With enemies like these...

I’m on the emailing list of dozens of election-related web sites. Two recent alerts caught my attention. First there was the request that folks not only ask their representatives to vote against HR 811, but shun People for the American Way for their support of the bill.(Might have come from this blog or VR)

Then today Rob, (or someone) at OpEd news sent a little blurb announcing that HR 811 may have been dropped to its legislative knees, or perhaps brought to a screeching halt, and wasn’t this good news?

What I find amusing (once I’ve stopped crying) is that these activists seem to be totally unaware of how beneficial their actions are to the very DRE companies they decry.

I wonder that any of the DRE companies (known as the collective ETC since 2003) even bother to keep lobbyists on retainer. E-voting activists are doing such a good job of curbing legislation that might actually change laws and raise the standards for voting machines, why would DRE companies ever need to lobby again?

[Check out the letter sent by ETC-regarding HR 811 http://gop.cha.house.gov...l13/ETCJULY17LETTER.pdf]

It is easier to kill a bill than to get one passed. So, although, there are some bills that are a challenge to kill (like Voter ID bills spreading the country like wildfire) HR 811 was never a sure thing . The money and lobbying behind Electronic Voting is substantial—and clearly the efforts of those lobbyists are paying off.

And as E-Voting activists attempt to Kill Bill (HR 811), sadly they offer in its place, little more than words and conjecture. There are no alternate bills of this nature, being considered in Congress that activists can agree on. So basically the plan seems to be to kill HR 811 and any bill like it, and keep voting as we have been.

The most perplexing part in all this, is why anyone believes that HR 811 would be the final word on election reform. It is simply a starting place. Maybe a wobbly, unsteady starting place—but we do have to start somewhere. The window of opportunity that we have may close come 2008.

One day, rather than bickering and whining so much, maybe we as election activists can actually get something done. Wouldn’t that be nice?

I mean, with enemies like those in e-voting movement helping to keep voting laws exactly as they are, the DRE companies have hardly a need for friends in Congress.

Kat, I don't think we have to worry about the DREs anyway, the prohibitive maintenance costs are going to be the end of them.
As to the rest of your rant, don't you just love modern politics ? we have to battle with our own because of the corporations being involved in the peoples process, hard to tell the fiend from the friend anymore.

What is so hard about introducing a bill that say's

PAPER BALLOTS
HAND COUNTED
PUBLIC OVERSIGHT
NO NETWORKS
NO PHONES
HAND DELIVERED FACE TO FACE RESULTS

NO ELECTRONICS EXCEPT TO HELP THE DISABLED PRINT A PAPER BALLOT BALLOT TO BE HAND COUNTED WITH PUBLIC OVERSIGHT

Whoop's I'm yelling again.

I'll be watering my garden if your looking for me. But I hope your not looking for me unless you have tips on growing bigger tomatoes, or an extra beer you want to share, or if you need a tomato.