|
From: Bob Redig
Please vote no on the voter ID amendment.
Besides being a nonfix for a nonproblem, it will raise Winona area taxes to execute.
Taxpayers will need to pay for the government ID for those without. But those without may also incur hardship and expense. My mom, who died when she was nearly 96, had no current photo ID as she had quit driving in the 60s. How do you get a photo ID if you don’t have a photo ID? Catch 22 anyone? You need a birth certificate. How do you get a birth certificate without proof of identification? According to a local county official, you need someone who has known you to vouch for you. So mom at 95 and in a wheelchair would have to travel to Staples, Minnesota, to get her certificate so she could vote. Or could she do what we have now—have someone who knows her vouch for her at the polling place?
It is ironic that the same people who proposed this amendment proclaim to be concerned about wasting taxpayer money while doing just that. ID would only help prevent impersonation, which has never happened in Minnesota. And if someone is that determined to vote, a fake ID is easily procured.
So vote no to increased government spending to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. But more importantly, don’t deprive your fellow citizens of the right to unobstructed voting. The system we have now works splendidly with high turnout.
|
