The Politics of Jamie Sanderson

I'm focusing on more important aspects of life - Me, My family

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Friends and followers alike,

I haven't been on this blog in a while, in a 100 percent active role. Actually, two people have been updating this blog for me at times during the past year.

I am not going to drag this out. I want the readers here to know I am officially ending this blog. I do not have the same drive as I did to proceed, and frankly, you deserve me at 100 percent. I cannot give that anymore.

My life has suffered a personal, physical setback since the middle of last year. I am still coping, dealing with it. Plus, in the time I have been going through this I see what is most important: My wife, daughter and me.

I'll always be vocal. Just not here.

The two who have helped keep this semi-updated are freed from their duties. Thank you!

This blog will remain live in case others want to use, study or explore the vast amount of posts. I hope it benefits someone. I did enjoy sharing, writing them.

But, there's a time to say goodbye. This is it.

The politics of Jamie Sanderson was a great adventure. Now, more important people in my life deserve my 100 percent, not 90, 85 or whatever lesser.

Thank you all who contributed, replied, grunted, moaned, cussed me, praised me, hated me, loved me here.

MegaVote: SC 7th, 4/29/2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Recent Congressional Votes Senate: OMB Director Confirmation Senate: Internet Sales Tax Cloture Motion House: High-Risk Insurance Pools Rule Vote House: FAA Furloughs Suspension Vote House: Federal Helium Sales Suspension Vote Editor's Note: Due to the redistricting of congressional districts, you may live in a new district and your subscription to this newsletter may need to be updated. To ensure that your congressional district information is correct, click on the "Edit Subscription" link at the bottom of this email. Scroll down to "Subscription Management" and enter your email to make changes to your district. Congress is in recess until Monday, May 6.
Recent Senate Votes
OMB Director Confirmation - Vote Confirmed (96-0, 4 Not Voting) Last week, the Senate unanimously confirmed Sylvia Matthews Burwell to be the next director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The office oversees development of the presidents annual budget proposals and oversees the performance of federal agencies. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES Sen. Tim Scott voted YES Internet Sales Tax Cloture Motion - Vote Agreed to (63-30, 7 Not Voting) Before leaving for a week-long recess, the Senate also approved a motion to invoke cloture on S. 743, the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013. S. 743 would allow states to require online retailers to collect sales and use taxes on purchases made by their residents. President Obama supports the measure, saying it would "level the playing field" for brick-and-mortar retailers. The bill is expected to pass when the Senate returns; House action is uncertain. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES Sen. Tim Scott voted NO
Recent House Votes
High-Risk Insurance Pools Rule Vote - Vote Passed (225-189, 18 Not Voting) The House was expected to pass a bill to transfer funds from one Obamacare-created program to another last week, but after agreeing to a framework for debating the measure with this vote, Republican leaders concluded they did not have enough votes and pulled it from the floor. H.R. 1549 would transfer approximately $3.6 billion from the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was created to fund various eponymous initiatives, to the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, which was created to provide health insurance coverage to individuals who could not obtain such insurance until 2014, when another Obamacare program, the health insurance exchanges, are scheduled to begin operation. President Obama has threatened to veto the bill if and when it does come up again. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES FAA Furloughs Suspension Vote - Vote Passed (361-41, 30 Not Voting) Responding to rising anger with flight delays around the country, Congress acted with rare celerity to avert further furloughs at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA had been forced to reduce the hours of its air traffic controllers as a result of the sequester. After several days of thousands of passengers experiencing delays (and presumably well aware that they would hear about it from constituents during the recess), the Senate passed a bill (S. 853) by unanimous consent allowing FAA to transfer up to $253 million to prevent reduced operations and staffing. Because the bill could be seen as a spending measure (though it spends no new funds), Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. secured unanimous consent that a House-passed bill with identical text to S. 853 would automatically pass the Senate as well. The House passed such a bill last Friday; it is expected to clear the Senate when that body meets in pro forma session on Tuesday, April 30. The White House stated last week that the President will sign the bill when it reaches his desk. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES Federal Helium Sales Suspension Vote - Vote Passed (394-1, 37 Not Voting) In its final action of the week, the House passed a bill creating a framework for winding down operation of the Federal Helium Reserve. Under current law, the Reserve is mandated to cease commercial helium sales once it pays off its debt, which is expected to occur by October 2013. According to the House Natural Resources committee, the scheduled closure would cut domestic helium supplies in half. H.R. 527 would keep the reserve open with new operating instructions until its capacity is 3 billion cubic feet (down from 10 billion cubic feet at present), at which time commercial sales will no longer be authorized and remaining supplies will only be available for national security and scientific needs. Neither the administration nor Senate leaders have staked out positions on the measure. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES

MegaVote: SC 7th, 4/22/2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:25:00 +0000

Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Firearms Legislation Concealed-Carry Reciprocity Amendment Senate: Firearms Legislation Background Checks Amendment Senate: Firearms Legislation Republican Substitute Amendment Senate: Firearms Legislation Straw Purchases Amendment House: Cybersecurity Intelligence Sharing Upcoming Congressional Bills Senate: Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 House: Helping Sick Americans Now Act House: Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act
Recent Senate Votes
Firearms Legislation Concealed-Carry Reciprocity Amendment - Vote Rejected (57-43) This proposal from Minority Whip John Cornyn of Texas would allow someone with a permit to carry a concealed weapon the right to carry it in any state which has a concealed-carry law. The amendment states that permit holders from other states must abide by the laws of states in which they are located, though it would prohibit states from placing restrictions on individuals with out-of-state permits, treating such individuals as if they carried an unrestricted permit. The remainder of the failed amendments included proposals to reinstate and expand a ban on so-called assault weapons; to ban ammunition magazines holding more than ten rounds; and to prevent veterans from being deemed mental defectives thus losing their ability to own firearms without a court decision. Two amendments did pass muster. The first, offered by Wyoming Republican John Barrasso, would penalize states and localities for publicizing gun ownership data. The second, from HELP committee leaders Tom Harkin, D-Iowa and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., would overhaul the nations mental health system. (Roll Calls 100-105) Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES Sen. Tim Scott voted YES Firearms Legislation Background Checks Amendment - Vote Rejected (54-46) The Senate voted on a flurry of amendments to the first major legislative response to last Decembers massacre in Newtown, CT. In a sign of the difficulty facing proponents of stronger gun laws, most of the amendments were defeated, beginning with a proposal by pro-gun senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. and Pat Toomey, R-Pa. to strengthen background checks. The Toomey-Manchin amendment would have expanded the current system to include all sales at gun shows and on the Internet. Though initially hailed as a critical breakthrough, the amendments prospects died a slow death in the days leading up to the actual vote, as fence-sitting senators from both parties declared their opposition one by one. Ultimately five Democrats opposed the amendment Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. (Reid voted no for procedural reasons which would allow him to call up the amendment for a vote at a later date.) Baucus, Begich and Pryor all face difficult re-elections next year in states that favored Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential contest. Four Republicans supported the amendment Susan Collins of Maine, Mark Kirk of Illinois, John McCain of Arizona, and co-sponsor Toomey. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted NO Sen. Tim Scott voted NO Firearms Legislation Republican Substitute Amendment - Vote Rejected (52-48) The second failed amendment was a Republican substitute offered by Judiciary committee ranking member Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Most Republicans have decried Democratic proposals for reducing gun violence as threatening to Americans Second Amendment rights and have emphasized in their own proposals a law and order approach. This is reflected in the Republican alternative, which would make it a federal crime to purchase guns on behalf of those legally barred from owning them; expand the scope of mental illnesses barring some individuals from owning firearms; and create a special task force focused on attempted firearms purchases by felons and fugitives. Nine Democrats supported the Republican proposal, while two Republicans opposed it. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES Sen. Tim Scott voted YES Firearms Legislation Straw Purchases Amendment - Vote Rejected (58-42) Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy, D-Vt. co-sponsored an amendment that would make it a federal crime to buy guns on behalf of someone legally barred from possessing them, a practice called straw purchasing. The amendment fell just two votes short of adoption. (In a concession to the reality of a likely Republican filibuster, Majority Leader Reid agreed to raise the threshold for adoption of all amendments to 60 votes instead of the usual 51.) Sen. Lindsey Graham voted NO Sen. Tim Scott voted NO
Recent House Votes
Cybersecurity Intelligence Sharing - Vote Passed (288-127, 17 Not Voting) The House last week passed a bill to boost intelligence-sharing between federal agencies and private firms. Entities within the departments of Homeland Security and Justice would be designated for receipt of threat information and reporting of crimes from the private sector. It would outline procedures for sharing such information within the federal government and between the federal government, other levels of government and the private sector. Various concessions were made to assuage concerned advocates for privacy rights and civil liberties, including restrictions on the use of information, a sunset clause, and a mandatory report on the legislation's impact on privacy and civil liberties. Ultimately these groups were not persuaded; neither was the president, who has issued a veto threat. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES
Upcoming Votes
Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 - S.743 The Senate is scheduled to vote Monday on the question of invoking cloture on the motion to proceed to the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would allow states and localities to require Internet companies to charge sales tax. Helping Sick Americans Now Act - H.R.1549 The House is scheduled to vote this week on a suspension bill that would transfer funds from re-open high-risk insurance pools created by the 2010 health care law. The pools had been closed by the Obama administration due to their unexpectedly high cost. Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act - H.R.527 The House will also vote on a bill setting up a series of auctions to sell of the surplus helium in the Federal Helium Reserve.

President’s 2014 Budget Request for Education, entire U.S. Government

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:05:00 +0000

On April 10, 2013 President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2014 Budget. The following materials are available showing what this budget provides for the programs and activities of the Department of Education:

Secretary Duncan announced that “we must continue to build on the reforms already transforming classrooms across the country.” Read the 2014 Budget press release.
2014 Budget Overview
The FY 2014 Education Budget Summary and Background Information (PDF, 1M) provides program information and detailed budget tables.
The FY 2014 Justifications of Appropriations Estimates to the Congress.
State tables for the FY 2013 appropriation and the FY 2014 President's Budget Request will be posted soon.
Cross-cutting issues in the FY 2014 Budget. These documents highlight a number of issues where the Department makes investments across many different programs and activities including:
- Investing in Early Learning PDF [182K]
- College Access, Affordability and Completion PDF [192K]
- Improving the Education of High School Students PDF [212K]
- Career Readiness PDF [169KB]
- Supporting Individuals with Disabilities PDF [92K]
- Strengthening the Commitment to Native American Communities PDF [202K]
- Supporting English Learners PDF [197K]
- Serving the Needs of Disadvantaged Students PDF [155K]
- Supporting Rural Education PDF [170K]
- Improving Productivity and Efficiency PDF [112K]
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education PDF [204K]

FY 2014 Budget for the entire U.S. Government

The President's FY 2014 Budget for the entire United States Government is available online.

MegaVote: SC 7th, 4/16/2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:19:00 +0000

Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Interior Secretary Confirmation Senate: Gun Control Cloture Vote House: Limit on NLRB Activity House: Hydropower Facility Development Suspension Vote Upcoming Congressional Bills Senate: Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013 House: Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)
Recent Senate Votes
Interior Secretary Confirmation - Vote Confirmed (87-11, 2 Not Voting) Last week the Senate confirmed Sally Jewell, former CEO of outdoor retailer REI, to be the next secretary of the Department of Interior. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES Sen. Tim Scott voted NO Gun Control Cloture Vote - Vote Agreed to (68-31, 1 Not Voting) The Senate also agreed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to comprehensive firearmsrelated legislation that has been in the works since the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last December. Sixteen Republicans agreed to move forward with the bill, while two Democrats facing tough re-election battles next year Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas voted against ending debate. Though it is unclear what shape a final bill will take or even whether any substantive measure can garner enough support to pass supporters are hoping to include a strengthened background checks measure sponsored by Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania; language strengthening penalties for straw purchasers; and expanded funding for school safety. If a bill does make it out of the Senate, its fate would be even more uncertain in the Republican-controlled House. President Obama issued a statement in support of S. 649. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES Sen. Tim Scott voted NO
Recent House Votes
Limit on NLRB Activity - Vote Passed (219-209, 4 Not Voting) In January, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in Noel Canning v. NLRB that three recess appointments made by President Obama to the National Labor Relations Board were invalid because they did not take place during the courts definition of a recess. Republican leaders of the House Education and the Workforce Committee called on the Board to cease all activity until new nominees could be appointed and confirmed. Last week the full House approved a bill that would mandate such an approach. H.R. 1120 would prevent NLRB from engaging in any activity requiring a quorum of its members the threshold necessary for issuing legally binding rulings until such time as the Canning decision is overturned by the Supreme Court or sufficient new members are confirmed to constitute a quorum. The White House condemned the measure and threatened a veto. It is unlikely to see Senate action. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES Hydropower Facility Development Suspension Vote - Vote Passed (416-7, 8 Not Voting) The House passed a bill last week under suspension of the rules that would streamline the permitting process for small hydropower facilities. The House passed a similar bill last year that was not taken up by the Senate. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES
Upcoming Votes
Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013 - S.649 The Senate will continue consideration of the gun bill this week. The Manchin-Toomey background check amendment is the next pending action. Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) - H.R.624 The House will attempt to re-pass legislation originally sent to the Senate last year that would allow private companies to share information with federal intelligence authorities regarding cybersecurity threats.

More Than 3,300 Gun Deaths Since Newtown; Faith Leaders Say 'Enough'

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:40:00 +0000

By Jim Wallis - Sojourners

Today, on the National Mall, I stood with fellow faith leaders, including clergy from Newtown, to remember lives lost at Sandy Hook elementary school and the 3,364 gun deaths that have happened since.

We stood in front of a field of crosses, Stars of David, and other grave markers, and it broke my heart to think that each one stood for a life ended too soon. It doesn’t have to be this way. Commonsense steps to reduce gun violence are within our reach. Just today the Senate voted to begin the debate. But there is much work to do. Lawmakers need to hear from you.

This is one of the clearest examples of a stark democratic choice: the old politics of guns or the morality of the common good. The clergy are here today for the common good.

There are many law abiding and responsible gun owners in this country. And I understand that those who play by the rules might feel like they are being punished for the wrongdoing of others. But no legislation being considered would end gun ownership as we know it. What it would do is begin to make owning a gun look a little more like owning a car. In that process we can make it more expensive and more legally punishing for criminals to get guns and make our streets and our schools safer for all. The gun laws on the table are just common sense; they bring us back to the common good.

The all-too-often reality for many urban pastors in our country is that they find themselves burying kids and comforting parents. While this experience may be far removed from those who live in rural or suburban areas and grow up hunting, part of our moral obligation as Christians is to think through these difficult issues not just from our perspective, but considering the stories and lives of others. When pastors are having painful funerals for young people who have died from gun violence, they are not really not thinking about the Second Amendment. Their hearts are full of tears for the families of those who have lost their beloved children; and their minds are full of frustration for how politics prevents us from finding simple ways to save more lives.

Pastors who have buried teen victims of gun violence today planted crosses on the Mall. It marked the beginning of prayer vigils happening across this country while Congress votes on gun legislation.

And if Congressional leaders care about democracy, they will vote for the commonsense rules on gun sales that a majority of Americans — and a majority of gun owners — now agree with. Public opinion is changing.
Yet, today 86 more people will die from gun violence, including 8 more children. When old politics triumphs over common sense, more people die.

I urge the friends and families of those we remember on the Mall today: ask Congress to take just one step forward in making our streets and schools safer.

Today we plant crosses, Stars of David, and other religious symbols. Today we pray. Today we speak to our members of Congress. And one day we will make our country safer — all it takes is coming together together for the common good.

Jim Wallis is CEO of Sojourners. His book, On God's Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned About Serving the Common Good, is now available. Watch the Story of the Common Good HERE. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.

Better for kids – cigarettes or Pre-K?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:38:00 +0000

President Obama released his proposed federal budget, increasing education funding and replacing the across-the-board cuts from the sequester. There's much to appreciate in this proposal, especially a plan to help states fund pre-school through higher "sin" taxes on tobacco products. But unfortunately there are pieces that we can't support, like cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

The President's budget proposal now joins the Senate-passed Murray budget and the House-passed Ryan budget as all of Congress works toward one federal budget for next year. Like an only-in-Washington version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which budgets replace porridge, we now have a bad budget (Ryan), an OK budget (Obama) and a great budget (Murray) on the table.

Below you will see the press release with NEA President Dennis Van Roekel's reaction to the budget that was just issued. With your help, we will continue to advocate for a federal budget that funds education, helps create jobs and keeps our promises to seniors, families and those who are struggling.

NEA President: Cuts to Social Security and healthcare programs in Obama budget plan 'a disappointment'

NEA praises Obama's commitment to funding early childhood education programs for all

WASHINGTON-President Barack Obama sent his annual budget plan to Capitol Hill today. The proposal would cut Medicare and other health programs by $400 billion, and lead to benefit cuts to Social Security by converting the current cost-of-living payments to a new inflation formula known as chained C.P.I.

"Right now the focus should be on protecting and increasing benefits for our seniors, not pulling the rug out from under them as seniors and families are working so hard to make ends meet," said National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel. "Social Security belongs to the people who have worked hard all their lives, contributed to the program, and relied on the promise that they and their family will be able to collect benefits that accurately reflect the cost of living when they retire."

"Any budget proposal must be balanced and fair by demanding more of the wealthiest and corporations while staying true to our nation's commitment to seniors and those most in need," said Van Roekel.

On education, President Obama's budget proposal includes a new $75 billion investment to fund pre-school for all 4-year-olds from low- and moderate-income families. Research shows that investing in early education pays long-term dividends to families and communities.

"NEA members commend President Obama for his commitment to bring quality early childhood education to all children," Van Roekel continued. "There are far too many kids without access to a full range of crucial programs like Head Start, pre-K, and full-day kindergarten that lead to long-term student success."

The budget plan includes billions in mandatory funding for education jobs and would also retroactively replace the devastating across-the-board cuts triggered last month and the remaining years of the sequester, though some cuts to non-defense discretionary are still on the table.

NEA is pleased that the President's budget again makes education a major priority, but yet again much of this funding relies on competitive grants that states have to apply for. "This is disappointing," said Van Roekel, "because competitive grants leave too many students behind."

NEA continues to advocate for more funding investments in major programs such as, Title I and IDEA that are so important to addressing inequities nationwide.

Sincerely,
The NEA Kids Not Cuts Team

P.S. If you haven't already, please sign our Kids Not Cuts pledge to stand up for students and education funding.

BBV connects voting machine test lab with kickbacks, bid-rigging, bribery schemes

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:32:00 +0000

By Bev Harris - BlackBoxVoting.org

Next time you hear that voting machines are reliable and safe "because they have been tested and certified," think of this important article, which reveals proven corruption, payoffs and bid-rigging connected to Ciber, Inc., a firm that signed off on our voting machines. Ciber's okay was the foundation for federal acceptance of voting machines all over the USA.

Permission to reprint or excerpt granted, with link to http://www.blackboxvoting.org
Support our crucial work: http://www.blackboxvoting.org/donate.html
Permalink: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/8/82415.html

A few weeks ago, I decided to examine electoral fraud from the other end. What happens if we start with known public corruption cases and work backwards to the intersection with elections?

What I found were kickbacks and bid-rigging schemes in New Orleans and Pennsylvania which both connect back to Ciber, the firm that supposedly tested and then signed off on most of the U.S. voting machines currently in use in all fifty states, on behalf of the federal government.

I learned of a now-admittedly corrupt government technology official who had placed, as one of his first priorities, setting up an Internet voting system.

And while looking into money-laundering systems, the mechanism that provides the juice for such corruption, I learned of a particularly odious situation: a New York City Democrat who bribed New York City Republicans to help him run for Mayor (as a Republican). "You pull this off, you can have the house. I'll be a tenant," he said. As part of the New York deal, the bribe facilitator was to be appointed New York City Deputy Chief of Police when the would-be-mayor got into office.

My purpose in writing this is not to disgust you with politics. My goal is to prove to you what kind of corporations and people will inevitably end up in positions of control, to illustrate that insiders must never be "trusted" when it comes to conducting elections. There can never be a place where counting votes in secret, or governmental snooping on how we voted, or hidden money behind campaigns, or hiding records on elections, can be accepted by the public, yet that is happening right now.

THE REAL WORLD IS NOT ON TV

Vendors who do business with the government do participate in bid-rigging and kickback schemes, and both politicians and government employees sometimes deprive the public of honest services.

Take the situation in New Orleans, for example, involving former Mayor Ray Nagin, his chief technology officer Greg Meffert, technology vendor Mark St. Pierre, and go-between Ed Burns, who was facilitating payments through a company called Ciber Inc. These guys were doing an overhaul on the city's technology infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina. They were providing traffic and crime cameras. They were paying themselves for work never performed. They were taking kickbacks. They were bid-rigging. They were lavishing donations, trips and perks on candidates they chose.

What hit the front page was crime cameras and infrastructure, but a small news item contained this gem: One of them, Greg Meffert, was also hoping to set up Internet voting for the city of New Orleans.

"Greg Meffert, the New Orleans CIO ... said today that one of his priorities is to provide a secure Internet voting system," write Ellen O'Brien and Charlie Russo of SearchCIO.com. They quote Meffert as saying:

"Hey, we're going to do Internet voting for real, in a real election, and you're going to vote and use kiosks..."

And they report that: "Meffert plans to model the New Orleans Internet voting system on the controversial model the Department of Defense had proposed using for overseas military." [1] (The Pentagon later scrapped that idea due to concerns about fraud.)

When you understand that whoever controls the Internet server controls the election, and that with online voting, the public loses its ability to see or authenticate any of the essential processes; when you learn that a technology official who has admitted to taking $860,000 in bribes,[2] planned to set up his own Internet voting system for New Orleans; when you discover that around this time, the same guy setting up the Internet voting system was making ten-thousand-dollar bets on election outcomes[3], you realize that Internet voting is nothing more than a large number of people acting dumb in the dark.

CIBER THE BRIBER?

But that's not all. While the New Orleans bid-rigging and kickback scheme focused on Nagin, Meffert and St. Pierre, money flowed through Ed Burns, in his position as president of state and local government contracts at Ciber, Inc.,[4] a company that in addition to acting as a conduit in the New Orleans technology money, acted as the "Independent Testing Authority" -- ITA, that handled testing for most of the voting systems in use in America today, and signed off on them, enabling election officials everywhere to tell us not to worry, the machines are safe, they have been "tested and certified."

A testing model will never suffice to replace public right to scrutinize its own election counts, but Ciber's testing turned out to be especially slipshod. How did Ciber get into position become, as the New York Times reported in 2007, "the largest tester of the nation's voting machine software"?

Ciber's authorization to test voting machines was finally pulled in 2007, but only after Black Box Voting and others proved that a Ciber subcontractor, Huntsville Alabama's Shawn Southworth, was signing off on systems he had not really checked out, and a Black Box Voting hidden-camera interview of Ciber's Southworth ended up on national TV in the HBO documentary Hacking Democracy.[5] The US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) pulled Ciber's authorization as an "independent" test lab [6] but reinstated Ciber a couple years later. (Ciber's authorization is currently shown on the EAC Web site as lapsed.)[7]

One wonders how Southworth became Ciber's subcontractor, especially after three previous companies for whom Southworth did ITA testing bailed out. The mechanism in New Orleans may shed light on a hidden mechanism for voting machine authorization.

Ciber, the voting system ITA that signed off on Diebold voting machines, including the GEMS system with its double set of books and ability to count backwards, got caught in the middle of a contract-rigging and kickback scheme in New Orleans, on a different technology project. Here's how that worked:

A subcontractor named Mark St. Pierre worked together with New Orleans CIO Greg Meffert on a multimillion-dollar technology assignment. But it was not St. Pierre, but Ciber that invoiced New Orleans for exorbitant and sometimes impossible tasks and hours by St. Pierre's company (these charges included one person being in two places at the same time). [8] Ciber simply explained that they didn't believe they had the responsibility to oversee the work or check the hours for their subcontractor.

As reported by David Hammer of the Times Picayune: "Ed Burns, Ciber's former president for state and local government contracts, testified on Tuesday that his company's role in New Orleans was to serve as a billing mechanism for St. Pierre's Imagine Software and that the company had nobody in New Orleans overseeing the subcontractors. He said Meffert directed him to give all of the work to Imagine and "considered it an order." [9]

Ciber billed the City of New Orleans, then passed the money they got from New Orleans back to Mark St. Pierre. St. Pierre, in turn helped fill the pockets of New Orleans CIO Greg Meffert.

"The subcontracts [from Ciber to Imagine (St. Pierre's company)] appeared to be little more than a mechanism for directing payment from the city to Imagine and its related companies, " the city's independent inspector general alleged.[10]

THE PAYOFF: A RIGGED BID

Burns admitted that the payoff for Ciber's role as a "pass-through", or conduit, for these payments was Ciber getting the contract to update New Orleans computer systems, a $5.5 million-a-year deal. Though Burns referred to getting that contract as "winning a bid", it was a rigged bid.

Meffert arranged for St. Pierre to meet Ed Burns in San Francisco, to create the bid's requirements, thus assuring that Ciber would win the work. "So they were literally able to have the answers before the questions were even posted," Meffert is quoted as saying. "It's not open and fair. This was done to make sure Ciber would win the contract." [9]

And it wasn't just New Orleans: St. Pierre's company, NetMethods, also got government contracts working under Ciber in other locations in Cook County, Ill (Where Ed Burns current company is located] and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality in Jackson, Miss.[11]

If the "carrot" for Ciber was a New Orleans contract, we should be looking into the "carrots" for Ciber in Chicago and Mississippi as well.

St. Pierre is now serving an 18-year prison sentence on the pass-through and bid-rigging schemes. Meffert pleaded guilty and is expected to receive eight years, though his sentencing has been delayed several times. Former mayor Ray Nagin also went down, likely to the tune of 15 years.

But Ciber's Ed Burns quietly waltzed away after testifying for the prosecution. He now runs a Chicago-based company called SLG Innovation, offering more help for the government, paid for by the taxpayer. According to its Web site, www.slginnovation.com/ the firm provides technology services for justice and public safety, and works with state and local health and human service agencies.

CIBER TROUBLES IN PENNSYLVANIA

Ciber secured more contracts paid for by the taxpayer, two of which were with the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation (PennDOT), which also handles the Pennsylvania motor voter program.On Sept. 4, 2008, Ciber announced a $19 million contract with PennDOT's Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), following an initial $8 million deal. [12]

But last month, a corruption investigation hit Ciber and its employee, Dennis Miller, listed as a Ciber vice president, and charged with bid-rigging, theft, and conspiracy. Criminal charges have been filed against eight current and former turnpike officials, employees and contractors. One of the whistleblowers in the case says $82 million in toll-payer funds have gone to or through Ciber. [13]

I have not got the documents on Ed Burns involvement in Pennsylvania, but one of my sources says he was there too. Was Burns involved in the Cook County deal? How about Mississippi? Why is he still out there tapping taxpayers instead of in jail?

For its part, Ciber is reportedly trying to distance itself now from both its own former president of state and local government contracts, Ed Burns, and vice president Dennis Miller.

Ciber's connection with electronic voting still exists, because voting systems Ciber signed off on are still widely used in U.S. elections.

This story should underline that trust in a secret counting process is dangerous, and that testing by any corporation or government employee can never replace public right to see the actual counting of the vote.

AND NOW, FOR A DIFFERENT INTERSECTION OF PUBLIC CORRUPTION CASE AND ELECTIONS: THE NEW YORK CASE

In New York, both Democrats and Republicans have been charged with selling access to the ballot for the New York City mayoral race. Malcolm A. Smith, a New York state senator since 2000 and acting Lt. Governor under former Governor David A. Patterson, paid bribes to at least two Republican leaders in exchange for ballot access (as a Republican, even though he's a Democrat) in the New York Mayor's race.

Like St. Pierre in New Orleans, Smith used a middleman as a money conduit. Whereas St. Pierre set up a deal with Ciber, whereby Ciber would hire him as a subcontractor and pass through payments to him from the City of New Orleans, New York State Senator Smith is alleged to have cooked up an even more off-the-books deal using former New York City Councilman Charles Halloran.

Halloran facilitated meetings with New York City Republican officials for the Democratic Senator Smith, who needed the cooperation of at least three of New York's five Republican party bosses in order to run for mayor as a Republican. Halloran, according to the US Attorney's office, helped negotiate bribes to Republican bosses on behalf of Malcolm Smith. For his work as a go-between he received both bribes and a promise that Smith would appoint Halloran to the position of Deputy Chief of Police for New York City.

This repulsive police-position-deal would intersect with elections in another way: Unlike other counties in New York, which run ballot chain of custody through the county election office, New York City places its police force in the middle of the electoral chain of custody. In 2008, for example, it was the police department that relayed election results to the public, instead of an elections office.

Political corruption spreads like cancer. According to charging documents , the New York bribery scheme spilled over into Rockland County, to a village mayor and deputy mayor for Spring Valley. Assisted by some of the same people involved in the Malcolm Smith election case, they offered to snatch up some village land using eminent domain in order to sell it off to a developer. The mayor had secretly cut herself into a partnership with the developer, and the deputy mayor received a bribe.

Corruption creates a neural system of one politician beholden to another. The public always needs to retain its right to know, to examine documents, and to see what's going on. Otherwise, who's gonna tell?

As Halloran explains, "That's politics, that's politics, it's all about how much. Not about whether or will, it's about how much, and that's our politicians in New York, they're all like that, all like that," (on this occasion, fortunately for us, he said this on tape and in front of an FBI agent.) "Money is what greases the wheels - good, bad, or indifferent." [14]

AND THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS...

Before we go skipping down the road trusting any politician to know what's best for us regarding our own right to see and authenticate elections...

Before we agree to some pie-in-the-sky idea that secret vote counting processes are safe because some company tested them...

Before we accept the idea that some legislators can pass a law telling us we have to cede over our right to know...

We need to understand that when it comes to elections, trust is childlike. It's wishful thinking. It's immature.

It's not how the world works, and we owe it to our children to remember that.

* * * *

FOOTNOTES:

[1] NEW ORLEANS CIO: KATRINA SPURS INTERNET ELECTION: SearchCIO.com - 09.26.2005,
By Ellen O'Brien and Charlie Russo
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/news/1129153/New-Orleans-CIO-Katrina-spurs-Internet-election

[2] Convicted vendor Mark St. Pierre seeks deal for aiding Ray Nagin probe: The Times-Picayune - August 27, 2012, By Gordon Russell
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/08/convicted_vendor_mark_st_pierr.html

[3] Trial's first stones thrown; Ex-City Hall vendor accused of bribery: The Times-Picayune - 10 May 2011, by David Hammer
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/05/government_begins_bribery_case.html

[4] Former contractor Ciber gave tickets, parties to Mayor Ray Nagin, but saw no conflict: The Times-Picayune - May 10, 2011, By David Hammer
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/05/former_contractor_ciber_gave_t.html

[5] Black Box Voting; Chapter 6, "Who's Beholden to Whom?", by Bev Harris
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/bbv_chapter-6.pdf
and
Hacking Democracy: HBO Pictures, 2006

[6] U.S. Bars Lab From Testing Electronic Voting: The New York Times - January 4, 2007, By Christopher Drew
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/washington/04voting.html

[7] Expired Accreditation Test Labs - Ciber Inc.: US Election Assistance Commission Web site, as of April 4, 2013
http://www.eac.gov/testing_and_certification/accredited_test_laboratories.aspx

[8] City aide cleans up after the storm ; Doing errands nets him $75.28 per hour: Times-Picayune - 18 March 2007, by Gordon Russell
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2007/03/city_vendor_gives_meffert_a_bo.html

[9] Greg Meffert testimony puts Colorado-based Ciber in crosshairs: The Times-Picayune - May 11, 2011, By David Hammer
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/05/greg_meffert_testimony_puts_co.html

[10] Public, private lines blur at City Hall; Former tech chief's deals face scrutiny: Times-Picayune - 5 April 2009, by David Hammer
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/publicprivate_lines_blurred_at.html

[11] Mark St. Pierre defends 'strategic partnership' with contractor Ciber Inc.: The Times-Picayune - May 24, 2011, By David Hammer
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/05/mark_st_pierre_defends_strateg.html

[12] CIBER Wins $19 Million SAP Support Contract for Pennsylvania Turnpike: Press Release: Associated Press Newswires - 4 September 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&refer=conews&tkr=CBR:US&sid=aiPk4NDCGtTE

[13] Turnpike insiders who decided to blow the whistle were threatened, sometimes fired, says attorney general: Philadelphia Inquirer - March 14, 2013, by Paul Nussbaum
http://articles.philly.com/2013-03-15/news/37717290_1_grand-jury-ciber-turnpike-job

[14] Complaint against Malcolm Smith et. al.: US District Attorney Southern District of New York - 3/29/2013,
http://www.scribd.com/doc/133604402/Smith-Malcolm-Et-Al-Complaint

Georgetown County Board of Elections and Registration Regular Meeting - April 10

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:41:00 +0000

Agenda

Regular Meeting

Georgetown County Board of Elections and Registration

303 N Hazard St

Georgetown, South Carolina

April 10, 2013

5:30 pm

Notices of this meeting have been made in accordance with 1976 Code of Laws of South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.

Call to Order Dean Smith, Chairman

Approval of Minutes: Joyce Gunter, Secretary

Regular Meeting – February 13, 2013

Public Input Dean Smith, Chairman

Election of Officers’ : Vice-Chair and Secretary

Unfinished Business: Dean Smith, Chairman

· City of Georgetown Elections

New Business: Dean Smith, Chairman

· Email information from B Altman/bylaws

7. Reports to Commission: Donna Mahn, Director

a) Budget Status

8. Executive Session (If required) Dean Smith, Chairman

9. Adjournment

S.C. Dems say it's 'Time to Apologize!'

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:27:00 +0000

Governor Nikki Haley has yet to apologize for losing 6.4 million consumers and businesses personal information.

MegaVote: SC 7th, 3/26/2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:55:00 +0000

Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Fiscal 2013 Continuing Appropriations Passage Senate: Fiscal 2014 Senate Budget Resolution Adoption House: FY 2014 Budget Resolution Adoption House: FY 2013 Continuing Appropriations Final Passage Editor's Note: Both the Senate and House are in recess. The Senate is scheduled to return on Monday, April 8. The House is expected to return on Tuesday, April 9.
Recent Senate Votes
Fiscal 2013 Continuing Appropriations Passage - Vote Passed (73-26, 1 Not Voting) With a week left to avert a government shutdown, Senators passed a stopgap measure to keep federal funds flowing for the remainder of fiscal 2013. The Senate slightly expanded the spending package included in the original bill the House of Representatives passed on March 6, which only included full appropriations for Defense, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs. Through a last-minute amendment put forth by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., senators added additional spending provisions from three other related bills. The Senate approved Mikulskis amendment 70-29 (roll call 42), less than an hour before the bills final passage roll call vote. All told, the bill appropriated $517.7 billion for the Defense Department, $71.9 billion for veterans programs and military construction projects, $39.6 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, $20.5 billion for the Department of Agriculture and $50.2 billion for commerce, law enforcement and science programs. Spending on all other government programs will remain flat from fiscal 2012 rates. The bill made slight spending cuts from the earlier stopgap spending bill set to expire on March 27 to get federal outlays under the discretionary spending caps of the 2011 debt limit law (PL 112-25). The senate rejected several floor amendments that cut funds from Homeland Security and defense biofuel programs. Senator Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., relented on consideration for the single-largest spending cut amendment, which would have redirected nearly $381 million in spending for the Armys Medium Extended Air Defense System. Ayottes opposition to the program had held up final consideration of the bill for a week. The bill returned to the House the next day and received a motion to concur to its amended status, passing it to the presidents desk for signing. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Tim Scott voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Fiscal 2014 Senate Budget Resolution Adoption - Vote Agreed to (50-49, 1 Not Voting) Just before 5:00 in the morning on Saturday, the Senate passed its first budget resolution in four years by a single vote. Four Democrats Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas voted with Senate Republicans against the measure. Final passage arrived after senators spent 13 hours considering dozens of floor amendments on a huge swath of policy areas. Without any force of law, the nonbinding resolution laid out Senate Democrats alternative to the House budget, which passed two days before on a largely party-line vote (roll call 88). The Senate blueprint laid out $975 in new revenue and $975 in spending cuts over 10 years that promised to reduce the budget deficit $1.8 trillion in all. It also included additional economic stimulus and infrastructure investment funds supported by the White House. During floor debate, the Senate rejected a substitute budget put forth by Rand Paul of Kentucky that slashed spending by $9.6 trillion and cut taxes by $2.3 trillion over 10 years (roll call 69). Another Senate conservative firebrand, Texan Ted Cruz, offered unsuccessful amendments to repeal the Affordable Care Act (roll call 51), cut foreign aid to Egypt and build missile defense batteries on the East Coast (roll call 85), and withhold American funds to the United Nations until China rescinded its one-child population control policy (roll call 86). Republicans received Democratic support to pass amendments endorsing the Keystone XL pipeline (roll call 61), eliminating subsidies to the largest banks (roll call 70), and initiating a biennial budget process (roll call 65.) Senate Democrats played amendment tug-of-war, too. New Hampshires Jeanne Shaheen successfully introduced an amendment backing womens family planning and birth control access provided under the Affordable Care Act (roll call 54). Rhode Islander Sheldon Whitehouses amendment to create a carbon tax to combat global warming, however, failed (roll call 58). Sen. Lindsey Graham voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Tim Scott voted NO......send e-mail or see bio
Recent House Votes
FY 2014 Budget Resolution Adoption - Vote Passed (220-207, 4 Not Voting) On Thursday of last week, the House agreed to adopt the concurrent resolution introduced a week earlier by sponsor Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., that would provide $2.769 trillion in new budget authority for FY2014, not including off-budget accounts. It assumed that the spending levels set by the sequester would stay in place and the discretionary savings from the sequester will come from nondefense programs. It also included the repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul and changed Medicare to a premium support system starting in 2024. In addition, the resolution called for changes to the tax code, including the consolation of the individual income tax brackets from six to two and the reduction or elimination of some tax credits and deductions. In addition to mapping out government spending levels for FY 2014, the resolution included appropriate budgetary levels for FY2015-FY2023 that would assume $5.7 trillion in reductions over the next ten years in discretionary and mandatory spending. Prior to adopting H. Con. Res. 25, on Wednesday the House rejected five amendments that would have provided alternative budget plans: the Senates Concurrent Resolution from Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C. (Roll Call 83); the Congressional Black Caucus preparation from Robert C. Scott, D-Va. (Roll Call 84); the Congressional Progressive Caucus substitute from Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz. (Roll Call 85); the Republican Study Committees idea from Rob Woodall, R-Ga. (Roll Call 86); and the Democratic alternative from Budget Committee Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. (Roll Call 87). 171 Democrats attempted to force Republicans to pass or reject the conservative Woodall plan by voting present. That vote was the closest of any of the five to being approved. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES......send e-mail or see bio FY 2013 Continuing Appropriations Final Passage - Vote Passed (318-109, 4 Not Voting) At the end of the legislative week, the House agreed to the Senates amendments to the bill that would approve the continuing appropriations through FY 2013 including $1.043 trillion in discretionary funds before the sequester. It funds departments and agencies at their FY2012 enacted levels, with adjustments for certain programs. The legislation provides $517.7 billion in base discretionary funding for the Defense Department, $71.9 billion for veterans programs and military construction, $20.5 billion for agriculture programs, $39.6 billion for the Department of Homeland Security and $50.2 billion for commerce, law enforcement and science programs. The legislation is now cleared for the president to sign into law, thus ending the lengthy process of funding government operations for FY2013. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

BBV on proven Miami computer hack for absentee ballots

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:13:00 +0000

By Bev Harris - BlackBoxVoting.org

New insights on one of the most interesting election fraud stories of 2012...

THIS REALLY HAPPENED.

It's a documented computerized voting system hack; it's been in front of a grand jury; it shows a political pattern. It appears to have targeted three specific and interconnected candidates. It is being declared thwarted and they say it wouldn't have worked. Officials claim the hack is untraceable.

Now here's the truth: It could easily have worked, and I'll describe how below, and by the way, Rocky and Bullwinkle could have caught these guys. The reason they weren't apprehended is that crucial IP addresses were withheld from investigators during the period while trace routing logs were intact.

Two questions still need a real investigation: (1) Which persons did the actual handoff (and omission) of the IPs to state/federal investigators; and (2) Where was the Miami-Dade absentee database to be sent during the print & mail phase of this election?

(We need support, by the way) - Black Box Voting Donation link: http://www.blackboxvoting.org/donate.html
(Discussion link): http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/8/82408.html

WHO NEEDS SOAP OPERAS WHEN YOU'VE GOT ELECTIONS?

Here's the backstory: Beginning in July 2012, thousands of bogus requests for absentee ballots poured into the Miami-Dade elections Website for August primary election ballots. The requests hijacked identities of infrequent voters, and targeted just three precincts, containing two Republican candidates who were brothers and a third, allegedly a pretend-Democrat in a primary against a for-real Democrat, who has pleaded not guilty to charges that he lied on his campaign reports. But wait -- the alleged ringer's campaign manager also was having a romantic relationship with one of the Republican brothers.

As I said, this one is interesting. It gets more curious, and really quite disturbing.

Whoever stuffed the phony absentee ballot requests into the computer system did it clumsily. The system, made by VR Systems, was set up to flag excessive requests coming from the same source ("IP address"). At first, the requests came in from two Miami IP addresses and a third originating somewhere unspecified within the USA.

Apparently someone wised up then, realizing that with a warrant and the timeline, law enforcement can follow a domestic IP right to your front door. The fake ballot requests were aborted; then, after a short lag, they resumed, this time rerouted through foreign IP addresses. International traces can jump through more hoops than a circus clown and present jurisdictional obstacles for law enforcement.

KLUTZ OR COVER UP?

Still, one wonders, who was doing this and why weren't they apprehended already? After all, the first illicit ballot requests came from traceable local IP addresses. State prosecutors, so the story goes, "did not obtain that information [the local IP addresses] as part of their initial inquiry, due to a miscommunication with the elections department." Instead, the Miami-Dade state attorney's office claimed they could not find the hacker because most of his or her actions were masked by foreign IP addresses. (1)

Embarrasingly (for investigators), The Miami Herald stuck three domestic IP addresses under the noses of investigators and asked what is going on with those. Then prosecutors said they will look into it. One would hope so, but ... well you know. "It's political."

The investigation was treated doubtfully from the start. According to an e-mail regarding IP tracing quoted in the Miami Herald, a prosecutor in the cyber crimes unit wrote, "These are probably a dead end."

Four months after the cyber-intrusion was detected, it was discovered that deputy elections supervisor for voter services Rosy Pastrana, a member of the Florida Republican Party, had not sent the traceable domestic IP addresses (two from Miami) to investigators, giving them only the foreign IPs. The delay in providing the addresses to prosecutors was "an oversight," according to Bob Vinock, an assistant deputy elections supervisor for information systems, listed in voter rolls without party affiliation, wife associated with the Democratic Party.

In December 2012, four months after the absentee ballot invasion was detected, the local, traceable IP addresses were e-mailed to prosecutors, who promised to look into it. But in January, the Florida state attorney's office signed off on a memo closing the case without any mention of what’s going on with those local IP addresses.

The Miami Herald has done excellent investigative reporting on this, making sure prosecutors could not overlook the local IPs, so maybe it's not over yet. But then again, maybe by now the necessary logs have been deleted or overwritten.

The contract with VR Systems, the computer program that flagged the unusual IP activity, shows that Bob Vinock was in the loop during procurement. He knew it flagged suspicious IP requests. He may be a bit frustrated that the most traceable IPs took a four-month detour on their way to investigators. After all, it was Vinock's stubborn e-swordsmanship which blocked intruding phone absentee requests as they flowed in.

I must say that I'm more curious about Rosy Pastrana, who has been in charge of not only voter registration, but absentee ballot processing and the elections mailroom, giving her a high degree of that valuable commodity and always the simplest route to election fraud: Inside Access.

IT WOULD NEVER HAVE WORKED? -- NOT SO FAST!

News articles about the ballot request intrusion hasten to explain that it wouldn't have worked, because when the ballots are mailed to thousands of people who didn't request them, how would anyone get them voted and submitted? This overlooks a key part of the process: The ballot printing & mailing contractors.

A very interesting snippet in the news articles mentions that the requests used identities for people who usually don't vote. Who has that information? Well, certainly Rosy Pastrana and probably Bob Vinock, and also many Florida political consultants. But an even more interesting thing about these various absentee processing databases is that they travel from hand to hand, government to private company, and sometimes take a side road to consultants along the way. What reporters may not have known to ask is what happens with the absentee ballot request database during printing and mailing phases, because here's where the opportunity lies.

Fresno County California has been sending their absentee database to their ballot printer (an on-the-books county contractor with approval from the state of California to print ballots). According to one of my sources, the ballot printing firm then turns around and sends the absentee request database to an off-the-public-record consultant named John Elder, whom some of you may remember from Chapter 8 of the Black Box Voting book ( http://www.blackboxvoting.org/bbv_chapter-8.pdf ); he is a convicted narcotics trafficker who teamed up with convicted embezzler Jeffrey Dean to print and mail ballots for King County, Washington and a number of other locations throughout the USA, until the light started to shine on them and they were removed from that position.

Elder then went on to create his own election consulting firm, which -- among other things -- has been middle-manning those absentee request databases for the ballot printer and the mailing firm.

Now, if you have a few thousand strategically targeted extra ballots that you know are bogus, and you reroute the database to an off-the-public-record consultant during the print & mail phase, you can deliver those ballots anywhere you want. They can all be sent to the same address; no one would know. They need never be mailed at all. In fact, an ex-employee at the John Elder/Jeff Dean ballot plant once pointed out to me that although they had a dumpster out back, sometimes at night they would leave black trash bags full of ... something ... on the curb near the street.

I'm not sure what vendor Miami-Dade County is using to print and mail ballots; some Florida counties use Runbeck, out of Arizona by way of Tampa. But regardless of who they use, it isn't the Miami-Dade elections people who actually do the mailing. Whoever does the print & mail phase has both the absentee request database and total control over where absentee ballots go.

The Miami absentee hack went wrong, and was thwarted when someone tried to do the ballot request stuffing via the Web site. Besides triggering IP flags, the system automatically sent an e-mail to the real persons whose identities had been hijacked for bogus requests. (At least in the early stages, when the genius behind this let the real e-mail addresses stay in the database. Later, voter e-mails were converted to duds, like "mike@aol.com", addresses that won't go anywhere.)

Remember that if performed by someone who has inside access, a Web site isn't needed to enter the ballot requests. A stack of requests can be inserted directly into the database by an admin, eliminating the need for IP addresses and doing an end-run on the e-mail notification feature.

The problem with unrestricted vote-by-mail is that you can't control chain of custody. Its not just chain of custody on pieces of paper, it's custody of printing and mailing databases as well. In the end, with absentee voting, you really have no idea who actually inserts the ballots into the pool.

"We have possibly gotten way ahead of ourselves in encouraging people to vote by mail," said Charles Stewart III, a political science professor at MIT and co-director of the Caltech-MIT Voting Technology Project. (2)

Gee whiz. Ya think?

* * * * *

PERMISSION TO REPRINT OR EXCERPT GRANTED, WITH LINK TO http://www.blackboxvoting.org

* * * * *

References:

(1) Brilliant investigative reporting by The Miami Herald:
The case of the phantom ballots: an electoral whodunit. The Miami Herald - Feb. 23, 2013, By Patricia Mazzei
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/23/v-fullstory/3250726/the-case-of-the-phantom-ballots.html

(2) Popularity of vote-by-mail adds extra complication to counting votes accurately; California Forward - March 21, 2013, by Ed Coghlan - http://www.cafwd.org/reporting/entry/popularity-of-vote-by-mail-adds-extra-complication-to-counting-votes-accura

More stories about the hack:

Computer software thwarts election fraud scheme - Watchdog.org - Feb 26, 2013, by Marianela Toledo
http://watchdog.org/71494/computer-software-thwarts-election-fraud-scheme/

Cyberattack on Florida election is first known attempt - Salon.com - Mar. 18, 2013, by Natasha Lennard
http://www.salon.com/2013/03/18/cyberattack_on_florida_election_is_first_known_attempt/singleton/

Medicaid Expansion - Did You Know?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:34:00 +0000

Last week Jackson Hewitt, a reputable national tax firm, released a study that found that states that do not expand Medicaid will expose employers to higher federal tax penalties under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This is because employers will face penalties when their employees access federal health exchanges because affordable coverage is not offered, when there is no penalty for employees to access Medicaid. According to the study, that could mean $30 million to $45 million in penalties for South Carolina employers.

Last week the South Carolina House of Representatives voted against amendments to expand Medicaid up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level as provided by the Affordable Care Act. House Democrats held the floor for nearly five hours, quoting scripture and statistics in their effort to amend the State Budget to expand health coverage to more of South Carolina's low-income citizens, but the House GOP was solid in its opposition to expanding Medicaid, and not a single member of the Caucus supported the Medicaid expansion amendments.

While we are disappointed in last week's vote, we are very appreciative of those House Members that took to the floor to fight for South Carolina's most vulnerable citizens. And we are even more proud of the more than 500 emails sent into the House from LEAd advocates in 26 hospitals. We must keep in mind that while we passionately support Medicaid expansion, Republican members of the House are feeling just as much, if not more, pressure from their party to oppose “Obamacare” in South Carolina. Republicans in the House received a flurry of press releases and action alerts from their Party, their Caucus, their Governor, and Palmetto Liberty, the South Carolina arm of the Tea Party, urging them to oppose any amendment to expand Medicaid in the 2013-2014 State Budget.

This illustrates how important it is to focus on growing our LEAd grassroots program so the next time Medicaid expansion is debated at the Statehouse, we have a louder voice than our opposition. Please encourage your colleagues to join LEAd, and let’s show our state legislature our hospitals are united behind Medicaid expansion.

Elizabeth Colbert Busch Knows Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:36:00 +0000

I know what it takes for business to survive and thrive in South Carolina. As an experienced businesswoman, bringing more jobs to South Carolina is my number one priority. As a wife, mother and a grandmother, I am deeply concerned about the need to create economic opportunities for our children and grandchildren.

I’ve helped bring thousands of jobs to the Charleston area through Clemson’s Restoration Institute, the world’s largest wind turbine testing facility. This facility is providing good-paying, high quality jobs, and related manufacturing businesses are now lining up to come here to provide thousands more.

The country is moving forward on the road to recovery. The economy is no longer in free fall. Financial and housing markets have stabilized and positive job growth is returning. Here in South Carolina, the unemployment rate has dropped to 8.4 percent from a high of 12 percent in 2009. But we still have a long way to go.

Unemployment is still too high nationally and we are not creating jobs fast enough to make up for the 7.9 million we lost in the Great Recession. Our state’s unemployment level remains higher than the national average, and is much worse in rural areas. This is unacceptable.

And, just as the country begins to show real signs of economic improvement, we are faced with the mindless across the board cuts of the “sequester” that threaten the nation’s and South Carolina’s fragile recovery.

While the national impact of the cuts remains unclear, we know that South Carolina and the 1^st District will be hit especially hard.

South Carolina’s eight major military bases contribute almost $16 billion annually to the state’s economy. The 11,000 Department of Defense workers statewide will likely face furloughs, removing close to $60 million in gross pay from the state’s economy. The Charleston region could be hit hardest, affecting the large Department of Defense civilian workforce based in and around North Charleston. In Northern Beaufort County, over 8,400 military and civilian personnel are employed by the three military installations. With a total economic impact of more than $1.4 billion on the local economy, the military is a major force in that region.

Economic growth and job creation are my top priority beginning with the immediate threat that we face from the sequestration. I will work hard to make sure that our country’s readiness is not compromised and that political extremism and self-interest don’t continue to stand in the way of rational debate and real solutions for fiscal responsibility. I will work towards a long-term budget deal that gets the nation on track for economic growth—and that ends the constant state of crisis and bickering in Washington.

New job growth through capital-intensive manufacturing provides great opportunities, but we cannot rely on large businesses alone for our economic recovery. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy—particularly here in South Carolina where they account for approximately 50 percent of private sector jobs and make up over 97 percent of the state employers.

We need to provide our entrepreneurs and innovators opportunities to succeed. I support providing small businesses with tax breaks and better access to credit that will spur job creation.

In January Congress and the President extended several small business tax incentives designed to boost capital investment and innovation and expand hiring. When I am in Congress I will fight to ensure that these tax breaks continue and that small business will not see their tax rates go up.

I support investing in a clean-energy economy. Here in the 1^st District, alternative energy provides good jobs with salaries above the national average. The market is growing—projections estimate that the wind industry alone will add an additional 20,000 jobs, $2 billion in wages and $600 billion in state and local revenue in the next two decades.

Rebuilding our antiquated system of roads, bridges and ports is a huge opportunity to create millions of jobs.

Moving and delivering information, goods, and resources faster and more efficiently is critical to our future economic success. I agree with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce that we jeopardize business competitiveness if we continue to ignore our crumbling system. I will work to forge partnerships that encourage private investment in infrastructure that takes the burden off taxpayers.

We need well-trained, technically skilled workers for businesses to grow and be competitive here in the 1^st District and the across the nation. I am committed to establishing the world’s finest system of education— from pre-kindergarten to post-graduate and workforce training—with particular emphasis on literacy, science, technology, engineering and math.

In the past few decades, our middle class has seen the slowest growth in wages and rising incomes since the Great Depression. I am committed to rebuilding and revitalizing the middle class through a fairer tax system.

I will work to eliminate wasteful tax loopholes that benefit highly profitable corporations and speculators at the expense of small business and the middle class. I am committed to keeping middle classes taxes low.

Some 85 percent of South Carolina businesses depend on the Port of Charleston. As the first woman chair of the Maritime Association of South Carolina, I recognize the importance of leadership in Washington to protect and preserve this vital economic resource.

Learn more here.

Support Back to Work Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:04:00 +0000

To all members of the House of Representatives:

We’re in a jobs crisis that isn’t going away. Millions of hard-working American families are falling behind, and the richest 1% is taking home a bigger chunk of our nation’s gains every year. Americans face a choice: we can either cut Medicare benefits to pay for more tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, or we can close these tax loopholes to invest in jobs. We choose investment. The Back to Work Budget invests in America’s future because the best way to reduce our long-term deficit is to put America back to work. In the first year alone, we create nearly 7 million American jobs and increase GDP by 5.7%. We reduce unemployment to near 5% in three years with a jobs plan that includes repairing our nation’s roads and bridges, and putting the teachers, cops and firefighters who have borne the brunt of our economic downturn back to work. We reduce the deficit by $4.4 trillion by closing tax loopholes and asking the wealthy to pay a fair share. We repeal the arbitrary sequester and the Budget Control Act that are damaging the economy, and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid, which provide high quality, low-cost medical coverage to millions of Americans when they need it most. This is what the country voted for in November. It’s time we side with America’s middle class and invest in their future.

Job Creation

• Infrastructure – substantially increases infrastructure investment to the level the American Society of Civil Engineers says is necessary to close our infrastructure needs gap

• Education – funds school modernizations and rehiring laid-off teachers

• Aid to States – closes the recession-caused gap in state budgets for two years, allowing the rehiring of cops, firefighters, and other public employees

• Making Work Pay – boosts consumer demand by reinstating an expanded tax credit for three years

• Emergency Unemployment Compensation – allows beneficiaries to claim up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits in high-unemployment states for two years

• Public Works Job Programs and Aid to Distressed Communities – includes job programs such as a Park Improvement Corps, Student Jobs Corps, and Child Care Corps

Fair Individual Tax

• Immediately allows Bush tax cuts to expire for families earning over $250K

• Higher tax rates for millionaires and billionaires (from 45% to 49%)

• Taxes income from investments the same as income from wages

Fair Corporate Tax

• Ends corporate tax bias toward moving jobs and profits overseas

• Enacts a financial transactions tax

• Reduces deductions for corporate jets, meals, and entertainment

Defense

• Returns Pentagon spending to 2006 levels, focusing on modern security needs

Health Care

• No benefit cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security

• Reduces health care costs by adopting a public option, negotiating drug prices, and reducing fraud

Environment

• Prices carbon pollution with a rebate to hold low-income households harmless

• Eliminates corporate tax subsidies for oil, gas, and coal companies

Become a co-sponsor of the Back to Work Budget

What South Carolina stands to lose with looming across-the-board education cuts

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:26:00 +0000

Across the board cuts will devastate South Carolina schools

Across the board cuts will slash 36 million dollars from South Carolina school budgets and decimate programs for 70,175 students.

You can help turn up the heat on lawmakers by sharing this image with your networks and signing the Kids Not Cuts pledge: educationvotes.nea.org/kidsnotcuts/

Food Stamps, Medicare, and Medicaid in the Ryan Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:22:00 +0000

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget plan includes cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) of $135 billion — almost 18 percent — over the next ten years (2014-2023),[1] which would necessitate ending assistance for millions of low-income families, cutting benefits for millions of such households, or some combination of the two. Chairman Ryan proposed similarly deep SNAP cuts in his last two budgets.

While Chairman Ryan has outlined some key features of his proposal as it affects SNAP — in particular, converting SNAP to a block grant — he has provided little information on how the cuts would be achieved or their timing over the ten-year period.[2]

Since more than 90 percent of SNAP expenditures are for food assistance benefits for low- income households, and most of the remaining funds go for necessary state administrative costs to determine program eligibility and operate the program properly, policymakers couldn’t possibly achieve cuts of this magnitude without substantially scaling back SNAP eligibility or reducing benefits deeply, with serious effects on low-income families and individuals.[3]

Ryan Budget Would Slash SNAP Funding By $135 Billion Over Ten Years

Chris Hayes replacing Ed Schultz in weekday slot

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:32:00 +0000

Ed Schultz broke news last night: He's moving from MSNBC's 8 p.m. weekday slot to Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The New York Times reported today Chris Hayes will take Ed's place on weekdays.

Nobody on TV is a stronger voice for working people and unions than Ed Schultz. He deserves to know we treasure that voice -- and will keep watching him.

Can you sign our thank-you card to Ed Schultz, and tell him what his voice means to you? Click here -- and forward this to other Ed fans.

I will be on Ed's radio show today at 2:05pm and will personally tell him how many people signed the card. I'll also read at least one note on the air. So sign today.

Politico reports that Ed "became best-known as an advocate for unions, labor, and the middle class."

When unions were attacked in Wisconsin and Ohio, Ed was there. When Whirlpool fired workers in Iowa, Ed was there. When Bain Capital was moving jobs overseas from Illinois, Ed was there.

And he'll continue to be there.

Ed deserves to know that the public thanks him -- and we'll keep watching as he remains a voice for us. Sign the card here, and pass it on.

Ed has also been a great friend to the PCCC -- having us on his show many times, and having multiple PCCC members on to tell their stories.

Ed has been successful at everything he has tried, moving from small-town radio in Fargo to the epicenter of our media culture. We know he will do big things on Saturday and Sunday, and we'll be watching!

Thanks for being a bold progressive. And for standing with Ed.

-- Adam Green, PCCC co-founder

Paul Ryan’s 'Vague' and 'Extreme' New Budget Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:44:00 +0000

By Robert Greenspan - CBPP

When House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan released his previous budget last year, I wrote that for most of the past half century, its extreme nature would have put it outside the bounds of mainstream discussion. It was, I wrote, “Robin Hood in reverse — on steroids,” because it would have produced the largest redistribution of income from bottom to top in modern U.S. history.

Ryan’s new budget is just as extreme. Its cuts in programs for low-income and vulnerable Americans appear as massive as in last year’s budget, and its tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans could be larger than in last year’s.

In addition, in critical ways the budget is exceedingly vague — and, as a result, its claim to reach balance in ten years is hard to take seriously. It leaves unspecified hundreds of billions of dollars in budget cuts as well as the several trillion dollars of needed tax expenditure savings to pay for its proposed deep cuts in income tax rates. Thus, the budget’s fiscal claims rest on massive magic asterisks.

Consider the following:

Taxes

Last year, Ryan proposed to cut the top individual and corporate income tax rates from 35 to 25 percent, to cut other tax rates, and to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). At the time, the Tax Policy Center estimated that these tax cuts would cost more than $4 trillion over ten years. Since last year, however, the American Taxpayer Relief Act has returned the top individual tax rate to 39.6 percent, adding at least another $400 billion to the cost now of cutting the top individual tax rate to Ryan’s goal of 25 percent. Yet, the Ryan budget says that, somehow, the large cost of cutting the top rate to this level, cutting other rates as well, and eliminating the AMT would add nothing to the deficit. In essence, it uses a huge magic asterisk, assuming policymakers will finance the entire cost of cutting tax rates and eliminating the AMT by curbing tax expenditures — without identifying a single tax expenditure to narrow or close.

Governor Romney adopted a similar approach in his presidential campaign, arguing that he would use unspecified tax expenditure savings to offset the cost of cutting the top income tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent, or by 7 percentage points. Analysis by the Tax Policy Center indicated that Romney could not do that without raising taxes on middle class and working poor Americans. Yet now, Ryan proposes to cut the top rate by as much as 14.6 percentage points, or more than twice as much as Romney proposed, while still claiming to finance it through tax expenditure reforms that policymakers would identify later.

Health Care

Ryan again proposes to repeal the coverage expansions in health reform (i.e., the Affordable Care Act or ACA) and cut Medicaid (and some smaller health programs) another $756 billion on top of that. These two steps would cut over $2.5 trillion, largely by greatly boosting the number of low- and moderate-income Americans who are uninsured.

Last year, the Urban Institute estimated that a very similar Medicaid block grant proposal in Ryan’s previous budget would result in 14 to 21 million individuals losing their Medicaid coverage by 2022. In addition, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the ACA’s coverage expansions will mean that 27 million Americans who otherwise would be uninsured will gain coverage by 2023.

Thus, under the Ryan budget, 40 to 50 million more poor or moderate-income Americans would be uninsured, even as the wealthiest Americans enjoyed new tax cuts.

As in his prior budgets, Ryan proposes to replace Medicare’s guarantee of health coverage with a flat premium-support payment, or voucher, that beneficiaries could use to purchase either private health insurance or a version of traditional Medicare. Premium support would apply to all new beneficiaries starting in 2024 and to all other beneficiaries who chose to participate. Over time, premium support would significantly raise out-of-pocket health costs for many Medicare beneficiaries.

Over the next ten years, the Ryan budget would cut Medicare spending by a total of $356 billion. His budget would save $129 billion compared to current law from limiting medical malpractice awards, increasing income-tested premiums, and repealing the Medicare benefit improvements in health reform, including closure of the prescription drug “donut hole.” Ryan’s baseline includes $138 billion in scheduled cuts from Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula for physicians and $89 billion in Medicare cuts from sequestration, bringing his total Medicare reductions to the aforementioned $356 billion.

Massive Cuts in Other Domestic Programs — with Deep Cuts Targeting the Poorest And Most Vulnerable Americans

Ryan’s budget document makes clear that he again proposes severe cuts in Pell Grants to help low-income students afford college and in SNAP (formerly food stamps). He would freeze the maximum Pell Grant for 10 years, cancelling increases scheduled in law that are designed to keep up with inflation through 2017.

Consequently, the maximum Pell Grant would fall substantially in purchasing power, and the budget would cut Pell Grants in other ways as well. In addition, the budget again proposes to cut SNAP substantially and replace it with a block grant at lower funding levels.

More generally, the document contains a stunning — and deeply disturbing — figure. It shows that the budget would cut mandatory programs other than Social Security, health care programs, civil service pensions, farm programs, and interest payments by about $800 billion over ten years, relative to current law. This figure is alarming, since 70 percent of the spending in this budget category goes for programs for the needy and disadvantaged. Programs in the category, from which the $800 billion in cuts would come, include:

Pell Grants;
SNAP;
The Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) for the aged and disabled poor;
School lunches and other child nutrition programs;
The Earned Income Tax Credit and the low-income component of the Child Tax Credit; and
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Ryan’s new budget, like last year’s, apparently seeks to camouflage the severity of many of its cuts in programs for the needy by leaving most of this $800 billion in cuts unspecified. The budget math shows, however, that most of these cuts likely would come from benefits and services for the least fortunate Americans.

Non-Defense Discretionary Programs and Defense

The Ryan budget effectively cancels the “sequestration” cuts in defense for all years starting in 2014 — while cutting non-defense programs substantially below sequestration levels.

If one starts from post-sequestration funding levels, as Ryan’s budget documents do, his budget increases defense funding by about $550 billion over ten years while cutting non-defense discretionary programs by about $700 billion.

But many budget analysts, including ourselves and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, prefer to measure budgetary changes from a pre-sequestration level. Doing so shows the budgetary changes that are needed to replace sequestration — which both parties say they favor — and still hit a given fiscal target.

Measured this way, the Ryan budget cuts non-defense discretionary (NDD) spending by more than $1 trillion below the level of the 2011 Budget Control Act caps. Yet those caps already reduce spending in this category to its lowest level on record as a share of GDP, with data back to 1962. Moreover, Ryan’s budget leaves most of these NDD cuts unspecified. He does not even assign them to broad budget categories such as education, transportation, natural resources, veterans, or law enforcement but, instead, leaves them as a big lump sum of unspecified cuts.

Cutting NDD this deeply will invariably have serious effects on:

investments that can boost future productivity growth such as in education, infrastructure, and basic research;
low-income families and individuals, since one-quarter of NDD funding goes for programs such as Head Start, WIC, child care, homelessness prevention, services for frail elderly and disabled people, low-income housing, Title I education, and the like; and
state and local governments, since one-quarter of NDD funding goes to those governments to help them perform various functions.

A Display of Courage?

Chairman Ryan has at times received praise for having the courage to propose these policies. In reality, this budget reflects more of a lack of courage than an abundance of it.

Is it courageous to propose tax cuts but not identify a single tax expenditure to rein in? Is it courageous to target your deepest cuts on the poorest Americans, who vote in lower numbers and provide little in campaign contributions? Is it courageous to camouflage hundreds of billions in cuts for the poor and disadvantaged in broad budget categories without identifying the programmatic cuts, so that analysts, journalists, and other policymakers can’t identify the specific cuts and assess their impacts?

What stands out, above all else, is Chairman Ryan’s unwillingness to propose anything that would upset his party’s base of supporters or, in particular, its ideological opposition to any revenue increases.

Paul Ryan is a smart and engaging individual. But, make no mistake: his budget is extreme. And, in its reverse Robin Hood policies, its ideological rigidity, and its calculated vagueness, it sadly reflects some of the worst features of American politics at this crucial time.

Rep. Mia McLeod: The Biggest Loser

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:32:00 +0000

Well…ladies & gentlemen, it’s time to “weigh-in.” And unlike her Republican counterparts in New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, New Mexico, North Dakota and Michigan, your Governor is once again “flexing” her Tea Party muscles and refusing to support healthcare coverage for uninsured South Carolinians.

So what separates her from a growing list of anti-Obama Governors who have recently decided to expand Medicaid in other states? Common sense and compassion, for starters.
And if South Carolina refuses to expand healthcare coverage, here’s a glimpse of the impact on hard-working folks like you:

Higher medical costs – as the uninsured forego preventive care and are forced to seek medical care in the emergency room, hospitals will be forced to shift those costs to insured individuals and employers.

Less independence – as our seniors, veterans and disabled citizens forfeit access to home health and other medical care, it’ll be extremely difficult for them to lead independent lives.

Fewer options – as our state refuses federal funding to the tune of 100% for the first 3 years, neighboring states will gladly accept and use our federal tax dollars to cover their uninsured.

Poor quality of life – as hard-working folks forfeit medical care they need to live longer, healthier lives, our state misses opportunities to be more proactive, productive and economically sound.

But this is South Carolina. Obviously, expanding Medicaid makes sense, but don’t take my word for it. Here’s what Republican Governors (in other states, of course) are saying…

"No mother or father should despair over whether or not they can afford -- or access -- the health care their child needs. Quality health care services must be accessible and affordable for all -- not just those in certain zip codes or tax brackets," said outspoken Obamacare critic and Florida Governor, Rick Scott, as he reflected on the death of his mother and her struggle to raise five children with little money, while worrying constantly about having family health coverage.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer also made national headlines when she supported Medicaid expansion, acknowledging that it would lessen the impact of uncompensated care that drives up medical costs to hospitals and taxpayers.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has said, "Let me be clear, I’m no fan of the Affordable Care Act…” but it’s “now the law of the land,” acknowledging that rejecting it would mean that New Jersey’s tax dollars will be spent elsewhere.

While Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval was the first Republican governor to officially embrace Medicaid expansion, his decision seemed to be based primarily upon the recognition that it wouldn’t be wise to forego an infusion of federal dollars into his state’s economy.

The same is true for South Carolina. Are you listening, Governor Haley? (Oops! rhetorical question…)

Expanding healthcare coverage to people who can’t otherwise afford it should be a no-brainer. States can opt-in or out at anytime, “risk-free” for the first 3 years. That’s an offer Republican Governors across the nation believe is too good to refuse, because while expanding healthcare coverage is voluntary, picking up the tab for the uninsured, isn’t.

Our Governor has said that SC can’t afford to expand Medicaid. With 100% federal funding for the first 3 years and 90% thereafter, how can we afford not to? It creates over 40,000 jobs, covers over 250,000 uninsured South Carolinians, infuses our state’s economy and improves our quality of life and health.

So while she focuses on restricting foods purchased using federally funded programs like WIC and SNAP (in the name of obesity prevention) or “disease” designations for obesity, here’s an idea…

Let’s expand healthcare coverage so that South Carolinians who struggle with obesity and other medical conditions can get quality, affordable healthcare that focuses on prevention and treatment to help them live longer, healthier, more productive lives.

This isn’t a partisan issue. We all want the strongest military, the best schools, quality, affordable health care, meaningful job opportunities and the ability to live, work and age with dignity. Part of government’s role is to help ensure that every citizen has access to healthcare because a healthier population is a huge, proactive step towards a stronger workforce and business community, improved quality of life and more vibrant economy.

South Carolina is only as strong as its weakest. If our state’s leaders lack the collective compassion and courage to expand healthcare coverage to “the least of these,” the biggest losers won’t just be the uninsured. South Carolinians, insured and uninsured, will pay the ultimate price. Our state will be the biggest loser. But wait…isn’t that what we’ve been since we elected her 3 years ago?

Governor Haley was elected to represent all of us. The sooner she and her party’s leaders “swallow that pill,” the healthier we’ll all be…

MegaVote: SC 7th, 3/11/2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:47:00 +0000

Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Committee Funding Resolution Amendment Vote Senate: CIA Director Nomination Confirmation House: Disaster Response and Preparedness Suspension House: FY 2013 Continuing Appropriations Upcoming Congressional Bills Senate: Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 House: Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act House: Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2013
Recent Senate Votes
Committee Funding Resolution Amendment Vote - Vote Rejected (44-53, 3 Not Voting) The Senate passed a resolution authorizing funding levels for its standing committees through the remainder of fiscal year 2013. This is normally a non-controversial measure but Kentucky Republican Rand Paul objected to including funding for a body known as the National Security Working Group, essentially a forum for senators to discuss foreign policy and national security. Paul insisted on a vote for his amendment to strip funding from the Working Group. After the amendment was rejected, the resolution was agreed to by voice vote. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Tim Scott voted YES......send e-mail or see bio CIA Director Nomination Confirmation - Vote Confirmed (63-34, 3 Not Voting) The Senate confirmed President Obama's counterterrorism advisor John Brennan to be the next director of the CIA last week. Brennan looked to be on a glide path to confirmation until Kentucky Republican Rand Paul staged an unexpected "talking" filibuster that stretched over 13 hours. Paul stated that he was holding up Brennans nomination because he had not received adequate assurances from the administration that the president did not have authority to target American citizens on American soil with drone strikes if they were not an "imminent threat." During the course of the filibuster Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. released a brief letter to Paul stating that the president does not have the authority "to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil." This appeared to satisfy Paul, who yielded the floor after midnight on March 7. Following a successful cloture motion later that afternoon (Roll Call 31), Brennan was confirmed with a solid bipartisan majority. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Tim Scott voted NO......send e-mail or see bio
Recent House Votes
Disaster Response and Preparedness Suspension - Vote Passed (370-28, 33 Not Voting) The House cleared a bill under suspension last week reauthorizing various measures meant to strengthen preparation and response to pandemics and similar biological disasters. The House originally passed the bill in January (Roll Call 24). It was later amended in the Senate, extending the authorization through 2018, and sent back to the House. This latest vote moves the bill to the president's desk. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES......send e-mail or see bio FY 2013 Continuing Appropriations - Vote Passed (267-151, 13 Not Voting) With a March 27 deadline to avert government shutdown looming, the House moved last week to pass a bill making appropriation for the rest of the fiscal year. The package contained full appropriations bills for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, (though it did not increase their funding levels) and essentially continues FY12 funding for all other accounts. The bill's overall funding level is in line with the $1.043 trillion cap agreed to under the 2011 debt ceiling agreement, but because of the sequester, net new budget authority would instead reach $984 billion. Rep. Tom Rice voted YES......send e-mail or see bio
Upcoming Votes
Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 - H.R.933 The Senate will take up the continuing appropriations measure on Monday and is expected to pass the measure this week. There appears to be agreement in the body to add full bills for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Homeland Security. Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act - H.R.803 This bill would largely consolidate several dozen workforce investment and job training programs into one in which funding would be doled out in block grants to states. The bill's committee markup last week was notable for Democrats' boycott of the proceedings. They said it was a partisan measure largely identical to a bill the committee passed last year along party lines. Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2013 - H.R.890 The House is scheduled to consider this bill, passed out of the Ways and Means committee last week, to counteract a Health Human Services Department waiver program that Republicans say would dilute work requirements in the federal welfare program.

Corporations Don't Have Right To Deny Workers' Birth Control

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:13:00 +0000

Corporations do not have a religious liberty right to opt out of providing health insurance plans that include contraceptive coverage, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has told a federal appeals court.

In a friend-of-the-court brief filed March 8, Americans United urged the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate, which requires most businesses to provide workers with health insurance that includes no-cost birth control.

More than 40 lawsuits have been filed in opposition to the birth control mandate, with several for-profit corporations contending that they have a religious liberty right to refuse to comply with the mandate, a federal regulation issued as part of the Affordable Care Act.

Americans United and allied groups say that viewpoint is wrong.

“Corporations don’t have a conscience, let alone one that’s entitled to religious liberty rights,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. “Americans’ access to birth control should not be left to the whims of business interests. Women’s healthcare – and, in some cases, their very lives – are at stake.”

The case, Korte v. Sebelius, concerns an Illinois-based construction firm called Korte & Luitjohan Contractors that works on a range of projects such as warehouses, schools, office buildings, hospitals and water treatment facilities. The company’s Roman Catholic owners say they object to artificial contraceptives and argue that a 1993 federal law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), exempts them from providing it to their employees, even indirectly.

Although the trial court denied the plaintiff’s request for an injunction against the rules, in December, a 7th Circuit panel ruled 2-1 that, while the case was on appeal, the U.S. government cannot require Korte & Luitjohan to buy insurance coverage for contraceptives.

Americans United and its allies say the appeals court should uphold the trial court’s ruling and allow the government to enforce the women’s health mandate. In the brief, AU argues that the firm’s owners don’t suffer a substantial burden and should not be allowed to impose their religious beliefs on employees.

The brief also discusses the far-reaching harm that could come from allowing a for-profit employer to opt out of providing insurance that covers birth control due to a religious objection. If accepted, the rationale could allow employers to gain exemptions from an array of anti-discrimination laws dealing with employment and accommodations.

“Such a broad interpretation of RFRA,” the brief asserts, “would conflict not only with congressional intent, but with the vision of the Founding Fathers, who recognized the need to cabin religious exemptions that impose substantial harms on third parties.”

The brief in Korte v. Sebelius was drafted by Americans United Legal Director Ayesha N. Khan and Senior Litigation Counsel Gregory M. Lipper, with assistance from Legal Fellow Victoria Roth (admitted in Virginia only and supervised by Khan, a member of the D.C. Bar).

Other groups signing the brief were Women of Reform Judaism, the Hindu American Foundation, the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

Vincent Sheheen lays out detailed plan to get South Carolina 'back on track'

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:59:00 +0000

The Right Way by Vincent Sheheen for Web by

Action Alert: Support Medicaid Expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:24:00 +0000

This week the South Carolina House of Representatives will begin deliberating the 2014 State Budget on the House floor. The budget is the primary path for Medicaid expansion to be approved, and we must encourage our State Representatives to amend the budget to expand health coverage to more low-income South Carolinians.

Please click the link below to urge your State Representative to expand healthcare access to 250,000 vulnerable South Carolinians who simply cannot afford health coverage!

Feel free to include any specific information about yourself or your hospital. We encourage you to put the name of your hospital in the first line of the letter. Please let us know if you receive any feedback from your legislators. Thank you for your participation in LEAd, and please follow the link below!

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/scha/iGNMcWPM.aspx

SCDP: Governor Haley at odds with rising tide of public opinion on Medicaid expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Sanderson) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 16:52:00 +0000

MEMO - Haley on Defense Over Expansion by Kristin Sosanie