I am NOT trying to start a regional war on DU, but i do have a question to Souther Du'ers

[La Lioness Priyanka]

For those of you who live in areas where VRA required more scrutiny, do you trust your politicians to making fair decisions about minority voters?

again, this poll is ONLY for people who live in areas that were previously covered by VRA and section 4 specifically

12 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, our politicians are to be trusted with voting rights for minorities
	2 (17%)
	No, they are not to be trusted
	10 (83%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[former9thward]

1. Why do you address just the South?

The Preclearance provisions of the VRA affected states outside the south. The following states have jurisdictions under DOJ control: Alaska, Arizona, California, New York, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.

[Rowdyboy]

2. From deep in the heart of Mississippi I vote a RESOUNDING NO!!!

[struggle4progress]

3. Not today. The wackos have seized our NC state government and plan to ruin us

[The Link]

4. Aren't parts of New York part of that as well?

[yardwork]

5. Do I trust the Koch-funded Tea Baggers who took over my state?

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

This is all part of the plan.

[Major Hogwash]

9. You're right, it is all part of their plan.

I didn't know that you lived in the South.
The Rethuglicans were going to implement more voting laws affecting us here in Idaho this year when the state legislature was in session earlier this spring.

But, the slightly more moderate Rethuglicans, who have been in office much longer, stopped the newly elected whacko Tea Party fanatics, the ones that were just elected last year, from forcing those bills through the state legislature.
So, they backed off from putting them on the books this year.

But, they won't hesitate to pass those bills next year now that the Supreme Court has thrown out that specific part of the Voting Rights Act.

[yardwork]

10. I'm in North Carolina

We're Ground Zero for Koch takeovers right now.

[Major Hogwash]

13. Well, I guarantee y'all one damned thing.

If the Supreme Court muffs either one of those decisions about Prop 8 or DOMA tomorrow, we're going to march this here damned summer and raise so much hell, they will have to put it on tv!!!

[yardwork]

14. Smile. People are doing that in North Carolina

Read about our Moral Mondays.

[NightWatcher]

6. Florida tried funny business this last election

All the Hispanic or Black precincts in and around Dade (Miami) had long lines, few machines, and other problems. The state stepped in a few times to keep polls open and try to relocate working machines to the area. Now there will be no check or balance to make them comply.

[Whiskeytide]

7. VRA has covered a lot of state actions...

... outside the South.

But you asked about the South. I'm in Alabama. I passed because it is not as simple as your poll might suggest. There are a lot of elected officials that I would not trust to be fair concerning minority voters, but some I would. Many local elected officials are good people trying to do the right thing. It is usually at the State level where big money gets involved, and that's when I quickly lose trust. But you just can't paint it with so broad a brush.

[aikoaiko]

8. No politician is to be trusted. True of the south and MT, Chicago, NJ, etc.

[Dr. Strange]

17. THAT is the correct response.

[NoPasaran]

11. TX Atty General Greg Abbott has already said the path is clear to implement Voter ID

So I think not.

[Recursion]

12. Jon Stewart last year lambasted an MS politician with a sterling civil rights record

And, full props to Jon, once he was aware of that he manned up and apologized.

The problem is that the legal apparatus (until today) still acts like the South is a unique problem, which it isn't. Are you more worried about Tennessee or Ohio?

[LeftInTX]

15. No way!!!

Although they don't use the "N" anymore, instead they use code words like: Voter fraud, illegal aliens, and dead voters

[okaawhatever]

16. I live in a deep red district. Last election I waited about four seconds. Okay, I didn't

wait that long. there was one sign outside the polling place. When I see or hear of people waiting for hours I want to scream. At the state of the union, when that 90 yr old woman was made to wait hours in the heat I cried. I was so pissed. I was beyond pissed. What in the f__k kind of world is this?
Up until a few years ago,
I didn't realize that the state would allocate greater money and resources to certain districts, favoring the majority party and then cut funding for the rest. I was gobsmacked at the inequality of it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. When you say "your politicians"

are you referring to state politicians ( Gov and Legislature)
or to National politicians ( Congressional Sen. and House)
???????????????????????

[La Lioness Priyanka]

21. gov and legislature

[dixiegrrrrl]

22. Alabama has been chortling the end of Dems. as a party in this state for some time now.

We needed the Voting Rights Act to continue down here, for sure.

[Aerows]

19. No

And I'm a Southerner, but I'll be the first to say our politician's aren't to be trusted ... on a hell of a lot of things, not just VRA. Reining them in on abortion is practically a full-time job, too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. I did not realize the Central Valley was in Alabama.

This is not that simple...as to region specific.

Having actually already read a large part of the decision....they have a couple valid points...they signaled a result like this in 2010 by the by, in a Texas case involving a utility district, and they gave a way out to Congress.

I know people are trying to make this black and white, but it is not black and white.

As to the out...with the present House...cue the laugh tract. That ain't happening.

By the by, the standards used to do the testing should have changed in 2006....one of their actually valid points.