How Could Our Leaders Do This to Our Troops?

Opinion
How Could Our Leaders Do This to Our Troops?

By Gerald Molen

Published October 11, 2010

| FoxNews.com


It’s utterly amazing that our nation’s leadership is able to send our troops around the world and overnight have sleeping quarters (known in military parlance as “billets”) constructed to house them.

It is equally amazing that the required arms (bullets) can be shipped with equally profound efficiency and timely deliverance to any spot determined by that same leadership, anywhere in the world.

And yet, the same leadership fails to deliver election ballots to the very people who defend the right to vote for every other American. Is that a failure in leadership?

I come to this moment of truth not as a Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian, far left or far right zealot but as an American.

As a former United States Marine, I find it utterly unconscionable that our troops are denied the same rights as those citizens who refuse to even bend over and pick up a piece of trash they have so selfishly discarded on the street…

COMPLETE OPINION PIECE:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/10/11/gerald-molen-troops-comander-chief-ballot-box-military-vote-billets-president/

Uh, it's up to the counties to send the ballots to the troops from their respective home areas... It's not a Federal, (i.e. "our leaders") issue. Nice rant, though.

For example:

Park County:
Debra Green
Clerk & Recorder

Fairplay Office:
Ph: (719) 836-4333
Fx: (719) 836-4348

Bailey Office:
Ph: (303) 816-5920
Fx: (303) 816-1539

http://www.parkco.us/index.aspx?NID=72

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Jefferson County
Clerk & Recorder
Pam Anderson

Contact us:
Elections
100 Jefferson County Pkwy, Ste. 2560
Golden, CO 80419
303-271-8111
Fax: 303-271-8197

http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/cr/index.htm

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Since these are the people responsible for absentee ballots for our two specific counties, I fail to see what "our leaders" (the implied "federal system") have to do with it...

It does seem that Blue States have a worse record on absentee ballots than Red. I read there are 9 million Americans living overseas, more than 2 times the population of Colorado so the logistics must be a nightmare. My buddy who is a priest currently assigned to the Vatican, manages to get his vote in, but often it is at the last minute because foreign mail can be so chancey.

A quick search reveals that there are 3,141 counties or county-equivalents (parishes, etc.) in the United States. That means that there are 3,141 "Clerk/Recorder"-type people controlling who the ballots are mailed to, and when they go out. Somehow, I can't see 3,141 people organizing ANYTHING, much less some evil "plot" to disenfranchise people in the armed services. I just find it particularly funny that instead of looking to see who's responsible, we get one of these outrage-of-the-day posts about "our leaders"... LOL! Must be a slow news day... Perhaps this "former United States Marine" should read a little bit about civics before assuming that it's some nefarious government plot by "our leaders."

The question was: "Is that a failure in leadership?"...Answer: "No...Not unless you want to fault the 'leaders' of the respective counties that didn't get the ballots out to their constituents in a timely manner."

But, like I said... nice rant...

Nmysys wrote: Opinion
How Could Our Leaders Do This to Our Troops?

By Gerald Molen

Published October 11, 2010

| FoxNews.com


It’s utterly amazing that our nation’s leadership is able to send our troops around the world and overnight have sleeping quarters (known in military parlance as “billets”) constructed to house them.

It is equally amazing that the required arms (bullets) can be shipped with equally profound efficiency and timely deliverance to any spot determined by that same leadership, anywhere in the world.

And yet, the same leadership fails to deliver election ballots to the very people who defend the right to vote for every other American. Is that a failure in leadership?

I come to this moment of truth not as a Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian, far left or far right zealot but as an American.

As a former United States Marine, I find it utterly unconscionable that our troops are denied the same rights as those citizens who refuse to even bend over and pick up a piece of trash they have so selfishly discarded on the street…

COMPLETE OPINION PIECE:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/10/11/gerald-molen-troops-comander-chief-ballot-box-military-vote-billets-president/

What was forgotten here is this, The requirements for voting is the same for the troops as it is for us.

1. They have to register, The duty of making sure those that what to vote are registered falls under either the appointed voting officer or Senior NCO.

2. They have to request an absentee ballot. The Clerk's do not know if they have deployed or not or where they are stationed.

3. Once they get the ballot, they need to be given time to fill it out and mail it back. (Doesn't always happen because of mission)

So it is a duty both of the Military and the individual, not just the Clerk in thier county that has responsiblity here.

I read an awfully large amount of replies and posts regarding some of the threads that I start and am amazed at some of the reactions. I have posted the link to the complete story or opinion piece along with a few paragraphs of the piece, rather than copy and paste the whole thing. Either people are not clicking on the link and reading the complete story, or they just read the first paragraph and the title and respond to it without knowing the whole story.

I think this piece is self explanatory, but only if you take the time to read the whole thing. For instance, and I paraphrase" The President signs a lot of Executive orders, the senators and congresspeople ought to be in an uproar and demanding that the military is treated with at least as much respect, as other citizens.

The story looks at this topic as that the government is not doing enough to make sure that the military ballots go out on time. This is more than just the personal responsibility of the individual serviceman or woman, and it is more than just the county clerks of each county, though that is nothing but an attempt to deflect from what the piece says, just because I have posted it. Read it and then feel free to comment please! That is why I post these things, for debate!!!

That's because it's NOT "the government's" job. As pointed out, the person has to request the ballot; the Clerk/Recorder has to send the ballot out... The military has to deliver it... Outside of attempting to do the best it can to deliver the mail, the "government" has no job in this.

Boy, for somebody who "has me on IGNORE" and "doesn't read my posts" ("neener, neener, neener"), NMSys sure has an amazing grasp of what I wrote...

rofllol rofllol rofllol

Hypocritical, juvenile...

Nmysys wrote: I read an awfully large amount of replies and posts regarding some of the threads that I start and am amazed at some of the reactions. I have posted the link to the complete story or opinion piece along with a few paragraphs of the piece, rather than copy and paste the whole thing. Either people are not clicking on the link and reading the complete story, or they just read the first paragraph and the title and respond to it without knowing the whole story.

I think this piece is self explanatory, but only if you take the time to read the whole thing. For instance, and I paraphrase" The President signs a lot of Executive orders, the senators and congresspeople ought to be in an uproar and demanding that the military is treated with at least as much respect, as other citizens.

The story looks at this topic as that the government is not doing enough to make sure that the military ballots go out on time. This is more than just the personal responsibility of the individual serviceman or woman, and it is more than just the county clerks of each county, though that is nothing but an attempt to deflect from what the piece says, just because I have posted it. Read it and then feel free to comment please! That is why I post these things, for debate!!!

Ok show me where it is the governments resposiblity to make sure you can do a absentee ballot. When I was deployed (many times) my division was given a brief by the voting officer, manadatory attendance. Each was given the forms and explained how to fill out along with a list of all the clerk offices to send them to by state. After that it was up to the individual. As much as I support veterans and the military, lets put this where it belongs. The military mail system is lousy, could Congress do something about that, sure. Other than that there is not a whole lot they can do. Lets put the responsiblity where it belongs.

STEPS NOW TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT

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Justice Department Sues New York Over Violations of Law Protecting Military Voters

By Jana Winter

Published October 12, 2010

| FoxNews.com


The Move Act requires all states to mail absentee ballots to overseas military voters 45 days before Election Day.

AP

The Move Act requires all states to mail absentee ballots to overseas military voters 45 days before Election Day.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued New York State and New York State Board of Elections on Tuesday after several counties missed deadlines intended to ensure military voters receive ballots in time for their votes to be counted in the November elections.

The complaint filed Tuesday evening charges the state and its board of elections with "failure to ensure that election officials in Niagara, Putnam, Westchester, Erie,Richmond, Bronx, New York, Kings, and Queens Counties transmitted absentee ballots by October 1," which was the second deadline missed by the counties, after the state had been given a waiver for missing its earlier deadline.

The legal action marks the most aggressive federal intervention yet amid an ongoing debate over how to enforce compliance with the 2009 Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act, known as the MOVE Act, which is intended to ensure that overseas ballots are sent, received and counted on time.

“Our laws guarantee that uniformed service members and other overseas citizens will have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the elections of our nation’s leaders,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division. “This suit seeks both immediate and permanent relief to ensure that New York’s military and overseas voters, many of whom are members of our armed forces and their families serving our country around the world, can exercise their right to vote and have their votes counted in the upcoming federal elections.”

Complete Story:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/12/justice-department-sues-new-york-violations-law-protecting-military-voters/

So, if I've got this right, "our leaders", (i.e., the Dept of Justice), didn't "do this to our troops" as the original "outrage-of-the-day" article suggested. But THEY, ("our leaders", i.e., the D.o.J.), sued the following COUNTIES in the State of New York:

"Niagara, Putnam, Westchester, Erie, Richmond, Bronx, New York, Kings, and Queens Counties"...which is what I said in the first place--that it's the COUNTY clerks/recorders who are responsible for getting the ballots to the troops in a timely manner.

Boy, it sure is a good thing "OUR LEADERS", i.e. the Obama Dept. of Justice, moved on this...

The legal action marks the most aggressive federal intervention yet amid an ongoing debate over how to enforce compliance with the 2009 Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act, known as the MOVE Act, which is intended to ensure that overseas ballots are sent, received and counted on time.

So, this "MOVE Act", was passed in 2009... Now, let me see if I can remember who "our leaders" were in 2009...Hmmmmmmmmm..........

And REGARDLESS of whose fault it was, I am glad that the DoJ sued and took whatever actions needed to be taken to ensure that the Overseas Voters have their chance to participate.