independentsforkerry.org

“I really have no idea what he is talking about,” Republican Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Sheila Reiner told the Colorado Independent.

Reiner was referring to allegations made again recently by Secretary of State Scott Gessler that non-citizens are registered to vote in the state. Reiner said she has asked Gessler in the past to share what he knows so that she and the other clerks in the state can address any potential problem. She said that, in roughly the year that has passed since he first brought up the issue, details from Gessler’s office have not materialized.

“I asked for the lists when I first heard about this. I haven’t gotten any information. I just don’t know,” she said.

Gessler shared more detailed information on the topic last month at an Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club fundraiser. He said that 150 or so non-citizen residents of the state who had been erroneously registered to vote contacted him before he had even become secretary of state and asked to be removed from the registration rolls. He said that in 2011, his first year in office, 400-some erroneously registered non-citizens had asked to be removed from the rolls, the climbing number, he said, clearly indicates a wider and more serious problem.

This week, Gessler told KLZ talk radio listeners not only that non-citizens were being registered to vote in the state but that they were also casting votes.

“We’re continuing to do the analysis on the issue… of non-citizens being on the voting rolls here in Colorado and some of them voting,” he said. “We did a study last year and we’re going to do some more analysis and come up with more evidence to show people that there, in fact, are problems here in Colorado.”

At the end of last month, the Colorado Independent asked the secretary of state’s office to elaborate on his concerns and findings for the record but received no response.

The Independent then filed an open records request (pdf) with the office asking for any communication conducted between non-citizens registered to vote and the secretary’s office and/or conducted between the secretary’s office and county clerks on the subject of non-citizens asking to be removed from the voter rolls.

Secretary of State spokesman Rich Coolidge responded to say his office “is not the custodian” of such records. “You’ll need to submit your request directly to the county clerk and recorders, who register and cancel voter records,” he wrote in an email.

Voter rights watchdog group Colorado Common Cause subsequently submitted a similar records request and told the Independent that Coolidge had asked for an extension on the three-day statutory delivery period.

County clerks and staff contacted by the Independent so far in some of the state’s most populous counties, including Adams, Boulder, Denver and Pueblo, have said that they, like Reiner in Mesa County, have no knowledge of any non-citizens ever being registered to vote nor have they knowingly received any requests to be removed from the voter rolls from non-citizen residents of the state.

The Colorado Independent today submitted another open records request asking for any related “work product” created or commissioned by the secretary’s office, including any database searches seeking information concerning non-citizens being registered to vote in Colorado.

A standard form

“There’s nothing on the form like that,” Adams County Clerk Karen Long told the Colorado Independent, referring to the state’s standard “Withdrawal of Colorado Voter Registration (pdf)” form, the one available online that anyone seeking to remove their name from the rolls must submit to their county clerk. (Click on the image to the right for an enlarged version.)

“[The form] doesn’t ask anywhere for the reason you want to be removed,” Long said. “It asks for your name and ID or social security number and then you have to affirm it–you have to sign it and affirm it’s what you want and it’s accurate. That’s it. The only time we would know why someone wants to be removed is if they tell us, voluntarily. Maybe they’re moving out of state,” Long said.

Reiner said people sometimes come into her office upset about politics in general and want to be removed from the rolls.

Joan Fitz-Gerald, the highly respected former Jefferson County clerk, state senate president and now president of nonprofit watchdog AmericaVotes, said occasionally people asked her to remove them from the rolls because they were looking to avoid jury duty.

Boulder Clerk Spokesman Brad Turner didn’t hesitate to let on he was baffled.

“I don’t know how [Gessler] would know whether non-citizens were asking to be removed from the lists. That information just isn’t here, as far as I can tell.”

‘No need for a bill’

Gessler pushed hard last year at the state legislature for the “Proof of Citizenship” bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, and Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch. The bill came in response to a study Gessler conducted based on database search and comparisons that he said suggested thousands of non-citizens could be voting in Colorado.

The bill, HB 1252, would have granted the secretary power to “periodically check” voter registration records against a collection of databases “maintained by federal and state agencies.” If the secretary suspected any registered voter “may not be a citizen,” he could suspend that voter’s registration, giving him or her 90 days to (re)submit documents proving their right to vote.

The bill failed to pass but, as the Colorado Independent reported in January, Gessler waved off Holbert and Harvey this year, saying there was “no need for a bill,” according to a Holbert staffer, because he felt he could address the issue outside the halls of the capitol with means available to him through his office.

Trimming voter rolls based on database searches like the ones described in the “Proof of Citizenship” bill– searches centered on comparing ID numbers listed in the state’s voter registration database, known as SCORE, and ID numbers listed in databases that include state or federal immigration information– is a prospect that alarms voting-rights watchdogs and at least some of the state’s county clerks, who openly doubted the accuracy of such an approach.

Clerks said that conducting those kind of database searches would give Gessler numbers of likely “suspects” but no confirmation that the people he thinks he is dealing with are actually the ones tied to the information on his lists. They added that he wouldn’t know whether people’s citizenship status had changed or to what extent human error had fouled up his searches.

That kind of skepticism has been the reaction among government watchdogs since Gessler first began talking about non-citizen voters.

Estelle Rogers, director of advocacy for Project Vote, looked closely at the six-page report Gessler produced last March that started the conversation in the state. In the report, Gessler said his office, working mainly from the Department of Revenue driver’s license database, was “nearly certain” that 106 immigrants were improperly registered to vote in Colorado. The report concluded that perhaps as many as 11,805 people were improperly registered to vote in the state and that 4,000 of them had voted in the 2010 elections.

Rogers told the Colorado Independent that such claims should come with more detailed supporting material that could be independently reviewed.

“The secretary says he is ‘certain’ that 106 people on Colorado’s voter roll of 3.7 million are ‘improperly registered.’ That’s about 0.0028648648649 percent of the voter roll,” she wrote in an email. “Obviously such an error rate is to be expected whenever human beings are copying data from one list to another. Before the secretary of state jumps to the conclusion that these are 106 cases of voter fraud, he should have a lot more evidence than mere suspicion. Non-citizen voting is a fashionable political theme these days, but it has no basis in reality. And the right to vote is too important to confuse with sloganeering.”

Fitz-Gerald echoed those sentiments.

“Clerks know that you never do anything without documentation. There are very specific processes outlined by law when you’re dealing with voter registration. There has to be a paper trail.”

She said that accuracy and accountability is everything when it comes to removing voters from the registration lists.

“You have to be sure that somebody isn’t removing someone else’s name. It can be very basic. Neighbors could be fighting.”

Fitz-Gerald pointed as a cautionary tale to the error-ridden “scrub lists” controversial Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris used in 2000 to purge voter rolls there of alleged felons. Roughly 173,000 names made it onto Harris’s list but many of the names were tied to people with only misdemeanor convictions, others merely shared the same name with a felon.

Florida tried to rectify the problem as the errors came to light but evidence from Election Day polling places suggest thousands of legally registered voters may have been turned away as a result of the purge.

‘This matters’

“If I’m a clerk in Colorado, I wanna know who are these people [Gessler] is talking about. I wanna know what he’s doing. I’d be camping out in his office,” said Fitz-Gerald. “This matters. This is important.”

A high-profile conservative politics election and campaign finance attorney for years before he took office, Gessler has drawn heat for pushing election rules changes that he says are necessary to prevent voter fraud and that critics contend would make it more difficult for many legally registered Coloradans to cast votes. In addition to seeking the power to independently purge the voter rolls of suspected noncitizens, Gessler sued to prevent clerks from mailing ballots to inactive voters.

His efforts reflect moves Republicans have made nationwide since the GOP “wave election” of 2010 to stiffen voting requirements, efforts watchdogs and Democrats characterize as attempted vote suppression of left-leaning constituencies, including young people and members of minority groups.

Given that context, Fitz-Gerald says you would expect Gessler to be taking greater pains to justify his proposals.

“He’s not just a partisan attorney anymore,” she said. “He’s in a much different role. He’s an officeholder responsible to all voters– Republican, unaffiliated and Democratic. If something is wrong with the voter registration system, it is his responsibility not just to call it out at party dinners but to fix the problem and to work with the clerks to do that. It has to be a collaborative effort to keep the system solid.

“If he’s right there’s a problem, then it’s a state problem and it’s tied to the public trust. So take it to the clerks. Let’s get it worked out. You either want to solve the problem or you don’t. There are laws about how you go about these things and for good reason, too.”

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The Colorado Independent

LOCAL NEWS and HEADLINES

Amherst Virginia Headlines

Lynchburg Headlines

Appomattox Headlines

Monroe Virginia

Madison Heights

Nelson County

Campbell County

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.   It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King’s birthday, January 15.    The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, though the act predated the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by 15 years.

King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law.    The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968.   Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed on January 20, 1986.     At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays.    It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

Monday, January 16, 8:00 – 10:00 AM – The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Breakfast will take place at
the Holiday Inn Downtown, 601 Main Street, in the Lynchburg Ballroom.

Amherst County Virginia Democratic News

Vote Democrat, Protect Your Benefits.

ACV Democratic News

New tallies released by Pueblo County Clerk Bo Ortiz on Thursday put the percentage of “inactive voters” who returned ballots this year at 1,791 or nearly 11 percent of county voters. That’s a gain of nearly 5 percentage points from 2009 and well above the previous statewide 3 percent average.

“A press release issued October 31 by this office contained a mistake in the reporting of the Inactive Failed to Vote tabulations,” Ortiz wrote in a release. “The correct number of IFTV was 1791, which is 10.9 percent turnout, and still above the statewide average.”

In his October 31 release, Ortiz touted an exceptionally large percentage of inactive voters ballots cast. He said the figures suggested inactive voters were accounting for 28 percent of the vote.

“That was just human error. It just happened when we were pulling the extract[ed numbers ] into Excel,” Ortiz told the Colorado Independent, referring to the popular accounting software program.

Regardless of the mistake in the Pueblo Clerk’s office, tallies from the secretary of state’s office demonstrate that inactive voters played a major role in this week’s election, accounting for roughly 5.5 percent of the total votes cast in the state.

“I can say that mailing ballots to inactive voters is the right thing for Pueblo County,” Ortiz said. “We’re used to it here. People expect their ballots and I want to keep that consistent.”

Ortiz told the Independent weeks ago that he believes his main objective as clerk is to expand participation in elections, and today he said he was proud of the fact that, in effect, inactive voters in Pueblo County got to voice their concerns and opinions twice: when the candidates and their supporters knocked on their doors and when they returned their ballots to cast their votes.

The numbers of inactive voter ballots cast is a topic of special interest in Colorado this year because Secretary of State Scott Gessler, elected to office last November, attempted to prevent counties from mailing ballots to inactive voters, upending a practice that has been ongoing for roughly five years, as the state moves increasingly toward mail-in elections.

Inactive voters are legally registered voters who have, for whatever reason, failed to cast ballots in the previous general election. Inactive voters tend to be citizens who move often or have limited access to the internet, for example, and include mostly minority voters, youth and elderly voters and people with limited resources.

Ortiz and other county clerks battled against Gessler’s new interpretation of state election law when he brought it out. Ortiz argued that Gessler’s order would force him to violate the federal Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act, which obligates county clerks to send ballots to all eligible voters in the military, active and inactive.

Gessler was unmoved by the argument. He sued Denver County to stop Clerk Debra Johnson from mailing out ballots to inactive voters. The district court judge hearing the case, however, ruled against Gessler and denied his request for an injunction against the county. A ruling on Gessler’s interpretation of state law is expected in the spring.

Gessler defended his new rule by arguing that he was seeking to make state election processes uniform and to guard against fraud. He never provided any evidence of fraud related to inactive voter ballots. Many believed Gessler, a longtime Republican partisan campaign finance and election law attorney, was engaging in thinly veiled vote suppression.

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The Colorado Independent

Published in Liberty for America, May 2011

In a surprise move without precedent or advance warning, the Libertarian Party of Nevada State Committee disaffiliated its three County/Regional Committees, which cover Las Vegas, Reno, and the Capital District. Readers of this newspaper may recall that the Clark County, Nevada LP group is financially independent of their state party, files separately with the FEC, and raises more money than a large fraction of all LP State Par-ties.
A pair of audio tapes, said to be from the meeting, appear on Youtube at youtube.com/watch?v=O-3UnWQFRZ8 and
youtube.com/watch?v=bzggrxmqjRo .Readers unwilling to type these links may find them on IndependentPoliticalReport.com.
A draft transcript of the tapes appears on IPR.
The Clark County LP has already responded. Debra Dedmon, writing on IPR, reports: The Libertarian Party of Clark County is valid due to the bylaws violation. The remaining members have elected Angela McKinster Chair .
Here is a partial edited transcript. Each paragraph is a different speaker. Your editor was not at the LPNV State Committee meeting and can neither identify most of the voices nor vouch for the validity of the recordings of this public meeting:
Motion #1 I move that we have three Libertarian Party of Nevada membership levels. These levels would also main-tain national sustaining membership status as defined in (inaudible): level 1 annually, level 2 3.12 annually, and level 3 which would be 76 annually.
(Person making motion is invited to speak and does not.)
This is Dave Colborne. Out of curiosity, are we actually al-lowed to do this? Our bylaws leave membership fees to the lo-cal affiliates presently.
I don‘t know. Irv do you want to address this?
Irv: I‘m not aware of any bylaws. It wouldn‘t change our by-laws so it wouldn‘t change our qualifications for membership according to our state bylaws.
This is descriptions of donor levels. We‘re not really changing our state bylaws. That‘s all it is, just establishing three different levels. We can come up with names later. Basic membership, just the fifty to force the uh (unintelligible), the next level equates to .76 per month, and the last level is the 76 for hopefully new members, big bucks ( big deep pockets).
Colborne: So, just as a question, would this override the local membership program or would it be on top of the local mem-bership program? Answer: It just establishes three different names for the three different levels, that‘s all.
Colborne: Well the problem here is that and I hate quoting by-laws here but according to them any affiliated areas under article 3 section A all members of an affiliate party in Nevada are members of the LPN provided that the region has joined the local membership program, which basically requires forward-ing ten dollars to the executive committee for each member registered in the affiliate. I personally have no problem, the 1776 brigade and things like that, accepting membership levels beyond whatever the affiliates currently have. I just want to make sure that those who live in Clark County and Nye County where they don‘t have dues or have dues that are considerably lower than fifty dollars are still members of state. I just want to be sure that is cleared up.
I can answer that. Nothing we do as an executive committee changes our bylaws, and I‘m sure you‘re aware of that. Our Bylaws and our constitution do not create any kind of donor level or membership level. This just establishing a description rather than as establishment who is a member or not. Right we now we have membership as just as you quoted, that‘s what governs our body so I don‘t see this as a conflict. Nothing we do can change our bylaws. We have to do that at a state convention.
Colborne OK. Mostly I wanted to make sure that was clear to the entire body. I‘ve got no problem with raising some extra money and having some extra donation levels. That‘s fine.
[Editor: There is then a vote. The motion appears to pass unanimously. We then reach the next motion, under which all regional affiliates are disaffiliated, meaning that the dues levels just voted cover the entire state.]
I move to consolidate the Libertarian Party of Nevada by revoking the affiliate status of all Nevada county chapters including the Libertarian Party of Clark County, The Capi-tol Libertarian Party, and the Nye County Libertarian Par-ty thereby folding them into one organization until such time as membership levels (?) have reached (?) rechartering of county organizations.
Colborne: I was expecting Irv to speak in favor of his motion before chiming in.
Irv: I really don‘t have anything to say. This thing speaks for itself. I just think it‘s a good time for consolidation.. (short problem with background noise)
Colborne: Why are we doing this? I guess that would be my first question.
Chair: David, are you speaking for this or against this? I guess that could be my first question.
All right, I‘ll go ahead with this and I‘ll speak against it. As-suming we go though we this and assuming that you vote in favor of this, which I have a sneaking suspicion you probably will, you are talking about requiring all perspective candidates from (list of counties) to go down to Clark County to be even considered on their local ballots. I really think this is inappro-priate. I don‘t believe this will help grow the Libertarian Party of Nevada. I fail to see how this will increase activism, increase donations, or otherwise improve the functioning of our state especially since the largest most successful state parties in the country namely the Libertarian Parties of California and Texas have heavily relied on local and county affiliates and the Republicans and Democrats as much as you may dislike their ideologies win elections using local county and even precinct level organizations, so I think it‘s kind of unfortunate that we‘re talking about moving away from that direction.
This is Sandy Darby. I‘m not quite sure, my phone kind of went out. What do you mean moving to consolidate?
Motion is read again.
I would like to speak against that. In Nye County we‘re grow-ing pretty rapidly. I think that if we consolidate you‘ll ruin what we‘re starting here.
(Rowan?) I would like to comment,
Chair: You are not recognized. This is an executive committee meeting.
Joe, we also have two elected libertarian officials in our county.
We meet once a month. We had more people in our region than we‘ve ever had before. That‘s not going to happen if we consolidate.
OK thank you Sandy.
Colborne: I move to allow Rowan to speak for five minutes. Sandy Second
Transcriber: This is a motion to allow someone to speak in defense of her organization, on a motion to revoke (for cause) the affiliate status of the group. Observe that enough people vote against permitting a defense. An Aye vote is a vote to per-mit the defense.
Root Aye; Secretary Nay; Treasurer Aye; David Aye; Darby Aye; Roberts Nay; Hopkins Nay; The Chair votes: I vote no.
Rowan: You realize you‘re shutting out two counties and we have real members here. There‘s fifteen of us.
The Nays have it. This is a tie vote and in event of a tie the motion fails.
Voice: Bylaws Article 7B says you have to put your reasons in writing if you have cause to revoke affiliate status.
Chair: You‘re not an officer.
The vote on the disaffiliation motion was Silvestri – Chair; YES, Root – Vice Chair YES; Kris McKinster – Secretary YES, Michael McAuliffe – Treasurer YES; Irv Hopkins – At Large YES; Chris Roberts – Southern Region YES; Da-vid Colborne – Northern Region NO; Sandra Darby – Cen-tral Region NO
The next motion is to authorize spending of funds. I move to authorize the chair to use up any LPNV funds for certain functions: campaigns, fundraising, and annual convention.
Is there any discussion from any officer? Hearing none we move to a vote
Wayne Aye; Secretary No; Treasurer Aye; Colborne No; Darby No; Roberts Aye; Hopkins Aye; Chair I believe it passes — abstains. Passes 4-3.

Independent Political Report

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Democratic Party announced Wednesday schedules for county reorganization, a biennial event where Democrats meet county by county to pick new local officers.

State Party Chair Chip Forrester sent the following email encouraging Democrats to get involved:

Dear Friend,

The only thing necessary for Republicans to keep running roughshod over our rights is for good men and women to do nothing.

Here’s your chance to do something big.

In the coming weeks, county Democratic parties across Tennessee will host local conventions where Democrats will pick new county party officers and lay the groundwork for selecting delegates to attend the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

Do something big and sign up to attend your county convention.

County conventions, also called reorganization, only come along every two years so it’s important you get involved now. You and other passionate progressives will be the engine that drives our campaign to take back Tennessee for working people.

As a member of the Democratic Party, you know we can do big things. But nothing comes without rolling up your sleeves.

Will you work with your county party to take back Tennessee for working people?

The strength of the Tennessee Democratic Party comes from the dedication and hard work of people, like you, who take a leadership role in their local Democratic Party. Our county officers and delegates provide critical support to Democratic candidates and are essential to turning out the Democratic vote and winning electoral victories.

It’s also a great way to meet other like-minded people who want to make a positive difference in their community.

Help us do big things for working people here in Tennessee. Be a doer and get involved with your county party convention.

Click here to find out how.

Yours truly,

Chip Forrester
Chair, Tennessee Democratic Party

P.S. Due to local county bylaws, Davidson, Decatur & Dekalb counties will not be hosting reorganization conventions this spring. Call our office at (615) 327-9779 to find out how to get involved in those counties.

TN Democratic Party News

Amherst County Democratic Committee Meeting Tommorow Night, March 8th at 7 pm.

To All Amherst County Democrats:

Dear Friends,

The Committee will meet at the Madison Heights Library, tomorrow, Tuesday 8th, at 7PM.    Everyone is welcome.    It’s important that Precinct Reps attend (see list below).

Following a lull in activity this winter, we will begin to strengthen and organize for the fall elections – this year and in 2012.     Your participation is crucial to our success.      There are leadership positions open in most precincts, as well as officers’ positions within the Committtee.

We encourage you to get involved as much, or as little, as you feel comfortable with.      Or just come and watch the democratic process in action where we can really make a difference – at the local level.


We’ll spend a short time after the meeting stuffing envelopes for our annual membership mailing.     It’s actually kind of fun – and an opportunity to meet fellow dems from around the county.


Remember – meeting is Tuesday the 8th, 7PM, at the Madison Heights Library.     Hope to see you there.


For the Amherst County Democratic Committee,

David Burford

Precinct Reps

101 - Wright Shop – Magnolia Braxton


102 - New Glasgow – Ned Kable, OPEN


103 - Coolwell – OPEN


201 - Court House – Mary Anne Hostetler, Alix Ingber, OPEN


202 - Temperance – Marvin Gilbert


301 - Monroe – OPEN


302 - Elon – Marita Taylor, Mary Truitt, OPEN


303 - Plsnt View – Curtis Johnson


401 - Amelon – Robert Perry, Jason Fleshman, OPEN


402 - Lonco - Francis Wayne


501 - Madison Hts – Jeff Price, Dan Hughes, Allen Freeman

This email was sent by dave_burford@verizon.net


Amherst County Democratic Committee
PO Box 1411
Amherst
VA
24521-1411

Amherst County News

Please Don’t Forget The Meeting

Virginia News

REPUBLICAN SHAME and VENOM

Lets look at the Republican budget and what it means to us here in Virginia.    It Prevents the government from implementing health reform, it rolls back critical patient protections and cost savings, and it returns control of your health care to insurance companies. Removing restrictions on how businesses operate and allowing big business and insurance companies complete control of how they deal with the public are hallmarks of the Republican Party.    The GOP also wishes to limit your ability to sue for damages when you are harmed by these companies.

It Slashes funding for preventive health services that millions of American women depend on through Planned Parenthood and eliminates 2,000 community health center jobs across Virginia. Thats 2,000 more Virginians without a job and millions of American women with nowhere to turn for help with their health services.     All thanks to the right wing Republican plan to restructure how society deals with womens issues while it pretends to deal with the deficit.

It Guts investments in education and infrastructure that will grow the economy and create jobs, assuring more Virginians will be unemployeed.

It Cuts Virginia homeland security investments by .2 million, hindering local law enforcement’s ability to keep our families safe and Drops 3,340 Virginia children from Head Start, an early-education program proven to help students thrive later on.     The Republicans hinder law enforcement as they try to keep our families safe and drop children from early education.     What do Republicans stand for?     The only thing they don’t cut is the big tax breaks the rich get.

Lets face it.    If you are poor, a working person, a child in head start, unemployeed, a senior citizen or a person who has suffered injury at the hands of big business or a woman in need of health care, a homeless veteran,   THE - REPUBLICAN  – PARTY - HATES - YOU.


And across the nation it could mean nearly 1 million American jobs lost — all without making a dent in the deficit.


Thats the Republican plan.    Isn’t it time you stood up and said something to Republican leadership.    Do Republicans walk lockstep in stupidity because it the only way they can stand?    How can you guys call yourselves the Family Values Party?    You must mean the Tony Soprano mob family.

If you are a Republican in Amherst County Virginia I’m Calling You Out.     Change starts down here at the grass roots level.     Its time for you to stand up to the Leadership in the Republican Party.    They work for the wealthy and big business, they do not work for you.     Its time for you to open your eyes and use your mind because You Are Responsible for the Actions of the GOP.     We can’t change the whole world but we might be able to heal the thoughtlessness of  the Republicans in Amherst County.

Refuse to accept partisan games from the GOP that will cost thousands of Virginia jobs.    Demand the TRUTH from the Republican Party.    If you have no power to bring the Republican Party into the 21st century there is an action you can consider.    It wouldn’t kill you to Vote Dmocratic if thats the only way to send the message.     However you do it straighten out the lap dogs of big business known as the Republican Party.     You do yourself a dis-service associating with people like that.     Let Republican Leadership know that you mind your own business  and you allow ohers to do the same.
 

Amherst County Virginia Democratic News

The U.S. Census Bureau this month started releasing 2010 Census population local level totals, including 2010 Census data on race, Hispanic origin and voting age for multiple geographies within each state.

The U.S. Census bureau today delivered Texas’ 2010 census local population totals, including first look at race and Hispanic origin data for legislative redistricting.

The Census Bureau will continue to deliver the local level data state-by-state on a rolling basis through March.

The decennial census for Texas totaled 25,145,561 people living in the state in the first half of 2010 for a 20.6% increase over the number of people living in the state in 2000, courtesy of the burgeoning Texas Hispanic and black populations.

The local level data released today will serve as the starting point for a lengthy political and legal battle over how to redraw the political boundaries around Texas. (Census data release | Texas redistricting information)

The Texas Legislative Council, which handles the mechanics of redistricting for the Legislature, will make the detailed census data available for download to Texas lawmakers’ computers in the coming days. Lawmakers can than begin to draw new district lines using redistricting software applications already provide by the legislative council. In recent weeks, lawmakers and their staff have been learning how to use the software using old census data.

A fair redrawing of new district lines must allow the minority groups, whose growth created the 20.6% population increase, the opportunity to choose their U.S. House and state legislative representatives. The Texas Hispanic or Latino population increased by 41.8 percent and African-American population increased by 23.9 percent, entitling those population groups to share in the 4 additional U.S. House Texas earned by Texas’ overall population increase.

When the legislature completes its redistricting task Texas will have 36 rather than 32 seats in the reconfigured 435-member U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. House Texas delegation currently stands at 23 Republicans and 9 Democrats.

Based on the 2010 Census count of 25,145,561 people now living in Texas, the ideal population count for each of the 36 Texas congressional districts is 701,901, the ideal Senate district is 811,147, the ideal state House district is 167,637, and the ideal State Board of Education district is 1,676,371.

Should the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature gerrymander the new districts to disenfranchise the larger minority populations, the gerrymandered congressional map would likely be challenged by the Obama Administration Justice Department, which under the Voting Rights Act must approve any changes affecting minority representation.

Given Collin County’s 62.8 percent population growth from 491,675 residents in 2000 to 782,341 residents in 2010, it seem likely the county will see some adjustment to some or all of the various district lines, including for the Congressional, Texas House, Texas Senate and State Board of Education districts.

It is, however, unlikely that Collin County will see a new congressional district or other major changes in the various district lines that crisscross over the county.

Collin Co. ranks seventh in population size after Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis and El Paso Counties. The county also has a substantial percentage of residents with Hispanic, Asian, and African American heritage. (U.S. Census Bureau 2010 Custom tables Excel)

Collin County currently holds most of Texas Congressional District 3, represented by Republican Sam Johnson since he first won election in 1991. The 3rd congressional district includes the county’s densely populated southwest quadrant and a small corner of northern Dallas county.

The remaining three quarters of Collin County’s more sparsely populated geographic area is included in Texas Congressional District 4, currently represented by Republican Ralph Hall. Hall’s District 4 geographic area includes all or parts of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Collin, Delta, Fannin, Farnklin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Morris, Rains, Red River and Rockwall counties.

Other districts in Collin Co. include State Senate Districts 8 and 30, State House Districts 66, 67, 70 and 89, and State Board of Education Districts 9 and 12.

Click on a blue state in the map tool below to view county level Census data. Data for states shaded gray have not yet been released. The Census Bureau will deliver state data on a rolling basis through March. See what states are coming next.

Additional Data: To access data from multiple geographies within the state, such as census blocks, tracts, voting districts, cities, counties and school districts, visit American Factfinder: http://factfinder2.census.gov.

Democratic Blog of Collin County – News

                                          “SKIPPER“
                                           Mr. R. Fitts
                                              and
                                     President Obama

              Extend Their Inviaion to YOU

As a Committee Member, your primary responsibility will be to help endorsed candidates win with your vote and your support.


Attending monthly meetings to discuss strategy, and receive updates from candidates and elected officials.     If you can’t come every month but can attend occasionally, thats OK we want you.


At campaign time you could Volunteer to place yard signs, work phone banks, and help with mailings.


Helping with fundraising efforts is good if you are comfortable doing it.    Working as a greeter and representative at local festivals (Apple, Garlic) and handing out campaign literature and answering questions is fun if you like it.


Or Doing Anything You Are Comfortable With.    Nothing, if thats your comfort level.    We Want You and We Need You.

Attend monthly or just the occassional meeting.    Come as you are.     Pick Your Own Level of Participation.


Make no mistake about it.   We are Democrats.    In Amherst County we are the underdogs and we must work harder.    Your ideas and help will be appreciated.


With your help, Democrats will have a stronger future here in Amherst County.

If you’re interested in the Amherst County Democrats and know any of the Precinct Reps listed, please discuss it with them.    If you know where the Food Lion Grocery Store just below the traffic circle on Route 60 is,  then you can find us.

We meet at the Central Virginia Community College, Amherst Branch which is next to the Food Lion.    We meet at 7pm on
the second tuesday of every month.     If this ever changes check the Amherst County Democratic News for up to date info.


You are invited to attend the monthly meeting.    We will happily welcome you on board.

The folks listed below are Precinct Reps.


101 – Wright Shop – Magnolia Braxton


102 – New Glasgow – Ned Kable, OPEN


103 – Coolwell – OPEN


201 – Court House – Mary Anne Hostetler, Alix Ingber, OPEN


202 – Temperance – Marvin Gilbert


301 – Monroe – OPEN


302 – Elon – Marita Taylor, Mary Truitt, OPEN


303 – Plsnt View – Curtis Johnson


401 – Amelon – Robert Perry, Jason Fleshman, OPEN


402 – Lonco – Francis Wayne


501 – Madison Hts – Jeff Price, Dan Hughes, Allen Freeman

If you are reading this, Thank You from ACVDN

Republicans Attempt Repeal of Health Care

A Republican drive to repeal the year-old health care law ended in party-line defeat in the Senate on Wednesday, leaving the Supreme Court to render a final, unpredictable verdict on an issue steeped in political and constitutional controversy.     The vote was 47-51.


Moments earlier, the Senate had agreed to make one relatively minor change in the law, voting to strip out a paperwork requirement for businesses.

President Barack Obama, who has vowed to veto any total repeal of his signature legislative accomplishment, has said he would accept the change.    It does not directly affect health care.

Republicans conceded in advance their attempt at total repeal would fall short.      But they also said they had accomplished an objective of forcing rank and file Democrats to take a position on an issue that reverberated in the 2010 campaign and may play a role in 2012.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the vote marked an opportunity for Democrats who voted for the bill last year “to listen to those who have desperately been trying to get your attention.”


“To say, yes, maybe my vote for this bill was a mistake, and that we can do better,”  McConnell said.


Democrats worked to minimize any political repercussions, a concern for a party already acutely aware it must defend 23
seats – and its shrunken Senate majority – in the 2012 elections.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Republican repeal movement would “take away a child’s right to get health insurance and instead give insurance companies the right to use asthma or diabetes as an excuse to take away that care.”

“It would kick kids off their parents’ health insurance,”  Reid said. “It would take away seniors’ rights to a free wellness check.”
Democrats also countered with the proposed repeal of the law’s requirement that businesses, charities, and state and local governments file income tax forms every time they purchase 0 or more in goods.


It was approved 81-17, after Republicans pointed out it had originally been their idea.

Across the street from the Capitol, Democrats convened a Judiciary Committee hearing to solicit testimony on the constitutionality of the law they passed and Obama signed months ago.

“Many who argue the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional are the same people who condemn judicial activism,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who presided.      “They are pushing the Supreme Court to strike down this law because they could not defeat it in Congress.”


Republicans were scathing in response.

“The sensible process would have been to have . held a hearing on the law’s constitutionality before the bill passed, not after,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.     “Like Alice in Wonderland, sentence first, verdict afterward.”


Two federal judges have ruled the law is unconstitutional, partially or in its entirety, citing a requirement for individuals to purchase coverage and pay a penalty in taxes if they fail to do so.     Two other judges have upheld the law.

The controversy has yet to reach the Supreme Court, but it is widely expected to, and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., announced he would file legislation urging the justices to act quickly.


The maneuvering occurred around a law as ambitious as any in recent years, and as controversial.      According to the Congressional Budget Office, it would expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it, crack down on insurance industry abuses and cut federal budget deficits.     At its core, the bill would require most Americans to purchase insurance, a so-called individual mandate that has become one of the principal points of opposition among Republicans and the tea party activists who propelled them to gains last fall.
The bill’s critics argue the law gave government too large a role in the health care system, will harm Medicare and raises taxes and fees that will burden the economy.     They also sharply dispute the CBO estimate that deficits will fall once the bill takes effect, arguing that the forecasts rest on spending cuts to Medicare and other programs that will not materialize.


Either way, the day’s events shaped up as the latest maneuvering in a struggle that has spanned more than two years.

Republicans said a proposal by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., to eliminate the reporting requirement to the Internal Revenue Service was legislative pilferage, noting that Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., filed a bill to that effect last year.

The measure calls for billion in spending cuts to offset the revenue loss from the change, but unlike Johanns’ earlier measure, Stabenow’s specifies that none of the funds can come from Social Security.


Under federal law, Social Security benefits are generally guaranteed.     As a result, the provision Stabenow advanced
assures merely that no administrative costs can be cut at the agency.

No similar protection was included for the agency that oversees Medicare.

The House approved legislation repealing the health care law last month on a party-line vote, ignoring a veto threat from Obama and Reid’s blunt statement the bill would never see the light of day in the Senate.     McConnell responded quickly that he would look for an opportunity to force a vote.


All 47 Republicans voted to repeal the law, but no Democrat joined them.

At a news conference shortly after the vote, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the chairman of the party’s campaign committee, said the vote marked the “first steps in a long road that will culminate in 2012 whereby we will expose the flaws and the weaknesses in this legislation.”

The law that passed a year ago had the support of 58 Democrats and two independents aligned with them.    All 40 Republicans voted against it.


Democratic ranks have been thinned since then, and their current majority is 53-47.


Of those 53 seats, 23 are on the ballot in 2012, including several that Republicans are targeting.     One on the list, Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, said in advance he would oppose the Republican repeal proposal.

“There are a lot of good parts in the bill and some that I will work to improve,”  Nelson told reporters in his home state.     “The repealers already have health care.     But they’re ready, willing and eager to take it away from hundreds of thousands of Nebraskans.”

ACVDN Botom Line.     Now that Republicans have tried a repeal vote maby they can settle down and start working on Jobs-Jobs-Jobs and quit wasting time.      

                                                                         ACVDN

 

Amherst County Virginia Democratic News

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Best News & Politics

From my fellow blogger at Conservative Heritage Times:

The resolution I sponsored before the Pepin County Board called for non-partisan designation of county offices and the state legislature passed by a 6-4 vote at our monthly meeting Wednesday.  I talked about the resolution at CHT on this post.

What I’m standing against is the socialistic tendencies which are becoming evident in party organizations more and more so over two decades, tendencies which run counter to our country’s founding and our Founding Fathers as well. People who think outside the “party line” should not be punished.  Now other counties across Wisconsin may take up this resolution and discuss it and it will be brought forth before the annual Wisconsin County Association convention next fall.

If nothing else, we’ll at least get the discussion started and perhaps find a sympathetic ear or two across the state.

Happy New Year to you all, may God bless us in the days to come.

Editor’s Note: We have previously discussed Sean’s ideas on non-partisanship here and here.

Independent Political Report