Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Monroe County, PA Refuses To Buy Election Machines
This is a great example of the municipal civil disobedience that I have been calling for, happening in Monroe County, PA.
As local governments increasingly recognize their untenable situation, caused by the federal government, We The People must insist on an approach of "win-win or no deal." Implicit in this approach is the fact that any deal is not really between the federal and local governments, but rather between the federal government and We The People, with our local representatives authorized to negotiate on our behalf.
If local government does not negotiate, and simply accepts federal mandates, no deal has actually been made anyway. When We The People stand up, and insist that our local representatives actually represent our views, only then are we looking at making a deal, one which We would pursue to the benefit of everyone, or from which we would completely withdraw (no deal = municipal civil disobedience).
Message to Humboldt County Supervisors: No Deal With Diebold!
1 comments
December 26, 2005The article's emphasis is entirely on money, never mentioning election integrity issues. Still, taking a stand like this, "drawing a line in the sand," as the article calls it, is exactly what GuvWurld has advocated for since day one.
Monroe won't pay for voting machines
U.S. wants county to fund half of $1.2 million. So far, the answer is no.
By Matt Birkbeck
Of The Morning Call
It was a year ago when the Monroe County commissioners drew a line in the sand and announced they would not allocate county funds to help pay for new voting machines mandated by the Help America Vote Act.
Last week the commissioners made good on their promise, approving a $75 million county budget for 2006 but deciding against raising taxes to pay the estimated $600,000 to cover their share of the $1.2 million needed to replace 120 lever voting machines.
''We've budgeted no county money and we're not kicking in any cash,'' said Commissioner Chairwoman Donna Asure. ''We are looking at meeting the HAVA requirements by any other means other than costing local taxpayers.''
With a Jan. 1 deadline days away and no local funds in place, the commissioners know they are treading on dangerous ground, opening themselves up to a fight with the federal government. It is the only county in Pennsylvania to refuse to use local funding to pay for voting machines.
(snip)
Asure said she will support any plan that doesn't call for spending county funds, leasing or otherwise, and also took issue with other elected officials for failing to take as strong a stand.
''Unfortunately there are a lot of elected officials that will scream for unfunded mandates but not stand up,'' Asure said. ''I'm extremely disappointed that more elected officials have not hollered about how much money this is costing local taxpayers.''
As local governments increasingly recognize their untenable situation, caused by the federal government, We The People must insist on an approach of "win-win or no deal." Implicit in this approach is the fact that any deal is not really between the federal and local governments, but rather between the federal government and We The People, with our local representatives authorized to negotiate on our behalf.
If local government does not negotiate, and simply accepts federal mandates, no deal has actually been made anyway. When We The People stand up, and insist that our local representatives actually represent our views, only then are we looking at making a deal, one which We would pursue to the benefit of everyone, or from which we would completely withdraw (no deal = municipal civil disobedience).
Message to Humboldt County Supervisors: No Deal With Diebold!
1 comments
1 Comments:
Please add to your links
ProgressiveIndependent.com
We have some solid election theft researchers with solid evidence of this scam.
http://www.progressiveindependent.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=120
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6:00 PM
