-Caveat Lector- >Resent-From: TheGolem [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > BOTH PARTIES ARE A SCAM > > Both parties are a scam. And with either party we can expect to see > declining living standards for the working class, which has > continued to decline under democrats and republicans. > > The ones who will profit will continue to be the corporate bosses. > While there have been some gains for a few, the vast majority of > working people have suffered and will continue to do so under our > present system. > > There is the usual posturing by those who have lined up behind one > party or the other. But, even Nader and the Greens, while more > "progressive" do not hold out much hope when it also relies on a > "kinder and gentler" capitalism. The system cannot be reformed. > > And, there is also NO democracy here. This republic was never intended > to be a democracy. > ______________________________________________________________ > > DENIED RIGHT TO VOTE > > The information presented at the Florida NAACP hearings included > first-hand accounts from victims and eyewitnesses of the following: > 1. that citizens who were properly registered were denied the right > to vote because election officials could not find their names on > the precinct rolls and that some of these voters went to their > polling place with registration identification cards but still > were denied the right to vote; > 2. that registered voters were denied the right to vote because of > minor discrepancies between the name appearing on the registration > lists and the name on their identification; > 3. that first-time voters who sent in voter registration forms prior > to the state's deadline for registration were denied the right to > vote because their registration forms were not processed and their > names did not appear on the precinct rolls; > 4. that African-American voters were singled out for criminal > background checks at some precincts and that one voter who had > never been arrested was denied the right to vote after being told > that he had a prior felony conviction; > 5. that African-American voters were required to show photo > identification while white voters at the same precincts were not > subjected to the same requirement; > 6. that voters who requested absentee ballots did not receive them > but were denied the right to vote when they went to the precinct > in person on election day; > 7. that hundreds of absentee ballots of registered voters in > Hillsborough County (a county covered by Section 5 of the Voting > Rights Act) were improperly rejected by the Supervisor of > Elections and were not counted; > 8. that African-American voters who requested assistance at the polls > were denied assistance; > 9. that Haitian-American voters who requested the assistance of a > volunteer Creole/English speaker who was willing to translate the > ballot for limited English proficient voters were denied such > assistance; > 10. that police stopped African-American voters as they entered and > exited a polling place in Progress Village Center; and > 11. that election officials failed to notify voters in a predominantly > African-American precinct that their polling place, a school, was > closed and failed to direct them by signs or other means to the > proper polling location. > > In addition to the accounts presented at the NAACP hearing, we are > aware of other allegations of possible Voting Rights Act violations > in Florida. For example, there are reports that 200 Puerto Rican > voters in Orange County were unable to vote because they could not > produce more than one piece of identification or were unable to > understand the ballots because of the County's failure to provide > ballots in Spanish or Spanish interpreters at the polls. Orange > County is a covered county under Section 203c of the Voting Rights > Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a. > > We are also aware of unprecedented numbers of complaints of similar > problems in other parts of the United States. Calls flooded our > offices, the NAACP and other agencies seeking to lodge complaints > about registered voters who were turned away from the polls because > their names mysteriously did not appear in the precinct books. In > North Carolina, numerous voters who registered at the Department of > Motor Vehicles under the provisions of the NVRA or otherwise > properly registered this year were told that they could not vote > because their names did not appear on the precinct books and were > denied the right to cast "provisional" ballots as allowed by North > Carolina law. In Virginia, there were numerous complaints of voters > who registered in social services offices under the provisions of > the NVRA who were not allowed to vote because their registrations > were not recorded. Also in Virginia, numerous students at Norfolk > State University registered but were not allowed to vote when they > tried to do so at the appropriate precinct. In New York City there > were numerous reports that minority voters were denied the right to > vote and in Saint Louis, eyewitnesses say that at some precincts > African-American voters were asked to show ID, while white voters > in the same line were not asked to produce any identification. > > These allegations raise potential violations of Sections 2 and 5 of > the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 42 U.S.C. ? 1973, as well as several > provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, 42 > U.S.C. 1973gg-5(a). The Department of Justice must fully carry out > its responsibilities to vigorously enforce these statutes. We call > upon you to take all steps necessary to determine the extent of > Voting Rights Act violations, not only in Florida where violations > may have been decisive to the outcome of the election, but in other > states where it is equally crucial that a complete and reliable > factual record be developed and appropriate remedies be pursued. > > The right of every U.S. citizen to cast a ballot and have that > ballot counted must be protected without compromise and without > regard to the voter's race. This is a task for the federal > government because federal guarantees in federal elections are at > stake. Moreover, time is of the essence because this is surely a > situation in which justice delayed would be justice denied. > > Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent request to > safeguard the most basic right of citizens of the United States --- > the right to vote. > > James E. Clyburn > Chair, CBC > > Melvin L. Watt > Chair, Voting Rights Special Task Force > ______________________________________________________________ > >MYTH OF MAJORITY RULE > > "It's estimated that 33 percent of all Black males in 13 Southern > states are disenfranchised as a result of this legacy of slavery and > segregation." > > "Two rich white men are running at the head of two parties controlled > by billionaires with world corporate empires that exploit hundreds of > millions of workers every day. This is the class truth about this > election and every presidential election in this country over the past > century." > > "If the majority really ruled, 1 percent of the population would not > have as much wealth as 90 percent of the people. There would be no > racist police shooting and beating people. There would not be hundreds > of thousands of families waiting for childcare. There would not be 43 > million people without health care or a 20-percent child-poverty > rate." > > "If the majority ruled, they would not permit the epidemic of > occupational deaths and injuries or environmental destruction. Every > worker would have a union. The elections would not be controlled by > the rich." > > From: Workers World Org > > POSTED TO PNEWS-L in compliance with the Fair Use Doctrine for > educational purposes and to stimulate discussion > ______________________________________________________________ > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Accuracy in Reporting > > Thomas Johnson, Director and Pastor of House of Hope, a > non-denominational center to re-acclimate men once they have been > released from jail or drug rehabilitation in Gainesville, Florida, > Johnson said today: "Like over 500,000 others in Florida, largely > black men, I've been disenfranchised. I'm a man who committed a > crime, I went to prison for it. I've paid my debt to society. Now, > I'm helping guide other men's lives towards adhering to the law of > the land, to have them be decent men, husbands and prominent > citizens in the community. I'm supported by politically-minded > people for the work that I do, yet the political system in Florida > says I cannot vote." > ______________________________________________________________ > > VOTOMATICS > > Votomatic punch card voting machines have been used for about 35 > years and currently used in 37% of all counties in the nation. They > are DEFECTIVE. The developer admitted as much. The plastic backing > deteriorates. When punching those holes you assume you punched all > the way through, but you only get a dimple. This was the problem > with the undercount. It always happens in the upper corner where > the ballot fits into the machine. The former Election Supervisor > for Palm Beach met with judge Burton and others and explained this > situation. In the past it was not as much of a problem because the > results were not as close as this election, but the problem has > gotten worse as the machines aged and became more defective. The > conservative press is not reporting everything and especially those > things which make a difference. The intent of the voter in the > undercounts was to vote invariably for Gore and Gore will be the > sure winner when those dimpled impressions are counted. > > The Republicans are acting like fascists and they are attempting to > steal the election with lies and deceit. > ______________________________________________________________ > >DEMOCRACY IS FOR THE RICH > > The richest 1 percent of the United States controls 40% of the > entire wealth of the United States and less than that 1% also owns > the biggest banks and corporations. These are the ruling classes > and they are the two parties: Republicans and Democrats. > > It is becoming more obvious I would hope to many of you that it is > not possible to have democracy in a country where money and power > accumulate to just a handful, while tens of millions are compelled > to live paycheck to paycheck. > > While a Bill Gates has $100 billion, 20% of all the children in the > United States are compelled to live in poverty. That is obscene. > > I voted in Marion County, Florida and even there the ballot was > confusing. > > Several people were interviewed in Palm Beach about the ballot and > a Rabbi said he was confused and voted for Buchanan when he > intended to vote for Gore. Another gentlemen (a true story) said he > was confused and when asked what his profession was, he said (and > it was), he really was a "rocket scientist." I consider myself > above average intelligence and I had difficulty. Because you were > not there, do not presume as an afterthought that in similar > circumstances you might also make the mistake of punching two holes > when you meant to vote for one candidate. It happened not because > people were stupid, but because the ballot was ILLEGALLY designed. > Because a democrat designed it does not excuse the fact that the > intentions and will of voters in Palm Beach County and elsewhere in > Florida were misinterpreted because of a ballot which did not > follow the prescribed format. It should invalidate the process and > a new election should be held state-wide in Florida. > > This is a lie of the ruling classes. I NEVER received a sample > ballot. My son who lives with us NEVER received a sample ballot. My > wife NEVER received a sample ballot. My daugher who lives in > Morristown, Florida NEVER received a sample ballot. Someone is > lying. We did not receive sample ballots! > > What about those instructions? I waited 45 minutes to get my ballot > before I could even take it to the tiny booth where I inserted it > into the machine and attempted several times to line it up to fit > properly which it did not do for many, including my wife's ballot > which made the holes off center (perhaps her vote was not counted > also?).. > > The instructions which, if they were there, were not prominent. > And, after waiting 45 minutes, if there was any confusion, how many > do you think would go back and attempt to wait again in line > another 45 minutes to tell one of the clerks that they were > confused? Not many. There was no notice stating one could obtain a > second ballot. There was no voter EDUCATION so first time voters > (like the African-Americans who were registered for the first time) > would know how to vote. In days past (many years ago, we had a > lever system and it was simple)... Votomatic is a flawed system and > unless there is a result where the difference is .5% there is NO > recount so no one even questions it. It should have been done away > with in favor of the optical system or some other system a long > time ago or a return to the lever system. The error rate is high > enough to make a difference in an important election as it did in > this one. > > When finished voting in Marion County, Florida, you take your card > out of the votomatic slot and fold it and put it in the box at the > door. There is no checking it. There are only holes in it. Most > would not know what to check for. These instructions are a sham.. > The whole scheme is an election scam....... > > If a recount shows Gore the winner, then he is the winner. Bush > never wanted a recount because it will show him to be the loser, he > is..... > > Or, I should say, the loser we'll be us if he is confirmed the > winner. This is a man who was governor when 144 people were put to > death under his watch and he could have done something about it if > was concerned about racism. The electoral system is racist. The > death penalty is racist. > > But, whether the vote is for Gore or for Bush, but of them are for > expanding the prison-industrial comples and the racist death > penalty. Both of them are racist pro-death penalty advocates. > Racist because most of those who were put to death are Black and > Latinos. > > Take Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham) who was murdered by Texas in spite > of NEW evidence that he was innocent and he NEVER received a fair > trial. Did Bush care? Not at all. Bush says: "I believe no innocent > person has been executed in Texas." They all lie. Your friend, Bush > is a liar. > > And, Gore also could have spoken out against the legal murdering of > Gary Graham --- but, in one debate, Al Gore said to Bill Bradley, > "I support the death penalty." > > He said this, even after INNOCENT prisoners have been released > based on DNA evidence that they were unjustly convicted, often > because they were inadequately defended because they were poor, and > Black or Latino. In July Gore said to the New York Times, "I have > not yet seen evidence that to me would justify a nationwide > moratorium" on executions. Open your eyes Gore. > > What about a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal? > > With defective machines, when you see a dimple you ASSUME the vote > was intended for that candidate, whether it is Bush or Gore. That > is how it is done. > > We can take a lesson from Fidel Castro. The elections on the island > are more democratic than they are here. What is embarrasing (or > should be) is to consider this a democracy with an electoral > college and a system where money determines the winners. > > Are we embarrassed yet? > > The Electoral College prevents LEFT - "progressive" parties from > being represented in the national arena. It will never happen while > big business dominates politics in this country. > > The system is systemically flawed. It was devised by aristocrats to > be for aristocrats. It was devised to represent the rich merchant > class and the slave owners who wrote the Constitution in 1789. It > was designed so that elections would ALWAYS be in the hands of this > elite and determined by elite electors (in the Electoral College) > who in turn were chosen by the rich --- just in case a popular > election did become contrary to the interests of the ruling > classes. > > Are you a pawn of the ruling classes? If you are you voted for > Bush. If you are you voted for Gore. And, maybe you also voted for > Nader -- and if you did, you are still a pawn of the ruling > classes. We're all pawns of the ruling classes until we throw off > these shackles of ruling class politics and kick them out. There is > a myth in this country that the majority rules. > > The mistake is to let capitalism get our vote at all. > > Look what Gore and Bush agree to. Both of them are opposed to > raising the minimum wage so it will MATCH cost of living. Nothing > else is workable because a minimum floor under wages is necessary > or the poor worker is still getting slave wages and will not be > able to survive the steady decline of wages which has taken place > over the last 30-40 years. > > Both of these rich white boys supported NAFTA and WTO and the > IMF... These organizations and treaty have depressed wages and > damaged workers everywhere, in the U.S. and elsewhere. Therefore, > both candidates have been anti-labor because labor has opposed > NAFTA. > > Both supported bigger prisons and more incarceration even as we now > have over 2 million in jail, more than any other country in the > world, including China (on a per capita basis) and both supported > capital punishment, which has been proven over and over again to be > selectively racist and unfair .. > > Gore said the other night he is opposed to any change in the > Electoral College; that is for the electors not to vote as > prescribed by their states instead of saying, he is opposed to the > Electoral College because it is not responsive to the will of the > vox populi. > > You cannot oppose the system by voting. It isn't going to happen. > > But, you must organize and oppose their injustice system. You must > speak truth to power. It takes mass mobilization and militant > struggle to bring about change. Shay of Shay's Rebellion understood > that. They broke him, but not the spirit of that Rebellion. > > Yes, scrap it. Get rid of it. > > The Electoral College is the ruling classes way of imposing a > federal government which would GUARANTEE the rule of the rich. > > Today, there may as well be slaves because African-Americans are > still working for slave wages and so are many poor whites and > Latinos and Native-Americnas. This is not a good system and there > is no good reason to preserve it, including the Electoral College > and including the Constitution as it is currently written. > > Even now the popular vote is NOT BINDING, and there is no penalty > imposed in the constitution if Electors choose someone other than a > candidate who was chosen by popular vote. They stole the election > between Tilden and Hayes in 1879 and turned a Democratic victory > into a Republican victory and ended Reconstruction and they can > steal the election again. > > We make changes. Everyone assumes everything the way it is today > was the same as it was and the Founding Fathers were somehow > omnipotent lawmakers. They were simply rich folks who pretected > rich folks and codified it in a constitution. We didn't even vote > for Senators in this country until 1913. > > Blacks were denied their civil rights until the mid 1960s. The > Smith Act could put you in jail for suggesting that we change the > system and install communism in its place up until the 40s. People > were blacklisted for affiliations until the 50s. And in this new > century we may see the demise of the Electoral College and > eventually the majority of people on this planet will grow weary of > living in poverty and servitude. > >Republic or Democracy? > > If you don't trust the popular vote you don't trust yourself and > you leave choice to those who use this mechanism for their own > gain. A popular vote -- is democratic. An Electoral College is > another vestige of the Republic and not a democracy. > >Fair Elections and Liveable Wages > > "No business which depends for existence on paying less than living > wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country." > [President Franklin D. Roosevelt] > > Low-wage workers deserve better than that. Everyone deserves a > living wage and unless you establish a floor under the wage which > does not fall below the cost of suvival and meeting basic needs you > have a slave wage system. It is just slavery which is legal. > Advocating that is support for legal slavery. > > It is the argument of the ruling classes which is parroted by the > lynch mob servants of the bosses who would claim increasing wages > hurts workers. Increasing wages doesn't hurt workers, it enables > them to live. If businesses stop hiring they cannot get the job > done which they hire help for in the first place and will simply go > out of business or adjust their prices and pay policy to meet the > standard which must require LIVABLE WAGES. It is simply false logic > to deny a livable wage based on this view that the least educated > and minorities will be disproportionately hurt by raising their > wage requirments so no one will hire them. Of course they will > because businesses will still need labor, but will not be able to > extract as much surplus labor without paying for it. And, that is > what they're really afraid of. > > Socialism does work. "From each according to their ability and to > each according to their needs." > > PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS! > > BUT, capitalism is based on PROFITS BEFORE PEOPLE and therefore any > increase in wages is a threat to capitalists. > > There is no chicken and egg argument here. And, wages are never > increased by fiat.. If business wants productivity, let them pay > for it. > > Suggesting we're in pretty good shape now defies logic and ignores > and avoids the problem. Is anyone suggesting that the so-called > "ECONOMIC BOOM" is a benefit to most working men and women? Is > anyone here suggesting that "trickle down" actually works? It > doesn't. > > How many of you really believe that 22 million jobs claimed by > President Clinton during his watch is an "economic boom?" Does > anyone here understand underemployment and living standards? > > "The record-breaking economic boom of the 1990s has left Americans > more divided at the turn of the millennium. The rising tide has lifted > the yachts to tremendous heights, but many Americans are still bailing > out their boats after decades of sinking real wages and wealth. > Average workers are earning less, adjusting for inflation, than they > did a quarter-century ago. The lifeboats of homeless shelters and food > banks are overflowing with people caught in the undertow. To make > matters worse, the SS America is cruising in a sea of red ink-consumer > debt." [Chuck Collins, Chris Harman, Holly Sklar -- UNITED FOR A FAIR > ECONOMY - 99] > > The Wall Street Journal, not exactly the paragon of socialist > thought wrote: "The long economic boom has pushed unemployment to > its lowest level in decades, but more jobs don't necessarily mean > higher living standards....A new report shows that an American > holding a full-tiome job in the late 1990s was still as likely to > fall below the official poverty line as a similar worker in the > 1980s and more likely to do so than a full time worker in the > 1970s." > > In 1989 there were 66 billionaires in the U.S. In ten years that > number has quadrupled.. In 1989 there were 31.5 million people > living BELOW the official povety line... And, ten years later there > were another 4.5 million, bringing that total to 34.5 million > people living below the poverty line of about $13,000 for a three > person family......... > > Distribution of wealth is so unequal it is very much the same as it > was in the 1920s. And the TOP 1% holds more wealth than the entire > BOTTOM 95 per cent combined. > > TheGolem > _________________________________________________________________ <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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