Republicans flocking to HR550, but warn against improving it

[Wilms]

Has anyone seen a headline, or any evidence, to that effect?

If not, I'd like to suggest putting the flame-throwers back in their holsters and commencing with the vanishing art of critical thinking and constructive dialog.

[FogerRox]

1. I second the motion...............

[FogerRox]

2. Who else is going to sign on to Wilms proposal?

[Land Shark]

3. I'll sign on ... If I'm allowed to!! : )

[FogerRox]

4. Seems we have a 3rd............. whos next?

[Wilms]

13. Of course you're allowed!

I would not feel comfortable with anyone being disenfranchised...even if their argument is wrongly assumed to be the source of unease.

The latter point being that 550 supporters who are upset by your position would do well to consider the following:

1. 550 isn't going anywhere good, anytime soon.

2. Opportunity can be taken to petition Holt for improved language.

3. At least on DU, the discussion about 550 has been going on for over a year without flames until bbv quoted you. At that point some identified you with bbv, a logical leap of which I'm incapable.

This final point is important for you, as well. Many of the bad feelings directed at you have nothing to do with you. They have to do with an assumption you work for/with bbv, or with the fact that some imagined neat little world has been thrown into disarray by your argument, or your argument being taken personally by some who are 'identified' with the bill more than they realize.

So take care as to not be too disheartened or pulled into a fight you aren't waging. Stick with the facts and with people who do the same even though there remains disagreement.

I'm sure all are doing the best they can. And I have faith that we can all improve on that.

[FogerRox]

23. LS- everyone is welcomed,

No-one should get blamed. I will not say one darned thing about so and so being a problem. I dont even want to talk about problems. I wanted to civilly talk about solutions.

But for now the bar is over there, I got a grapefuit & Tonic. Help your self.

[GuvWurld]

5. !

[FogerRox]

6. Huh? say again, please.

[GuvWurld]

7. K&R n/t

[liam_laddie]

8. K & R !

Everybody break out the white flags and work together!
Good idea, wilms and foger.. BTW, wilms, the peace
poems were a terrific idea...thanks!

[EFerrari]

9. Good idea. K&R

:kick:

[Land Shark]

10. K&R 5

[Kurovski]

11. Yes.

:grouphug:

[FogerRox]

12. I'd like to see more participants of the HR550 debate show up.

I'm not going to use any names, but you should lknow who you are.

[eomer]

14. Not feelin the R but here's a K

K?

[kster]

15. Dammit Wilms, we were just

getting to the fun stuff



and you go and call a truce.

Kster signs on.

[Wilms]

16. Whoops! Another flare-up. Take that!

[FogerRox]

21. whoapoblub hey watch where you point that thing, dang

[kster]

26. Bring it

[FogerRox]

27. ya .. sure.. whatever

[FogerRox]

17. A sense of humor is a plus, kster, thanks.

[Amaryllis]

18. Right on, Wilms! Way to go!

[OnTheOtherHand]

19. well, I'm out for now n/t

[Steve A Play]

20. I haven't "flamed" anyone that I'm aware of

In fact I don't even own a flame-thrower. (I have children in the house! :) )

I'll be more than happy to set my cigarette lighter to it's lowest possible setting if that will help. :hi:

[FogerRox]

22. Wilms suggested putting all flame devices in the holster

Dont matter if you were using it, or heating the tip of a pen to get the pen to write again.

I think the idea here is to not label anyone as guilty. But to ask for everyone to chill a bit. SO welcome, sit a spell.

There are too many really good people, that could use a cool refreshing drink, right about now.

[Steve A Play]

24. Make mine a double, anything but Kool-Aid!

You'll be happy to know that I've thrown the lighter away even though it was almost full. (The #@%$* flint popped out while I was composing my response!)

In that case, I guess all I can do is post the following e-mail I just received on the subject of 'friendship'.

Are you tired of those sissy-ass "friendship" poems that always sound
good, but never actually come close to reality? Well, here is a series of
promises that actually speak of true friendship:

1. When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against
the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you finally got laid.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much
worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until you are well again,
I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

9. This is my oath..... I pledge it to the end. "Why?" you may ask; "because
you are my friend".

Send this to 10 of your closest friends, then get depressed because you can
only think of 4.


Remember.......A good friend will help you move

A REALLY good friend will help you move a body.......let me know if you ever
need me to bring a shovel.

Peace! :)

[FogerRox]

25. For a second I thought you were posting the Lyrics to

"Bridge over troubled Waters". Whew.

[Amaryllis]

28. When you’re weary, feeling small,

When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;
I’m on your side. when times get rough
And friends just can’t be found,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.

When you’re down and out,
When you’re on the street,
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you.
I’ll take your part.
When darkness comes
And pains is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.

Sail on silvergirl,
Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine.
If you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.

[Steve A Play]

29. OK, that does it! everyone join hands and sing, "Someone's sleeping Lord

Kum Bi Ya!" On second thought, has anyone got a match? :evilgrin:

[Melissa G]

35. you are my kinda friend Steve.. Are you hispanic?? n/t

[FogerRox]

30. Ok, it seems the word got out, and quite a few folks have posted on this

Thread.... SO lets have it, Lets have at HR 550. Nicely.

[Wilms]

31. .

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

32. HR 550 is good Diebold Repellant

HR 550 is very similar to North Carolina's verified voting law,
except HR 550 is a bit stronger in some parts.

It makes life miserable for voting machine companies,
and makes optical scan much more attractive.

Vendors have to go by the rules, or get out.

NC law passes, after court challenges, Diebold leaves the building.

December 22, 2005. Diebold withdraws as N.C. voting equipment vendor citing that it wasn't able to meet the software code requirements. Diebold Election Systems told the State Board of Elections it would be impossible to meet a Thursday deadline to account for all software used by the company for machines certified to be sold in all 100 counties...A spokeswoman for Election Systems & Software, the lone vendor remaining, said the company will comply with all voting system requirements..."We're just going to go forward," state elections director Gary Bartlett said.
http://www.the-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051222/APN/512221028&cachetime=5

So, Diebold walked away from between $40 - $120 Million in sales,and they
have a manufacturing plant that makes the touchscreens in North Carolina:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=diebold+%2B+lexington&btnG=Google+Search


NC's new law did preserve hand counted paper ballots as a certified voting system, and
one large county used that method for the primary.
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2005/Bills/Senate/HTML/S223v7.html
They did this not in order to delay on buying machines in the hopes that
Diebold or Sequoia might come back.(Some county officials were lobbying to weaken
the law after it had passed).

They had trouble getting people to work the polls in this progressive community:

Paper ballots return
County expects long night of counting
CITIZEN-TIMES.com published April 29, 2006

Voters in both Buncombe and McDowell counties will use paper ballots, while the rest of North Carolina’s counties have opted for new optical scan or electronic voting machine systems. The new systems are in response to a state law that requires a paper trail that voters can review and verify.

Trena Parker, Buncombe County director of elections, said the county has struggled to recruit an additional 127 people to help count the ballots election night.

“Some of our regular workers are choosing not to work this time,” she said.

Parker said Friday the county still needs 95 ballot counters. The counters will be paid $75, and will work in bipartisan teams of four. Parker said the county is especially in need of Republican ballot counters....

Ramsey (County Commissioner) said paper ballots are not feasible for the November general election when higher turnout is expected....
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/NEWS01/60428067/1010&theme=ELECTION

The county was going to go 100% DRE, but we turned them around.

76 out of 100 North Carolina Counties chose optical scan.
(It had been 48 DRE counties)
We used to have half the state voting on paperless machines.
The remaining 23 counties have DREs with toilet paper.

But our law makes DRES less attractive by far.

Mandatory Post Election Audits;
I participated in the post election hand to eye audit last May.
The folks doing the audit were regular citizen volunteers that
both political parties appointed.
We checked the paper ballots and trails to the machine count

We tried to ban DREs in NC, and after Dr. Rebecca Mercuri testified to our
legislature, we had a chance, but the election directors lobbied against us.

[flyingobject]

36. HR 550 Diebold Repellant - works like magic

It does!

[Stevepol]

33. 550 may not be the best possible, but it's a giant step in my opinion.

Just got a call from Common Cause asking for contributions to help fight for 550. I agreed to send some money.

I know it's not the best we could have in the best of all possible worlds, but you have to take the next step. Then, you can see what to do next and then after that, and so on.

Nothing is ever finished.

I also wonder what sign we have that Repubs are "flocking" to 550. We should be grateful for small favors, but keep working until we have a democracy again.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

34. no one has anything else to say?

after all of that lead up?