicans actually did their jobs, and did what was right for the American people and the country..They might get votes that way instead of having to always cheat..WORTHLESS...
Pretty much sums things up here in Denver. I always have to show my ID when I vote, and they closed a bunch of DMV offices years ago, especially the little ones that were so convenient. However, Denver is still a progressive city, despite those obstacles. What organizers and democrats need to do is pass legislation for mail in ballots, which we have here as well. Problem solved.
Pretty much sums things up here in Denver. I always have to show my ID when I vote, and they closed a bunch of DMV offices years ago, especially the little ones that were so convenient. However, Denver is still a progressive city, despite those obstacles. What organizers and democrats need to do is pass legislation for mail in ballots, which we have here as well. Problem solved.
Voter rights are so central to democracy, that is seems these folks in Scott Walker's administration don't believe in democracy. What we need is more suggestions on how people can help fight back. Rachel Maddow, please mention actions, activities people can undertake to help. We must act.
I understand how the Teapublicans got the majority vote - what I do not understand are people who actually trust them enough to vote them into ANY office, ever again! If anyone votes Republican in 2012, then they deserve everything they lose because of it. But, for God's sake, don't take the rest of us down with you!
Please show your REAL patriotism and vote them OUT of every Office in the land! Let's make them start over with a clean slate. The Greed, Garbage, Grubbers got NO class! No Patriotism, No caring, No sensitivity.
And... they have laid it out not intentionally, rather with some good journalistic reporting, their intentions for America. They pretty much let us all know the Kock Bros. the ExxonMobil/Big Oil Co.s, Big Pharma, and generally just BIG BUSINESS intend to takeover America and privatize everything! This includes our educational system, hospitals, Soc. Sec., Medicare and Medicaid. You name it --- they want it all!
It must make Walker sick to see all those "undesirables" registering to vote. Get ready for the midnight raids.
video of getting an Voter ID at a WI DMV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=x0G01zbHGM8
gobsmacked
Excellent video. Small wonder civil servants have such a lousy reputation. Too often, they deserve it. And maybe a stairmaster in the break room, instead of that box of donuts, wouldn't be such a bad idea either.
He's doing it:
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/07/25/277592/walker-closes-dmvs/
Walker is a fascist. No doubt about it. Can't hold onto office on his record, so he's going to make it impossible for people to vote him out in the recall.