Texas Voter I.D. Law At Work
Posted by Michelle Moquin on September 30th, 2013
In other words “Disenfranchisement at work.”
Good morning!
This is what happens when you have a bunch of repubs trying to get back in control.
A write from Think Progress:
Elderly Texas Woman May Be Disenfranchised After Being Denied A Voter ID Three Times
BY SCOTT KEYES ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 AT 10:28 AM
84-year-old Dorothy Card may not get to vote in this year’s election because of voter ID.When 84-year-old Dorothy Card was born, women had enjoyed the right to vote for less than a decade. She never took it for granted. “It just makes me known that I’m an American and I have a right to vote,” she said, recounting past elections where she’d voted. “Truman, I guess I voted for him,” Card noted.
Though she has voted for more than 60 years without incident, that streak may end in six weeks when Texas voters will consider a host of statewide ballot initiatives.
That’s because of a new voter suppression law passed by the Texas legislature in 2011 to require voters to present a particular photo ID at the polls. If a person doesn’t have a photo ID, as studies have found is true of approximately 10 percent of potential voters, he or she is not allowed to vote under the new law. Texas’ voter ID law took effect this year after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, negating federal efforts to block new discriminatory voting measures.
Card’s experience is emblematic of the challenge that many Texas residents have faced or will face when trying to exercise their right to vote. Because she hasn’t driven in nearly 15 years, Card doesn’t carry the most common form of photo ID: a driver’s license. Once the voter ID law took effect, she went down to her local Department of Public Safety, the Texas agency that administers voter IDs.
She brought her documents and thought they would issue her a voter ID without hassle. She was wrong.
What should have been a simple trip to the DPS turned into three (and counting) long, arduous trips, each ending without Card being issued a voter ID.
Card didn’t have a license or other photo ID already. She tried to get a copy of her marriage license from the county courthouse, but officials there were unable to locate it. Even a special letter from a county administrator attesting to this was deemed insufficient by the DPS.
Eventually Card’s daughter, a legal assistant, even got involved and tried, unsuccessfully, to satisfy the agency’s requests for more documentation. “They have said if we get another document, that they will issue it,” Card’s daughter told Houston ABC affiliate KTRK. “But I’ve been told this three times, so I’m a little leery.”
Facing disenfranchisement if she doesn’t get a voter ID soon, Card is understandably frustrated. “It’s a good thing I don’t meet the man who is over this because he would hear from me good and proper,” she said.
ThinkProgress has spoken with other Texas voters who have had difficulty obtaining a new voter ID. One such woman is Jessica Cohen, a longtime Texas voter who lost her license and personal documents in a 2011 robbery. Without such identification papers, she would have had to pay a hefty fee to officials in Missouri to obtain her birth certificate, but couldn’t afford to do so after losing her job. Instead, she was resigned to the fact that she would be disenfranchised because of the new voter ID law.
For Card’s part, she is still hopeful she’ll get a voter ID before the election. After her case received local media attention, a DPS official told KTRK that Card “will be issued a Texas personal ID card without running into anymore issues.”
The question remains, though: what will happen to people whose ordeal doesn’t make the news? Will DPS be as forthcoming in resolving problems for folks who can’t threaten negative publicity, whose only stake is their own vote?
*****
Readers: Are you, or do you know anyone who is Facing disenfranchisement? Blog me.
I03: Thanks for your comment. I understand your frustration and upset. I am doing a bit of research on your comment. I HOPE for the safety and livelihood for all beings and especially the ones who are innocent in polluting this planet – meaning the vegetation and animals. It is the human life that is destroying this planet.
Jeni: When you take into consideration what the world does to its women and children, it is not surprising that animals are openly controlled and tortured to no end. If there were not laws that prevented the abuse of women, women would be a lot worse off in many other countries including the U.S. Still…it is NO excuse that our animals that give us nourishment so that we can live, are treated so horrifically inhumane.
Peace & Love…
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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October 1st, 2013 at 5:36 am
Ditto to what you said to Jena Michelle. It is really men though they are just the cruelest animals on the planet.
October 1st, 2013 at 5:38 am
With the republicans it is all about stealing elections. Their constituents know it but pretend those laws are really about election fraud.
October 1st, 2013 at 5:40 am
Lawmakers Pledge to “Join the Fight” Against Cancer
Guam – Senators of the 32nd Guam Legislature have pledged to “Join the fight” against cancer on Guam.
Guam Cancer Care launched the “JOIN THE FIGHT” in April. Participants pledge to encourage and allow employees to get screened for cancer; encourage healthy eating and exercise to promote a healthier work environment; and encourage participation to take proactive steps in the fight against cancer.
According to a news release from Guam Cancer Care, cancer accounts for nearly one in every five deaths on the island.
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Senators of the 32nd Guam Legislature will come together in a unified stand in the fight against cancer on September 30th, at 2:00pm at Legislative Hearing Room in the Guam Legislature Building in Hagatna.
They will sign Guam Cancer Care’s JOIN-THE-FIGHT pledge and commit, as a legislative body, their support of the Fight Against Cancer here on island.
Guam Cancer Care launched its “JOIN THE FIGHT” pledge in April 2013, with a mission to work directly with our island leaders, business community members and other non-profit organizations in the local fight against cancer.
As an advocate of the ‘”JOIN THE FIGHT” pledge, participants pledge to encourage and allow their employees to get screened for cancer in line with approved cancer screening guidelines; disseminate information in reference to cancer screening and early detection programs; encourage healthy eating and exercise to promote a healthier work environment; and encourage participation to take proactive steps in the fight against cancer.
“In order to make a significant difference, our community needs to come together and unite in this Fight that has affected the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of our fellow island residents.
I am humbled to be standing alongside our island leaders to unite against a disease that is truly affecting our community,“ says Terry Cuabo, Executive Director for Guam Cancer Care.
On Guam, cancer accounts for nearly 1 in every 5 deaths. Every year, an average of 316 people were told by their doctor they had cancer, and 144 have died from it. That’s one person dying from cancer every 2 to 3 days on our small island of Guam.
Within two operational years, Guam Cancer Care’s Patient Navigation program has assisted over 440 Guam residents afflicted by cancer and brought in over $1,810,538.02 in external resources, to included but not limited to; low to no-cost chemotherapy drugs or direct financial assistance for eligible Guam cancer patients from stateside organizations via cancer organizations/foundations and pharmaceutical companies.
In addition, Guam Cancer Care has issued out approximately 335 Financial awards to a total of $456,800.53, helping to cover the costs of much needed cancer treatments for patients who are currently on active treatment.
Funding provided to Guam Cancer Care comes out of the Guam Cancer Trust fund, which was established by Public Law 30-80, and redirects 15% of all tobacco taxes generated within the Territory to be deposited to the Guam Cancer Trust Fund, under the purview of the University of Guam, to be used exclusively to provide direct services for Guam cancer patients.
October 1st, 2013 at 5:45 am
Michelle this is a new one. This is the reason I was given for not being able to get on your blog. HTTP Error 500-13 – Server too busy
Please wait a few seconds or click here to try again.
October 1st, 2013 at 5:52 am
Winning the Battle for Your Intestines
Forget Waterloo, Gettysburg, or Normandy. The largest scale battle ever is going on right now in your own digestive tract. A decisive victory is necessary for your health and happiness.
Dear Health-Conscious Friend,
I often laugh when I think of people obsessed with their abdomen and achieving the famous and elusive “perfect abs”.
If only they knew what was going on just beneath their abdominal muscles…
What scientists are finding out is, what’s INSIDE your gut is just as important to your health as the way it looks OUTSIDE.
From the day you were born, billions of bacteria, both good and bad, have been at work and at war in your intestines. Everything you eat–whether it’s a salad, or a Five Guys burger and fries–eventually shows up in your intestinal system where your good bacteria sorts it, absorbs it, re-routes it, eliminates it or attacks it–with the sole purpose of absorbing the good and eliminating the bad.
Think of it as Civil War
We all have trillions of bacteria that reside in our guts–over 400 species, or “tribes”. And what’s happening is far more than just a sorting operation. It’s more like a civil war.
That’s because, while “good” bacteria (also called probiotics) helps your immune system, keeps your digestive system healthy, and does countless other positive things in your body, there are also certain strains of bad bacteria. These bad bacteria populate your digestive tract as well and can pose a threat to your health if they become too numerous.
What’s more, the balance of power between the good and bad bacteria changes minute by minute. Every time you eat or drink something, take medications, or are exposed to certain environmental toxins, foreign (and often harmful) bacteria enter the battle. While your body is constantly producing its own probiotics that try to keep the balance in your gut favorable, you, unfortunately, produce less of this good bacteria as you age.
Your Body as a Battlefield
The bottom line is that your poor body is playing host to these hostilities. And if the fortunes of war shift in favor of the bad bacteria, you may find yourself experiencing various uncomfortable symptoms, including:
• upset stomach
• loss of appetite
• lack of energy
• bloated feeling
• constipation
• occasional diarrhea
• general lethargy
Of course, these are just the symptoms. Over time, more serious health concerns can occur when the “gut flora” in your intestinal tract are imbalanced and there is a less than optimal ratio of good bacteria (probiotics).
More Serious Concerns
When your good bacteria are losing the battle, a low probiotic level occurs. The overgrowth of dangerous bacteria such as staphylococcus and E coli can negatively impact proper insulin and blood sugar function, thyroid function, and your immune system. Other types of bad bacteria can affect the health of your digestive tract, nervous system, skin, and more.
How Your System Gets Out of Whack
I don’t mean to scare you with a list of problems or confuse you in a blizzard of technical jargon. But I want to make sure you are aware that where your health is concerned, this is an area where you can exercise a great deal of control.
In other words, you can keep your body healthy and avoid a host of common health concerns simply by maintaining a healthy balance between the good and bad bacteria in your system.
Bacteria are normally occurring organisms in your body, and they perform useful tasks. Even the “bad” bacteria have their purpose — your body actually needs them to survive! But the ideal balance between good bacteria to bad bacteria is 80% healthy bacteria to 20% bad bacteria.
Unfortunately, this delicate balance can be difficult to maintain. The ratio of good to bad bacteria can be disturbed by medications (especially antibiotics), by the use of oral contraceptives, steroids, exposure to x-rays and radiation therapy, excessive ingestion of chlorinated water, the consumption of refined sugars and other refined foods, poor digestion, poor elimination of waste, stress, or an unhealthy diet.
In addition to this list, travel is another major cause leading to the disturbance of the good-to-bad bacteria ratio. When you travel, you have a higher likelihood of coming into contact with bad bacteria, which, of course, increases the percentage of bad bacteria in your body.
This increase of bad bacteria can lead to traveler’s diarrhea or constipation, as well as a host of other symptoms (including nausea, decreased appetite, abdominal cramping, weakness, and dehydration). The last situation you want is to be stuck in the bathroom when you’re out of town, which is why it is especially imperative to keep your bacteria ratio in balance when traveling.
Even worse, as we grow older, our bodies produce a decreasing level of good bacteria.
All of these factors can result in a deficit of your body’s stores of good bacteria. And we all know what that can mean: When there are fewer troops available to fight the war, the enemy (or bad bacteria) can establish a stronger foothold in our gut, which can pose a serious threat to your health and well-being.
Can You Use Diet to Achieve Balance?
Throughout history, people in many cultures have instinctively understood the important connection between probiotic-rich food and good health. Before refrigeration, fermentation– the process of adding bacteria or yeast to foods — was a popular way to prolong their shelf life.
What these ancient cultures may not have understood was that this process created abundant sources of probiotic-rich foods that helped to improve their gut health and their overall health as well.
Some foods containing high amounts of probiotics include cultured dairy products, live yogurt, and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso (a fermented soy bean paste), tempeh, kimchi, pickled daikon radish, and amasake, a sweet rice drink traditionally used in Asian cultures.
Chinese tea is also helpful because of its high polyphenol levels. Ginger, ginseng, and dandelion have a positive effect on probiotic levels when added to salads and other foods.
If made the right way, these foods can contribute trillions of live “good” bacteria in a single serving! However, modern manufacturing techniques have stripped many of the fermented foods found in most grocery stores of much of their good bacteria.
A More Modern Way to Maintain Balance
If you’re not exactly ready for a diet of dandelions and sauerkraut, there is another option.
You can do as millions of Americans do and supplement your body’s good bacteria with reinforcements in the form of a probiotic supplement. Probiotic supplements are a great way to replenish the beneficial bacterial balance in your gut that’s so crucial to maintaining your health as you age.
In fact, I recommend that all my patients, friends, and family over the age of 40 add a quality probiotic supplement to their daily routine. The problem is, how do you know what to look for?
When you’re choosing a probiotic supplement, you are faced with choices about the amount of live bacteria in a supplement and which strains of bacteria are most helpful. And as a recent Consumer Labs study of popular probiotics supplements revealed, what you’re getting is not always the same as what is promised on the label!
Thrive in Health & Wellness,
Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.
October 1st, 2013 at 6:26 am
They have their Shutdown.
America has been FUKT. By Fl’s Sen. Marco Rubio; Ut’s Sen Mike Lee; Ky’s Sen Rand Paul and Tx’s Sen Ted Cruz.
October 1st, 2013 at 6:40 am
Hafa adai, the federal shut will have an effect on us here on Guam.
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Federal shutdown affects local services
by Ken Quintanilla
Guam – Just as most of the nation and the rest of the world was counting down to when the federal government would shutdown, the anticipation was just as intense here on island. Guam may be in a different time zone, but the first federal government shutdown in nearly two decades hit the island just as hard as those just waking up to the news in the mainland.
One of those who may be hit the hardest here at home include the Guam National Guard. In a statement from Adjutant General Major General Benny Paulino, he says approximately 140 military technicians including federal employees who are also members of the Guam National Guard, soldiers and airmen on temporary orders and federal and state civilian personnel may be temporary furloughed.
The Department of Defense has however provided guidance in which the Guard has already started prudent preparation to mitigate the consequences of the shutdown.
And despite all the uncertainty, Paulino says the Guard’s top priority will be to continue supporting the requirements of its over 600 soldiers and airmen currently deployed in Afghanistan and Southwest Asia, along with their families.
And like the Guard, the National Parks Service has also been preparing for the inevitable as close to two dozen of its workers will be furloughed. Acting superintendent Ron Borne told KUAM News, “We have approximately have 21 employees that we have working here on the island of Guam that will be furloughed starting tomorrow after we’re done with our closures.”
Borne says these positions include interpretative rangers, maintenance, and administrative, natural and cultural resource staff. He further apologizes to visitors and residents who access the parks as they will have to be closed, too.
“What exactly will be closed is our units that we have that are normally available to the public, which is the Asan Overlook, the Asan Beach Park, the Agat Beach Park and of course our Visitor Center will be closed to the public,” he explained.
And despite being able to avoid it this year, District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood says there’s a possibly of furloughs in the next year for her employees. She says the shutdown will also put the courts operations on the chopping block, noting, “As I understand it, if there is no budget, if there’s resolution in regards to the budget on the hill, then our court will be open for ten days.
And after that, we will have to go into critical services. What are critical services? We’re going to try and define that, like if somebody gets arrested, of course.”
The chief judge says she’s in the middle of a twelve-week jury trial and says payment to jurors is another added concern. Ultimately she says it’s a serious situation and had hopes for some resolution.
She stated, “These defendants have a constitutional right to a speedy trial, there are individuals who file petitions whether they’re civil or criminal cases that are filed. Access to the court is paramount, and their constitutional rights will be violated.”
She adds while the District Court has already had to adjust its schedule to accommodate the U.S. Public Defenders Office, which has already undergone a furlough, she says it remains to be seen what it means for others like the U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Protective Services and other agencies affected in her court.
October 1st, 2013 at 6:42 am
This is a really sad day for the western world…. everybody is looking at us like fools now.
October 1st, 2013 at 6:42 am
Not only being like fools but like spoiled children