Republican elected official: "Black people only vote when they're paid to."

[theweaselking]

The chief sponsor of Georgia's voter identification law told the Justice Department that if black people in her district "are not paid to vote, they don't go to the polls," and that if fewer blacks vote as a result of the new law, it is only because it would end such voting fraud.


State Rep. Sue Burmeister (KKK-Augusta) says the memo 'sounds pretty harsh' but 'was more accurate than not.'

Comments

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

While she's a complete idiot, I don't disagree with requiring proof of ID to enter the poll.

I was required to present ID before I could vote a couple weeks back. I don't remember ever being allowed to vote without showing that I was who I claimed to be, which was then checked with the registrar list for my voting district to confirm that I was registered and at the right place. Asking for a Driver's License, Military ID, Passport, or State issued ID card isn't an overwhelming burden. If you don't have a license, VA charges $5 for a state ID card (at least, they did when I carried one during a carless stretch back in the early 90s), which is good for 5 years. I don't see $1/yr. as unreasonable. Even if it's gone up to ~$2/yr., it's still not exactly a burden.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with requiring ID to vote. The insanity is saying that "all black votes are fradulent", and thus that anything that disenfranchises blacks is a good thing - and in Georgia, getting an ID card costs you $20 for 5 years and requires a number of bureaucratic hoops to be jumped through, with proper ID, in person, during business hours.

Frankly, if you live in Atlanta and work minimum wage, you can't take a day off to be *sick* without going hungry. Taking a day off work to get ID? Yikes.

More importantly, the law was ruled unconstitutional because it *does* unfairly impair the poor, regardless that requiring ID might be a good thing - and the idiot I quoted herself admits that this is a poll tax, intended to make black people not vote because she thinks they wouldn't be making a profit any more.

Your voting is less cool than mine

[thormation.livejournal.com]

Because I live in Oregon, I don't have to show ID, or even leave my home to vote. Which means I never have to wait in line or try to find a polling place.

Oh, and we've never had any voting fraud alleged since we started vote-by-mail either.

[stormkami.livejournal.com]

So the fucking Republicans can now post law enforcement officials at the polls to arrest people with warrants (a very, very large majority of which are minority males).