UPDATE: Ohio's stalled voter ID law- vote on Tuesday 10/4

UPDATE: The OH Senate will consider this bill on Tues., 10/4

In March the Ohio House passed HB 159, which introduced reasonable reforms to secure Ohio's election process, one of which was to require a photo ID in order to vote in person. Parts of the bill were passed into law in June. However,  the GOP-controlled senate and Republican Secretary of State, Jon Husted, balked at the photo ID requirement and it's been held up in the senate ever since.  It is finally scheduled for a vote on Tuesday, 9/27 as Sub. HB 159.

After the Republicans took over the House, the Senate, every statewide office and the Governor's office in 2010 and enacted bold reforms, the Senate Republicans have had the wind knocked out of their sails by the Democrats' ballot measure aimed at repealing Gov. Kasich's union reforms and their threat to do the same with election reforms and the new redistricting map.  They don't seem to have the stomach for another fight and, ignoring those who swept them into office, it's likely they'll take a pass on the photo-ID requirement. Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) has said he expects the photo-ID provision to be removed from the bill.

Currently, Ohio law allows a voter to cast a ballot if they are in possession of anything from a driver's licence to a cable TV bill. There is no way for the poll worker to prove that the person in possession of the cable TV bill is actually the registered voter.  Sec. of State Husted can't imagine a scenario where someone would try to game this system:

"I believe that if you have a government-issued check, a utility bill in your name with your address on it, that no one made that up. They didn’t call AEP and establish utilities in their name to commit voter fraud."

To his credit, Husted has backed reforms in early and absentee voting, which will curb some of the abuses we saw in 2008. But his stubborn refusal to support the common-sense photo ID bill is baffling.  Here's what the new law would require:

When an elector appears in a polling place to vote, the elector shall announce to the precinct election officials the elector's full name and current address and provide proof of the elector's identity in the form of a photo identification or a non-photo state identification.

(2) If an elector does not have or is unable to provide to the precinct election officials any of the forms of identification required under division (A)(1) of this section, the elector may cast a provisional ballot under section 3505.181 of the Revised Code and do either of the following:

(a) Appear at the office of the board of elections not later than the close of the polls on the day of the election and provide the identification required under division (A)(1) of this section; or

(b) Write the elector's social security number, driver's license number, or state identification card number on the provisional ballot envelope, which number shall be verified by the board of elections with the bureau of motor vehicles.

 It's not complicated. If a registered voter shows up without photo ID, he will still be permitted to cast a provisional ballot if he writes his social security number, driver's license number, or state ID number on the provisional ballot.

Note that no photo ID is required to vote absentee and anyone can vote absentee in Ohio for any reason.  

I have spent the past two Monday evenings at my county Board of Elections, training to be a poll worker and a Presiding Judge for the upcoming election. Doing so has giving me an insider's view of the Ohio voting process. These people run a very tight ship. There is redundancy built into nearly every step of the election process to assure there is no cheating or fraud.  Here are a few examples:

• There is a locked metal transfer case that contains supplies to be used in each precinct on election day. The Presiding Judge is instructed to break the lock on the case in the presence of other poll workers and check off the supplies on the "chain of custody sheet." 
• When setting up the voting machines (which have two locks and only one key for each lock) a Democrat and a Republican must be present and participate in the set-up. 
• If there is a problem with a voting machine a Democrat and a Republican poll worker will assist in resolving problems with the machines.
• There is a plastic lock on the voting machines that must be cut in the presence of a Democrat and Republican poll worker.
• If a ballot needs to be canceled on the electronic voting machine both a Democrat and a Republican poll worker must cancel the ballot together. 
• When a voter arrives to cast a ballot, their name must be checked against the list of registered voters in the precinct. If their name does not appear on the list they must cast a provisional ballot and provide proof to the Board of Elections that they are eligible to vote. 
• When returning the supplies (including the memory cards from the voting machines) to the Board of Elections on election night, a member of the opposite party must ride with the Presiding Judge to the Board of Elections. 

As you can see, there are layers and layers of security, oversight, and redundancy in place to assure voters that Ohio's elections are fair and secure. 

Except when it comes to voter identification. Showing a utility bill does not prove that the person attempting to vote is who they say they are. It just proves that they are in possession of the bill or bank statement. That is not proof of identity. It's not difficult to imagine dozens of ways people could fraudulently vote in Ohio as the law currently stands.  Say your grandmother doesn't feel like heading out in the bad weather on election day. Another family member could just take a utility bill and vote for grandma. It would be quite easy for family members to trade places. 

More troubling would be someone with access to large quantities of utility bills who decided to cross-reference those with voter registration rolls.  Has it ever happened? We have no way of knowing. Detractors of this bill say that there is no evidence that there is a problem with voter fraud in Ohio (well, except for this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and this).

But lack of evidence of only evidence that there is a lack of evidence. We do know that there is a gaping hole in the security and credibility our our voting process in Ohio.  We have no way to know who is voting unless legislators pass a photo ID requirement. 

Republicans should not fall prey to the hysterical protestations of the Democrats crying foul and threatening another tiresome referendum. Nearly everyone who votes in Ohio already has a photo ID. The leftist Advancement Project estimates that 887,000 Ohioans don't have the ID's, but the number of registered voters without ID's who actually show up on election day is likely far lower (see my blog post on this issue). 

And for those who actually don't have a photo ID and who do actually vote, the legislation says that the state will provide a free photo ID for anyone who does not have one. 

I'd like to point out that the requirements to apply for food stamps in Ohio are far more burdensome. The applicant must show up at the local County Jobs and Family Services office and provide:

• Proof of citizenship, or an alien registration card
• Proof of all income
• Social Security Card
• Birth Certificate
• Proof of housing (rent/mortgage) costs
• Proof of utility costs
• Proof of medical costs if aged 60 or older, or if disabled
• Proof of disability (if applicable)
• Proof of child support (if applicable)

If you are in Ohio, call Senate President Tom Niehaus and your state senators on Tuesday and tell them we need a photo ID requirement to assure our elections are secure and credible. Please share this on your social networks and remind them who elected them and who will support them in their next election. The Democrats collecting signatures and draining their war chests sure aren't going to vote for them. 

Crosspost: Redstate

March 19, 2011

We welcomed Ryan home from Hillsdale College last night.  He sat down for a quick dinner (Bolyard Burgers, on the grill!), unloaded a carload of laundry, and headed off to Bible study with his dad.  He also left me with a reading assignment from his American Heritage Reader, compiled by the Hillsdale College History Faculty.  It's a collection (882 pages) of  important documents and writings from Colonial times thru Reagan.   Ryan was so excited about what he's been learning that he wanted to share it with me, which is music to a homeschooling mom's heart.  My assignment:  "The Great Nation of Futurity" by John Louis O'Sullivan (1813-1895).  It contains this quote about our country:

"We have had patriots to defend our homes, our liberties, but no aspirants to crowns or thrones; nor have the American people ever suffered themselves to be led on by wicked ambition to de-populate the land, to spread desolation far and wide, that a human being might be placed on a seat of supremacy."

Our nation has truly been blessed! In light of what we've seen in the Middle East in recent months and looking across the whole of history, we are indeed unique and exceptional. 


Baptist Press - Disaster pushes Japanese beyond secular thinking: 

 ...Proud of their secular society, most Japanese are not religious. But in a time of crisis, International Mission Board missionary Gary Fujino says they tend to fall back on an old Japanese expression, 'The god that you depend on in times of crisis.'

'What that means is when things are bad, you will go to the temple and shrine because nothing you've tried thus far worked,' Fujino explains. He notes that, once the crisis is over, no one goes back to the temple or shrine. 
Thousands of prayer tablets hung in one-day testify that the crisis in Japan continues to grow and people are trying to find ways to cope...

They really believe that in themselves they have what they need, which makes it very difficult to share the Gospel' Fujino says. 'What we need is for people to be shaken and realize that you need something outside of yourself -- God'...

'I learned in the Kobe earthquake that I needed God. I learned that I don't need material things. My heart opened up,' she says. 'I think God saved me back then because He wants to use me now.'...

...She explains that the Japanese government will take care of things and rebuild houses in a few months, but she can do something even bigger -- introduce people to the God who can rebuild their lives.   'I have a really strong God,' she says. 'I want those people in the disaster to know my God's strength and power.'

Dorsey cannot make it to the disaster zone yet because of radiation fears, not to mention the lack of government permits, but she's doing what she can in Tokyo. From her church just a few miles from the Shinto shrine, she prays for her country. Dorsey's prayers are different than those hanging in the shrine. Hers are not 'wishes' or 'hopes.' She knows her God personally and knows He will provide."

Somehow, I knew this was coming.  The Radiation Network has real-time updates from Gieger counters across the country. The map is refreshed every minute of the day for those who are having trouble sleeping without knowing what the radiation level is.  According to the website, "alert level" is 100 counts per minute (CPM), so it looks like we're in good shape, for now. 

Public Policy Polling surveyed 400 Republican "usual primary voters" last week and asked the following:

If the Republican candidates for President in  2012 were Haley Barbour, Mitch Daniels, Newt 
Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Ron  Paul, Tim Pawlenty, and Mitt Romney who 
would you vote for?


Haley Barbour  2% 
.................................................
Mitch Daniels  4% 
..................................................
Newt Gingrich 16% 
.................................................
Mike Huckabee 19% 
...............................................
Sarah Palin 15% 
.....................................................
Ron Paul  7% 
.........................................................
Tim Pawlenty  5% 
..................................................
Mitt Romney 18% 
....................................................
Someone else/Undecided 13%



Given the choices of Ken Blackwell, Drew Carey, Jon Husted, Shannon Jones, Jim Jordan, Steve LaTourette, Josh Mandel, and  Mary Taylor who would you most like to see as 
the Republican candidate for Senate next year?


Ken Blackwell 17% 
.................................................
Drew Carey 12% 
.....................................................
Jon Husted 14% 
......................................................
Shannon Jones  1% 
...............................................
Jim Jordan  8% 
......................................................
Steve LaTourette  8% 
.............................................
Josh Mandel 6% 
...................................................
Mary Taylor 9% 
.....................................................
Someone else/Undecided 25%


Drew Carey?  Really?  Did people think they were voting for John Kerry? They asked the same question again without Carey in the mix and got the following results:



Ken Blackwell 

21% 

.................................................
Jon Husted 14% 
......................................................
Shannon Jones  4% 
...............................................
Jim Jordan 10% 
......................................................
Steve LaTourette 10% 
.............................................
Josh Mandel 

 7% 

...................................................
Mary Taylor

 8% 

.....................................................
Someone else/Undecided 26%

It's interesting that Ken Blackwell, Ohio's former Secretary of State received so many votes.  He's a solid conservative who challenged Michael Steele for the GOP Chairmanship a couple years ago.  Considering his name hasn't been in the news much, it's a strong showing.  Jim Jordan has said he plans to stay in the House, where he leads the conservative Republican Study Committee.  It's notable that there are a lot of undecided votes up for grabs.

They also asked:

Would you describe yourself as very liberal, somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat 
conservative, or very conservative?


Very liberal 1% 
......................................................
Somewhat liberal 3% 
............................................
Moderate 16% 
.........................................................
Somewhat conservative 46% 
..................................
Very conservative 34%


80% of  Republican "usual primary voters" consider themselves conservatives.  Lawmakers and candidates, listen up!  RINOs need not apply.  


Wisconsin lawmaker hit by property damage - JSOnline: 

"The office of Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) said the senator has been subjected to damage of personal property and has received threatening statements in the wake of mass protests in recent weeks over Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill.

Kapanke have been unavailable, but an aide to Kapanke says that windows on Kapanke's car were broken in Madison and the senator's wife found nails strewn on the driveway of their home."

This is what democracy looks like?


Germany's Eco-Trap: Is Environmentalism Really Working? - SPIEGEL ONLINE
This article in Spiegel Online demonstrates what happens in the headlong rush into ill-conceived environmental policies:


E10 (ethanol) Fuel:

"Many haven't yet fully realized that E10 is an ecological swindle. People who want to help the environment shouldn't use it. Nine large European environmental associations recently conducted a joint study which concluded that the bottom line impact of the fuel on the environment is negative. Rainforests are being clear-cut in Brazil and Borneo to make room for sugarcane and oil palm cultivation. At the same time there's a shortage of arable land for food production, which is leading to the threat of famine in parts of the world. Last year, the price of grain rose sharply in the global market."

 Recycling:

"Under German law, only 36 percent of plastic rubbish has to be recycled. The remainder can be sold for a profit, for example to plants that burn rubbish to produce heating or power. Such facilities are everywhere in Germany. Municipalities across the country built then in response to a ban on storing garbage in landfills. Indeed, now there are far too many of them in Germany -- and there is a shortage of burnable waste.

The result is that firms are buying up as much plastic waste -- which burns well due to the high quantity of oil in plastics -- as they can get their hands on. Indeed, some companies have even resorted to importing plastic waste to burn -- hardly a contribution to an environmental utopia."

Water Conservation:

"The Germans are obsessed with saving water. You won't find many countries north of the Sahara that are as water-conscious as Germany. They save water while washing dishes (a modern dishwashing machine uses only six liters per cycle), while going to the toilet (many toilets have a setting that allows only a brief flush), and even when washing their cars....

..."And water conservation in Germany can be harmful -- particularly when it comes to the sewage systems beneath German cities. The lack of waste water flowing through the canalization means that fat, faeces and discarded food aren't getting flushed out enough, and are corroding the walls. To compensate, utilities are forced to pump hundreds of thousands of liters of fresh water through the system to keep it operable..."

Insulation:

"By rights, the venerable town of Weimar with its beautiful old architecture should be forbidden. None of the buildings meet modern standards of heating insulation. The walls are too thin, the windows aren't properly sealed, the place is a disaster in terms of energy efficiency. Politicians in Berlin have ensure that the situation will soon improve. By 2050, all buildings in Germany must be carbon neutral, according to the government's energy plan presented last year. 'If we take that legislation seriously, we would have to tear down half the town,' says Weimar Mayor Stefan Wolf....

 ...Across the country, insulating panels are going up on the outside of myriad buildings. With older buildings making up a quarter of the country's housing stock, there seems to be little other choice...

Another problems is that well-insulated buildings don't breathe -- no outside air gets in and CO2 can build up quickly inside as a result. So can mould. Installing air vents can be exorbitant."

World's Guiltiest Dog.  Poor Denver....shoulda left those kitty cat treats alone!