"The state paid at least $1.8 million to Accenture, a private technology company with close ties to the Florida Republican Party, to help create the flawed list."
Interestingly, Accenture was formerly known as the consulting division of Arthur Andersen. Snarky comments about corporate culture are left as an exercise for the reader.
Perhaps I've missed it, but it seems to me there ought to be a discussion as to why ex-felons are disenfranchised anyway. Haven't they paid their 'debt to society'? Nevermind the ridiculous shifting criteria for what constitutes a felony from decade to decade, or state to state. Gay lovers caught in the act have been convicted of sodomy-a felony in Texas. So they can't vote now?
Hmmm, now that I consider this stuff, I think I should lighten up - it's so ridiculous it is funny, except of course for the felon who actually wants to vote. Jeez, can Martha Stewart vote now?
The officials' explanation of how the mistake occurred is not clear to me. They indicate, "the reason Hispanics were being overlooked is that state criminal records and voter registration rolls do not account for race and ethnic categories in the same way." Even if true, the state's criminal records should still include the entire Hispanic felons, whether they are categorized or not. No one has stepped forward to point to the state's list and prove that Hispanics were listed, but that they were not categorized as Hispanics. Wouldn't the officials who are being accused of politicizing the list want to clear the air of impropriety surrounding them?
The Pasco Supervisor of Election Kurt Browning is quoted as saying, "the reality of it was there seemed to be too many things creeping up that were not thought out, or thought about." Surprise! Surprise! Isn't this the way the Bush administration has done things so far?
And lastly, part of the plan was to call the fellons (almost all black - hence democrats!), to verify their information and to make sure they are eligible to vote. I suspect that this tactic was to be used to convice the cleared ex-felons to vote Republican. Who is to say that the taxpayer's money would not have been used to promote Bush's re-election in the name of verifying the ex-felons' information. Calling the eligible ex-fellons, in my opinion, would have been used as an opportunity to urge them to vote Republican, or to create fear in them that if they do not do so, they will get in trouble, or even may be to tell them that the sweet Gov. of Florida has given them their right to vote back to them, so that they should return the favor by voting Republican.
Tadhg, I like your speculation about the phone calls.
IIRC, the story about race is that they were, as they said, trying to make sure they had each felon's ID right, and so they matched different databases on name, last known address, age or birth, and race-- the last, they said, just to be sure. Of course, the one database didn't contain "Hispanic" as a category so it could never match, but both had "black" as a category.
Of course none of the bright people at Andersen, in the Florida governor's office, or in the national campaign had the slightest idea that Hispanic felons would be left free to vote disproportionately Republican. Of course.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-felons14jul14,0,7739356.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
"The state paid at least $1.8 million to Accenture, a private technology company with close ties to the Florida Republican Party, to help create the flawed list."
Interestingly, Accenture was formerly known as the consulting division of Arthur Andersen. Snarky comments about corporate culture are left as an exercise for the reader.
Posted by Duvall | Link to this comment | 07-17-04 1:34 PM
Perhaps I've missed it, but it seems to me there ought to be a discussion as to why ex-felons are disenfranchised anyway. Haven't they paid their 'debt to society'? Nevermind the ridiculous shifting criteria for what constitutes a felony from decade to decade, or state to state. Gay lovers caught in the act have been convicted of sodomy-a felony in Texas. So they can't vote now?
Hmmm, now that I consider this stuff, I think I should lighten up - it's so ridiculous it is funny, except of course for the felon who actually wants to vote. Jeez, can Martha Stewart vote now?
Were there a God, he'd be laughing at us.
Posted by kamajii | Link to this comment | 07-17-04 10:44 PM
The officials' explanation of how the mistake occurred is not clear to me. They indicate, "the reason Hispanics were being overlooked is that state criminal records and voter registration rolls do not account for race and ethnic categories in the same way." Even if true, the state's criminal records should still include the entire Hispanic felons, whether they are categorized or not. No one has stepped forward to point to the state's list and prove that Hispanics were listed, but that they were not categorized as Hispanics. Wouldn't the officials who are being accused of politicizing the list want to clear the air of impropriety surrounding them?
The Pasco Supervisor of Election Kurt Browning is quoted as saying, "the reality of it was there seemed to be too many things creeping up that were not thought out, or thought about." Surprise! Surprise! Isn't this the way the Bush administration has done things so far?
And lastly, part of the plan was to call the fellons (almost all black - hence democrats!), to verify their information and to make sure they are eligible to vote. I suspect that this tactic was to be used to convice the cleared ex-felons to vote Republican. Who is to say that the taxpayer's money would not have been used to promote Bush's re-election in the name of verifying the ex-felons' information. Calling the eligible ex-fellons, in my opinion, would have been used as an opportunity to urge them to vote Republican, or to create fear in them that if they do not do so, they will get in trouble, or even may be to tell them that the sweet Gov. of Florida has given them their right to vote back to them, so that they should return the favor by voting Republican.
Posted by Tadhg | Link to this comment | 07-18-04 8:54 AM
Tadhg, I like your speculation about the phone calls.
IIRC, the story about race is that they were, as they said, trying to make sure they had each felon's ID right, and so they matched different databases on name, last known address, age or birth, and race-- the last, they said, just to be sure. Of course, the one database didn't contain "Hispanic" as a category so it could never match, but both had "black" as a category.
Of course none of the bright people at Andersen, in the Florida governor's office, or in the national campaign had the slightest idea that Hispanic felons would be left free to vote disproportionately Republican. Of course.
Posted by Altoid | Link to this comment | 07-19-04 9:53 AM