The most popular word in America today is saving. If we cut our use of paper it will save the costs of paying people to cut trees by 30% and if we stop drinking so many bottles of water we can easily slash the costs of recycling in half.
Ok those statistics are as false as Lebron’s apology to Cleveland a couple of weeks ago but you get the gist of what I’m saying.
Viewpoint Florida, a Florida polling outfit, recently conducted a poll asking Floridians if they supported shortening early voting if it led to cutting election costs.
80% of those polled said yes, while 18% opposed.
Ask those same Floridians who were polled by Viewpoint Florida how much a normal local election costs and you’ll get a blank stare. Now that’s not a knock on anyone because the average cost of an election isn’t common knowledge. One would have to do a little digging to find out how much that would be.
Just for my personal education I did a little of that digging and found out that between 2003 and 2004 a local election in Orange County cost about $5.6 million dollars.
Last week Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a new elections bill into law that will shorten early voting down to just eight days instead of 14, where it currently stands.
This new bill has more included but the new provision regarding early voting is really causing a few waves locally.
In 2008 Democrats had a pretty strong hold on early voting as they were able to get a jump on Republicans and never relinquished their lead. Statistics really aren’t needed for this one, just you tube. IF you looked at early voting in 2008, you’ll see the throngs of people waiting in line just to cast a ballot.
Democrats say that Republicans are attempting to disenfranchise voters and Republicans say that this has everything to do with trying to stamp out voter fraud.
I say that they are both pulling the skully over our eyes.
Yes, Republicans know that limiting early voting will increase their chances of keeping the political status quo they currently enjoy.
Democrats also know that their constituency was heavy in early voting and if they lose even a day of that process then their chances of staying in the White House further diminish.
The state of Florida is so important in 2012 and Democrats need all of the assistance they can get.
But at the end of the day let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that this is a cost cutting measure because it isn’t.
If the Republican elephant were a real human being than Elephant would have sold his moms a long time ago to win an election. And if the Democratic Donkey could breathe and talk he would be on the corner with a sign begging for votes.
These political games aren’t new but we need to learn how to navigate these treacherous waters.
If we were serious about cutting costs people like Senator Stephen Wise wouldn’t want to cut the salaries of school board members, but his own.
Isn’t that a cost cutting measure as well?
