Thanks to the Bayou Buzz, I had an opportunity to read the statement of Louisiana's GOP Chairman, Roger Villere, regarding HB 619, and its alternative bill, HB 575.
He writes regarding HB 619 and satellite voting centers: "But with hundreds of local and statewide elections, the already understaffed poll centers will be thrown into chaos."
He also writes, regarding HB 575, and absentee ballots to all registered voters: "Louisiana has just invested $30 million in new voter machines. With Governor Kathleen Blanco admitting we lack the funds to support our own rebuilding process, this is hardly the time to begin inserting expensive voting measures that are unnecessary. This bill has been strongly opposed by Secretary of State Jay Dardenne on the grounds that it is too quick and too costly," as it would require the mailing of 2.8 million pieces of mail to voters, according to Secretary of State Jay Dardenne.
Ummm ... excuse me? I thought for a second that I was in the Soviet Union. But then I looked over at the LSU Parade Grounds, and saw the American flag flapping in the breeze.
First of all, all elections are held in central voting locations. Even with the "hundreds of local and statewide elections" all voters all have to go vote at central voting locations. If we have a problem with finding folks to staff the election centers, then perhaps the Republican Secretary of State ought to focus on finding folks to staff the voting locations, rather than attempting to get by with the folks he has by denying Louisiana citizens of their right to vote.
Second, the funds for the rebuilding process have absolutely nothing to do with running an election. The rebuilding process money is something we should expect from President Bush, as he promised that we would have everything we need to rebuild in a speech with the St. Louis Cathedral prominently lit in the background. Or has that speech conveniently slipped from your memory?
Third, making sure that all voters can vote is an unnecessary expenditure? Perhaps to you, Mr. Villere, as you know that most of the folks both of these bills would help are Democrats. I know you are hell-bent on ensuring Republican domination of Louisiana, but maybe you should try to win the damn thing fair and square, not by rigging the game in your favor by ensuring that voters displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are unable to vote.
Fourth, what's up with the underlining of chaos in the statement regarding HB 619, and the amount of money spent on new machines and the pieces of mail that would have to be spent on mailing absentee ballots regarding HB 575? Is that your way of underscoring the amounts of money that would have to be spent ensuring that folks displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have no problems in trying to exercise their right to vote, as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 10 of Louisiana's Constitution?
Let me take this a step further ... are you saying, since most of the folks still displaced by the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are African-American or poor white folks, people that tend to vote Democratic, that we shouldn't bother spending the money to ensure the right to vote to folks that have been historically denied the right to vote? In short, Mr. Villere, are you saying that the Louisiana Republican Party is fundamentally racist and classist, notwithstanding your party's support of "Bobby" Jindal?
