Wednesday, July 27, 2011

DISENFRANCHISEMENT? Madison Lefty Tries To O Keefe The DMV And The Daily Kos Fails Again

Last night a friend on Twitter forwarded me this story on The Daily Kos. If you're like me, then you're usually hesitant to open a Kos link for fear of inducing a full blown migraine. However, this post in particular had to do with Wisconsin's Voter ID law, so I was curious. As usual, when Liberals are talking about the union busting, middle class/ poor family hating, and racist Republicans in the Wisconsin legislature, the claims are based on emotion, little on fact, and proves they just aren't that smart.

The video, taken and posted originally on youtube by madtowngirl2, tries it's best to 'O Keefe' a DMV in Madison, WI. It's an attempt to prove that Governor Scott Walker just hates poor people and doesn't want them to vote, or as the lefties in Madison like to cry “DISENFRANCHISEMENT!” I would ask for the full unedited version of the video because of the obvious hack job done by madtowngirl2, but I'm not writing from Media Matters point of view.

In Kos's headline, they refer to the person attempting to get an ID card as a “boy”. Last time I checked the legal age to vote anywhere in the United States (including FitzWalkerStan) is 18, and according to most, that is the age one is considered to be an adult. Perhaps the author referred to him as a boy because he was accompanied by his mommy at the DMV.

Kos then goes on to say:
“The first station clerk determines that the boy's bank account does not display enough "activity" to constitute a proof of address form.  This is not only absurd ("does he use it?") but a clear privacy infringement as is the follow up question of whether or not the account is of the "checking" or "savings" variety.  "Oh, it's just a savings," the clerk remarks.  The mother throws a subtle jab, countering that "he's unemployed."

Okay if you are a Kos lemming then you would be thinking “Who the hell is he to judge how much activity is on that account? Maybe he's poor- Walker hates poor people and doesn't want them to vote!” Sadly for the left, the explanation is really quite simple and has nothing to do with fascism. I'll explain. For example, suppose you had a savings account when you were a minor and lived at your parent's house in another state. You never closed that account for whatever reason and the bank statements showing only payments of dividends still go to your parents house even though you now live in another state. Just because you have a savings account in another state doesn't mean you're a resident of that state therefore you wouldn't be able to vote in that other state. I think the clerk questioning the amount of activity or lack thereof was because this kid could have easily been in the same scenario I just explained. I don't like a bank statement being an acceptable form of proof of residence for this exact reason but I'm sure the Republicans didn't want to disenfranchise anyone by excluding these.

The next misunderstood part of the ID incident as told by Kos:
“The mother-son hidden camera team manages to satisfy the bank account busting first clerk and eventually makes it to the third clerk where they discover that unless you explicitly specify that you have come to the DMV for a Voter ID, you will be charged $28.  The clerk admits that there is no difference between the Voter ID and the non-Voter ID -- they're literally the same physical object -- but that it's the policy of the establishment to leave the onus for making this distinction on the customer: no signs, no warnings, just a box on the form you have to hope you notice and check.”

So what the mother-son duo, the Kos author, and the leftist drones reading are now thinking that having to make the distinction between the Voter ID and a regular ID in order to get a free one is just another attempt by the Walker Regime to dupe people into unnecessarily paying $28 for an ID to vote. First, let me just say that despite the AFL-CIO's recent claim that “hundreds of thousands” potential voters in WI who don't have I.d cards, there are very few people who don't have them. If you drive, you need a driver's license. If you are at least 18 and smoke cigarettes, you need a state issued picture ID. card to purchase them. If you are 21 years old and want to get into a bar, you need an ID. Just got hired for a job and they want to put you on the payroll? Most likely you will need an ID. See my point? Unless you live under a rock where you don't drive, drink, smoke, work, rent movies, ect. you will probably have to show your ID at some point in your adult life.

This provision in the law where state issued cards would be paid for was added because the left cried that the Republicans were (get ready for that buzz word again) disenfranchising:

So I'm sorry to tell you Liberals, no matter how much you scream that the Voter ID law in Wisconsin is racist, Hitler-esque, or whatever other absurd claim you're crying that day, it isn't meant to prevent you from voting, it's to prevent you from fraudulently voting.





*side note If you're looking for more information on the WI voter I.d law, you can find it here.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

My Response to Governor Walker on the Issue of the Statewide Smoking Ban

A few weeks ago I asked Governor Walker if he felt
 it was the job of the government to regulate private business with smoking bans. Here is his response:

First, let me just say that I admire what Walker has done for the state of Wisconsin in taking on Democrats and National Unions. He has shown leadership despite the criticism and chaos at the capitol in Madison. While I agree with the Governor on 99% of the issues, this is one where I vehimenty disagree.

In May of 2009 former WI Governor Jim Doyle signed into law a a statewide smoking ban that included all restaurants and taverns and took effect July 05 2010. One can argue that the effects have or haven't hurt small business. I argue that it has because people I know (including myself) choose to stay out of bars especially in winter because of this smoking ban and that has in fact hurt bar owners. However, that's not my issue. My issue is why the government thinks it can regulate if a private business owner to not allow smoking in their own establishment; the same establishment the state makes plenty of money from in taxes.

I realize this is an issue many will disagree with me on because you may hate the smell of smoke or you actually believe the studies (which have been proven wrong) that scared you into thinking you're gonna die from the person sitting on the into next bar stool chain smoking. Well guess what? It's your choice to go to an establishment which allows smoking the same way it is my choice to not go into a place that doesn't allow it. If a family restaurant that has a smoking section starts to notice that families aren't bringing their children there to eat, the owner has the choice to eliminate the smoking section if they want to see children back in the restaurant. I have a friend who owned a great non smoking martini bar. His business was successful because he catered to the many non smokers we have in town.

It's the freedom to choose. That's what's great about the free market system. Let the people decide what they want. Governor Walker says he doesn't agree with the philosophy of the government telling a small business how to run itself, but in the next breath says that the ban has worked. I will again argue that it hasn't. There is still smoking going in bars, except that now it's illegal.

Governor Walker can prove to the citizens of Wisconsin that he truly does believe in smaller government and in the philosophy of the free market by repealing this state wide smoking ban and leaving it up to the individual tavern or restaurant owner to choose.