ELEPHANT CORNER: Why Not Voter IDs?

GOV. TOM CORBETT has stated he will sign Voter ID legislation into law. Republicans believe the law is necessary to counter voter fraud, which, in our opinion, disenfranchises legitimate voters. Many members of the Democratic Party, including Congressman and Chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party BOB BRADY, are opposed to the law. The Democrats claim the law will prevent the poor, elderly and minorities who are more inclined to lack photo identification from voting.

While the herd was not surprised the Democratic Party does not want Voter ID, we were stunned that the supposedly nonpartisan Philadelphia Bar Association sent an email to all members requesting they vehemently protest the law. The Bar Association even supplied a sample letter for its members to send to their respective State Reps. Attorney and Republican COMMITTEEWOMAN LINDA KERNS also sent a letter of protest, not to her State Rep but to the Bar Association. Her letter was expanded into an opinion printed in last Sunday’s Inquirer. Kerns stated that “At the very least, the nation’s oldest organization of lawyers should recognize that its membership in not an echo chamber of liberal Democratic hyperbole.”

Kerns pointed out that according to the Pennsylvania Dept. of State, 99% of Pennsylvanians have Photo IDs. Furthermore, the law directs PennDOT to provide free identification cards for those who have none. Furthermore, voters who arrive at polls without proper ID will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot and will be granted a six-day grace period to obtain and submit an ID to election officials. Most government employee and student IDs will be accepted. Infirmed elderly people can use expired government IDs supported by certain supplemental information.

Similar laws in Georgia and Indiana were challenged in court, but prevailed. The US Supreme Court upheld the Indiana law. The Obama Administration’s Justice Dept. has challenged a law similar to Indiana’s that recently passed in Texas. This elephant doubts the Justice Dept. will be able to block the Pennsylvania law, however. The Justice Dept.’s standing to contest the Texas law is based on the fact Texas is one of the states covered by the Voting Rights Act — Pennsylvania is not.

In this elephant’s opinion, the real challenge in Philadelphia will not be putting the law on the books, but rather the enforcing it. The citizens of Philadelphia took a big step in the right direction by electing Stephanie Singer and Al Schmidt as City Commissioners. This elephant believes they will take voter-irregularity complaints seriously. However, failure by poll workers to verify identification either through incompetence or participation in the fraud will only perpetuate the problem. Thus, it becomes all the more important for the Republican Party in particular to recruit poll workers and watchers for areas where there has been no minority-party presence for decades.

Last Thursday, DAVID KRALLE had a fundraiser at Paddy Whacks in the Northeast. The event was well attended. New City COUNCILMEN DAVID OH and DENNY O’BRIEN as well as City COMMISSIONER AL SCHMIDT spoke to the crowd and lauded Kralle. Kralle plans to run for Former State Rep Denny O’Brien’s Dist. 169 seat. He is running in both the primary, to be the candidate in November, and in the special election, to fill the seat for the remainder of 2012. The seat is now vacant, since O’Brien took office as a City Councilman in January.

PERSIAN-born Kazem Nabavi, Port Richmond business owner, supports GOP candidate Ron Paul for President in 2012. Nabavi, 67, owns Kaz Tire Center , Cedar & Somerset, and shares his lot with his Persian parrot (Jade) and horse (Cocoa).

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