What the heck is up with this?

[TheMercenary]

I guess they are trying to hide the fact they are about to soak the taxpayers for another boondogle of a failed jobs stimulus since they have wastes so many billions to date.

Don't call it a stimulus package: Obama wants another $50 billion

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politic...her-50-billion

[TheMercenary]

No. I am a common man who can point out to the rest of the voters that you are a Demoncratic Mouthpiece who carries water for the Obama Admin and the party that is going to bankrupt this nation. Your party lies preced you Comrad.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

No. I am a common man who can point out to the rest of the voters that you are a Demoncratic Mouthpiece who carries water for the Obama Admin and the party that is going to bankrupt this nation. Your party lies preced you Comrad.

From classic's link:

Federal Judge Stephen Robinson said that violated the Voting Rights Act, and he approved a remedy suggested by village officials: a system called cumulative voting, in which residents get six votes each to apportion as they wish among the candidates. He rejected a government proposal to break the village into six districts, including one that took in heavily Hispanic areas.

Given that the settlement was imposed/approved by Judge Stephen Robinson, a Bush appointee to the bench (he rejected the remedy proposed by the DoJ of voting by district).....perhaps you can explain how it was all an Obama/Democratic plot.

Every time you open your mouth, you look more foolish....my advice, stick to eating your

I get it. You dont like the Voting Rights Act....or at least, Section 2 of the Act.

I disagree...and so has every President/Congress since its enactment/extension.

IMO, having equal access to the political process is not just the right to vote, but the right to serve in elected office and when barriers exist to make that possibility less than fair, the remedy (not a guarantee) is appropriate.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I disagree...and so has every President/Congress since its enactment/extension.

That doesn't make it right, just politically correct.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

That doesn't make it right, just politically correct.

Perhaps I didnt explain it well or perhaps it wont make a difference.

Many decisions by local governing bodies are not always about what is best for the city/town as a whole. Often, it is about prioritizing and/or responding to the needs of communities or neighborhoods within the city/town.

If a community/neighborhood is not represented on the governing body, preferablly by someone from within that community/neighborhood and particularly when that community/neighborhood is primarily a minority community...there is a far greater likelihood that the community/neighborhood will not be served as well as those that are represented directly on the governing body.

It is not always political correctness, but fairness!

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Redux

If a community/neighborhood is not represented on the governing body, preferablly by someone from within that community/neighborhood and particularly when that community/neighborhood is primarily a minority community...there is a far greater likelihood that the community/neighborhood will not be served as well as those that are represented directly on the governing body.

It is not always political correctness, but fairness!

Special treatment for minorities is not fairness, no one should get special treatment.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Special treatment for minorities is not fairness, no one should get special treatment.

I'll give you a couple of examples.

A city/town council has decided to undertake a major capital improvement project to fix up the city parks...but over a 3 year period. There is one "central" park that should be first on the list, but there is no compelling citywide reason to prioritize the other neighborhood parks. The six council members, all White and all living in the predominantly White neighborhoods of the city. There is no one on the council who lives in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood. Which neighborhood park is most likely to be last on the list?

A city has an opportunity to receive a community development grant from the state. There is no one project that the council can come up that will benefit the entire city, but each of the council members has a project in his/her neighborhood that they think should be funded. Who is there to promote the project for the Hispanic neighborhood.

It is not special treatment...it is having an equal voice on the council and the opportunity to be represented by someone from within the community.

I'll be happy to discuss it further with Bruce if he would like.

To bring the discussion full circle, a Hispanic was elected to the council in Port Chester last week, using the court-sanctioned cumulative voting system.

It did not provide additional rights to Hispanics, it was not undemocratic. It corrected a deficiency in the voting system that previously benefited the majority at the expense of the minority.

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK, I misunderstood how this works. They give everybody 6 votes, not just some people. So they went from one man, one vote, to one man, six votes.

Arthur Furano, an 80-year-old lifelong resident of Port Chester, voted Thursday and gave all six of his votes to one candidate.
"That was very strange," he said. "I'm not sure I liked it. All my life, I've heard, 'one man, one vote.'"
His wife, Gloria Furano, gave one vote each to six candidates.

I still don't like it, but I'm less incensed.
The hispanics make up nearly half the 30,000 population, and the top 6 of 13 candidates get elected. Sounds to me like they never elected one before because they weren't trying very fucking hard. I also suspect they elected one of the two running, because of...

The village held 12 forums — six each in English and Spanish — to let voters know about the new system and to practice voting. It also produced bright yellow T-shirts, tote bags and lawn signs declaring "Your voice, your vote, your village," all part of the education program mandated in the government agreement. Announcements were made on cable TV in each language and reminders were sent home in schoolkids' backpacks.

All the materials had to be approved in advance, in English and Spanish versions, by the Department of Justice.

Aaron Conetta said the voter education effort was so thorough he found voting easier than usual.

link

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

OK, I misunderstood how this works. They give everybody 6 votes, not just some people. So they went from one man, one vote, to one man, six votes.


I still don't like it, but I'm less incensed.
The hispanics make up nearly half the 30,000 population, and the top 6 of 13 candidates get elected. Sounds to me like they never elected one before because they weren't trying very fucking hard. I also suspect they elected one of the two running, because of...

link

I think you still misunderstand.

Previously, all voters cast as many votes as there were seats up for election (2 or 3), but voters could only give one vote to each candidate.....

http://portchestervotes.com/

Thus, even if Hispanic turnout was the same percentage ("trying just as hard") as White turnout, the likelihood of a Hispanic winning one of the seats was very low.

Under the new system, all 6 seats were up for election at the same time and voters could cast multiple votes (up to 6) for one candidate, so if Hispanics rallied around one candidate, the likelihood of election increased...and that is what happened.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I still don't like it, and disagree they couldn't elect one of there own without rigging the election.
So now the council votes 5 to 1, what are the feds going to do next, go drag them to the polls, appoint hispanics?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I still don't like it, and disagree they couldn't elect one of there own without rigging the election.
So now the council votes 5 to 1, what are the feds going to do next, go drag them to the polls, appoint hispanics?

Ohhhhh like that discrimination enterprise known as Affirmative Action?

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I still don't like it, and disagree they couldn't elect one of there own without rigging the election.
So now the council votes 5 to 1, what are the feds going to do next, go drag them to the polls, appoint hispanics?

The Bush DoJ that initiated the action, and the Bush appointed judge who approved the settlement, neither of which were big advocates of government intervention (or affirmative action), thought it was an appropriate remedy.

I agree with them. I get it that others dont like it.