new and improved poll taxes

decades after the supreme court finally got rid of poll taxes, both sides of the aisle are looking for new and improved ways to reinstitute them in the hopes that this time they can get around that annoying little document we call the Constitution and ensure they hold on to whatever they have wherever they are.

this is the brilliant plan they have come up with...an attempt everywhere to quash "voter fraud" by requiring photo id at the polls. (on a side note, i'm from chicago, so i am not sure what the big deal with voter fraud is...isn't that how the process is supposed to work?...hell, we hold elections in february in a northern, windy city to ensure that a lot of people dont go). see, it is difficult to argue with requiring someone voting to prove that they are who they say they are...but then you think about the consequences.

see, its a certain segment of the population (oddly enough, the same segment that got hit with poll taxes) that will be adversely affected. in georgia (where it is the folks riding elephants behind it) the law will require photo id provided by the state. this, of course, costs money to get...and suprisingly enough, the centers to obtain one are few and far between. so there you go...an easy, hopefully constitutional way to ensure that the poor, the rural and inner city folks don't get out and vote. brilliant.

and donkey supporters, don't feel left out...your side of the aisle has it going here in new mexico. while not quite as extensive (you only need photo id to register...then you can show up with proof of address and such, without which you can vote via "provisional" ballot...by "provisional" we mean "scrap paper.") interestingly enough this state has a rather large indian population residing on reservations and pueblos, a large population of poor, you know, the fun stuff...the folks we want to keep out of the polling booths...or atleast keep the votes out of the non-provisional ballot boxes.

makes me feel like the good old days back home (tear).

i always find it amazing how difficult politicians make it to vote...but then if it were easier and more people did vote, most of those schmucks up there in santa fe and washington now would be out of work...so i guess it is understandable.

out of curiousity though...why are people supporting these measures? reminds me of that classic bumper sticker..."it's alright, i wasn't using my civil liberties anyway."