By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Conservatives often make ACORN the butt of their jokes and ridicule about the group's attempts to register low-income voters.
But ACORN is getting the last laugh in Missouri.
As this Kansas City Star story notes, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is getting $450,000 in Missouri state taxpayer money. Why?
Because of a settlement reached by the state Department of Social Services with ACORN. In 2008, the organization filed suit, accusing Missouri of not following state law in registering residents who receive food stamps and Medicaid.
Now, ACORN says, the state is doing a bang-up job of getting new people onto the voters' roll -- up to 11,000 a month, according to a spokesman for the social services agency.
11,000 a month? That's not going to make them happy over at the state Republican headquarters.
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Competency is Probably in the Eye of the Beholder
I would suspect Apop (again without actually doing any research) that States could place reasonable restrictions on where, when and how people register, in fact I’m pretty sure they do. They just can’t do anything discriminatory.
I don’t know whether they could require competency (beyond general mental competency) or not. It would probably be pretty hard to do a competency test that didn’t discriminate against someone, and people I think are incompetent is probably far different than who some others might think are.
So I was correct
Nothing about registering at a govt office and nothing about voter competence.
Thank you for posting.
Right, but so wrong
Thank you for posting.
True, there is nothing written other than the legistature gets to decide.
So if they decide on registering at a govt office then that's what you do. If you have a problem with that then talk to them.
Thank You for Your Help Riktig62
I apologize for my laziness (or ineptitude) in not looking this up.
State Law and the Right to Vote
I hope I don’t get into too much trouble for not researching this, but my recollection of voting rights is that the right to vote is derived from State laws. Federal legislation and at least 3 Constitutional Amendments have basically said you can’t discriminate for one reason or another (race, gender and 18 year olds), but do not create the right to vote. It is also my recollection that many States (maybe most or all) at one time did not have elections for the Senate, they were appointed by the Governor or State Legislatures. I think somewhere in the constitution it says that Representatives are elected; but doesn’t say how that process is to work. (Part of the reason it is called the People’s House). We saw the difference between the Senate and House play out in Illinois where the Governor was allowed to appoint someone to fill out Obama’s term as Senator, but Rahm Emanuel’s House seat required an election.
Since I don’t think it is very likely that a State would now deny the right to vote in any kind of general way, I don’t seen any need for a Constitutional Amendment guarantying that right.
You are correct
Article. I.
Section. 2. Clause 1: The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States... so the House was the people's representative
Section. 3. Clause 1: The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof... and the Senate was the State's representative. This was changed (for the good I wonder?) in the Constitution by Amendment 17 - The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof...
Section. 4. Clause 1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof…
Article. II.
Section. 1. Clause 2: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress...
Anyone
Has anyone found that "right to vote" in a federal election in the constitution yet? All those quoted by apop just say you can't discriminate. If you let one group vote you've got to let the others vote.
The Supreme Court says it doesn't exist.
"...the individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States." (Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98, 104)
There are people who want to pass a new constitutional amendment to give us that right. Among others Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. already introduced such legislation into Congress on March 4, 2003 as House Joint Resolution 28. Now if they want to do this then I’m guessing that right doesn’t currently exist.
Anyone??? Feel free to chime in here.
Great! You know how to research!
The Supreme Court says it doesn't exist.
"...the individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States."
Now go find where it says voters have to register in person at an election office and that they have to prove a certain level of competence.
I'll wait.
ACORN = Voter registration fraud
'Go after ACORN,' judge says
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_631577.html
A district judge who held another ACORN worker for trial Monday on election law violations urged prosecutors to go after the real culprit, the organization that employed him.
"Somebody has to go after ACORN," Senior District Judge Richard H. Zoller said about the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
"It's happening all over the country. All you have to do is turn on the television," he said, referring to voter registration fraud charges brought recently against ACORN and its workers in Nevada.
"We will," Allegheny County Detective Robert F. Keenan promised as he wrapped up his testimony.
Mountain Goat
"11,000 a month? That's not going to make them happy over at the state Republican headquarters."
It shouldn't make any taxpayers happy. ACORN is not a joke--it's a corrupt organization that is using our taxpayers to furhter its corruption.
Hoping for the Best
I have never been a great fan of democracy anyway. I read Plato’s Republic in high school, and it made an impression. As I recall Plato discussed a system where all children where raised in common, rose or fell according to their individual merit and were ruled by the Philosopher King—a benevolent dictator who rose on merit to the top of the pyramid. Many people probably believe that a benevolent dictator would be the best form of government; although the “benevolent” part has historically proved quite problematic.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always understood that Plato’s system was unrealistic and thought the founding fathers got it about right with a representative democracy. The idea was that you would elect some wise men (I don’t believe they were contemplating wise women at the time) who would study problems and make wise decisions for you. That fell apart fairly soon as they became politicians and has collapsed altogether with the advent of more direct influence by the public on the details of governance.
Who votes has evolved several times over the years—African Americans, women, 18-year olds. I’m sure each step of the way many people were aghast. I agree that people who don’t know anything shouldn’t vote; but how would we decide who those people are? I’d eliminate all party line voters and single issue voters. I’d eliminate anyone who takes their instructions from their church or union. I’d eliminate anyone who watches MSNBC or Fox News more than 5 hours a week. I’d eliminate anyone who accepts or rejects an idea based on who proposed it. I’d eliminate anyone who blogs (well, except me, of course).
Since we are not likely to do any of this, I guess I’d go along with registering everyone and hoping for the best.
Apop -
Their vote counts the same as mine, but I'd rather have intelligent voters that know and care what they are voting for. You and I both know who and where Acorn solicits to vote, and I'm sorry, but if they weren't registered before someone knocked on the door, maybe they shouldn't be voting to begin with. And I believe that many of those folks are voting for liberals because they think there's some payback, when after the election is over, they are discarded like trash. And I don't want to hear about the old folks that can't get to the place to register. The older folks are registered. It's the young ones that can't stop with the drugs and making babies that aren't registered.
What interface said
There id nothing in our constitution that says the right to vote should be limited to those able to go to register in person.
There is nothing in the Consitution?
There id nothing in our constitution that says the right to vote should be limited to those able to go to register in person.
Well, first having someone like you trying to use the Consititution is a joke. All of your favorite things are unconsitutional. Then comes the shocker. There IS NO RIGHT in the consitution to vote in a federal election!
Learn to read
There is nothing in our constitution that says the right to vote should be limited to those able to go to register in person.
Well, first having someone like you trying to use the Consititution is a joke. All of your favorite things are unconsitutional. Then comes the shocker. There IS NO RIGHT in the consitution to vote in a federal election!
Show me where I said the constitution says we have the right to vote. The 19th amendment says the right to vote cannot be denied on the basis of sex.
The 15th amendment says the right to vote can't be denied based on race. The 26th amendment says 18 year olds can vote.
And nowhere in the constitution does it say anything about going to a govt office to register to vote.
Learn to read yourself.
The 15th amendment says the right to vote can't be denied based on race. The 26th amendment says 18 year olds can vote.
And nowhere in the constitution does it say anything about going to a govt office to register to vote.
Did I say you said anything? Wow, talk about feeling so self important. Get over the fact the Universe doesn't revolve around you.
And all those "rights" you quote only say you can't let one person/group vote and deny it to another.
silly post
oversimplification, but most saliently, your post is simply irrelevant and doesn't counter apop's point.
Gee twas. AM radio much?
Gee twas. AM radio much?
wow, twas
such condescending elitism.
Those 11,000 a month
Don't mean much when they are the names of people who are deceased, or have been made up by the person at ACORN who is trying to fullfill their quota for the day. People should have to take some initiative in getting registered to vote, if they do not they are not likely to be educated on the issues. Someone who signs up at the welfare office or with ACORN likely thinks that they are signing up for another freebie paid for by the taxpayers.
Yes damn that constitution and voting rights laws!
Let's make voting even harder than it is!
That's the ticket.
you do know, don't you
That ACORN doesn't actually register people, right? They provide a service for folks who want to register by collecting forms, which are then turned in to the election authority -- and then the election authority verifies the information and does the registering.
The folks who were turned in by ACORN for voter registration fraud (which is wholly distinguishable from election fraud) were turned in because they were submitting fake names to ACORN in order to bilk ACORN out of the money that ACORN was paying them, by making it appear that they were working the hours they were supposed to be working.
ACORN was the victim, not the culprit, in the fraud, and they rightly turned those crooks in.
I went to the election
I went to the election office to register, and I work 40+ hours a week. I guess it is to much to ask someone on welfare to do the same. ACORN is being investigated in no less than 9 states for registration fraud, and has been convicted in 12 states in the past. Acorn's founder embezzeled over a million dollars from the organization, and never was charged. I am sure they are totally on the up and up! What a joke!
I am willing to bet you have a car
Many of the working poor do not have transportation.
I worked voter registration in Waldo and Brookside last fall. We were in grocery stores and shopping areas and registered literally thousands of voters. It is just not convenient for everyone to go to the election office to register. I would also guess that most people do NOT register at the office, but at public events like the ones I worked.
So your righteous indignation falls on deaf ears.
Its not the States responsibility to make it hard either -
And that is what they were doing.
Read this link - http://www.bnd.com/336/story/821513.html
The State was holding onto completed registrations as well.
From my article posting -
State documents also confirmed that more than 1 million Food Stamps applicants could not have been offered voter registration from 2003 to 2008 because the Department of Social Services did not order enough forms.
You know what there is not a shortage of in government office ? - Forms.
Documents cited also included a 2004 internal survey by the agency that found 11 of 21 counties routinely provided the service. Also, e-mails from one county department office showed that completed voter registration applications had piled up for a year without being processed.
The State was not doing what they should and knew it. You are right - they are paying that fine with your and my taxes ... for that you should be pissed.
Not at ACORN but at the State. Unless of course you are a republican and are seeing your percentage of voters get diluted.
Who managed the State during this time frame ? What was his name ?
Was he the same guy who did that funky firing stuff with an attorney ?
And ordered emails deleted ?
Ahhhh... yeah ... that one.
A better use
for that money would be to investigate ACORN for voter registration fraud.
Oh good Lord riktig62 - give it a break,
no fraud found.
But maybe you can trot that out again next election. It worked so well this past one too.
In 2006 there were 4 ACORN workers arrested in Kansas City for fraud.
Do you know who turned them in ?
From the original KMBC article -
ACORN officials in Kansas City said they turned in the four people who were indicted.
Here you go - http://blog.ctnews.com/politicalcapitol/2009/06/18/acorn-voter-fraud-investigation-is-ongoing/
9 months Connecticut has been investigating - Wow! it only took a few months to collect the original forms. What kind of slow process does CT employ ? And this was only two cities in Connecticut.
Michelle Malkin is trying to tie ACORN with health care reform. What drugs is her brain on ?
Do you know who alerts registration officials to funky vote records ?
ACORN themselves.
Do you know what ACORN is required to do by law with ALL forms ? Turn them in.
Last time I checked, it was
Last time I checked, it was not the states responsibility to register voters, it is the voters responsibility. If you are to lazy to register, why would you bother to be up on any of the issues? This just shows Democrats want uninformed idiots voting because those are the only people who buy into their BS. Great win for democracy, you should be proud!