We must stop this now. It is urgent that everyone reading this post call the Governor’s office – 617-725-4005 – and tell him to veto the Photo ID provisions in the Supplemental Budget. And while you’re at it – call your rep and senator and tell them to sustain that veto.
We know that photo ID doesn’t address fraud – http://bit.ly/12GSwiQ
We know that photo ID costs money that it doesn’t save.
Even Mitt Romney – rejected photo ID.
Check out Hester Prynne’s great blog about the same subject – http://hesterprynne.net/2013/07/02/when-will-our-legislature-be-done-with-welfare-fraud/
I know many people are headed out to enjoy the long weekend but think about this. An important argument against voter ID has always been how difficult it would be for many low income people to secure such an ID – and now we’re telling poor people they need a photo ID to feed their families.
If a blue state like Massachusetts becomes the first in the nation to require photo ID for food stamps, won’t this encourage Republicans across the country – newly freed from the Voting Rights Act – to initial even more aggressive action to suppress the vote?
progressivemax says
I called the Gov’s office,
His aide said he will pass the comments on, but he couldn’t comment on whether the Governor would veto it.
My Rep’s aide was out of the office, I will call again later.
Peter Porcupine says
…is eliminate the straw man that the poor have no access to free government issued photo ID.
And that has been Sec. Galvin’s primary objection to photo ID – that it was an ersatz poll tax.
We should have both, and I believe we soon will.
SomervilleTom says
What the photoID does is squander tax money in a pointless and expensive scapegoating exercise. It is an expensive solution looking for a problem. Voter fraud, as in individuals pretending to be other than who they are, is a non-existent problem.
The title of the comment does affirm that the photo ID requirement on an EBT card does little or nothing to address whatever welfare fraud is taking place. As you assert, it’s only purpose is to again harass the poor.
Perhaps we should pass a law that every Republican must show a state-issued photo ID in order to vote. After all, they are an endangered species (here in Massachusetts). Since the overwhelming majority of actual voter fraud that HAS happened has been perpetrated by Republicans, maybe this would actually accomplish something.
Peter Porcupine says
I have friends who INSIST on showing ID when they vote – a couple of them got into controversy by setting up tables to urge others to do so at polling places.
They’d be THRILLED!