Hi people. I know I'm not supposed to post non-CS related items, but I really do want to set the record straight. Robert Bartell just posted a parody on the Florida elections debate, which would ordinarily be very funny had I not had some "inside" information prior to the post. Please read the following.
Thanks, Mike, for your indulgence. I don't ordinarily take advantage, but this is really food for thought. Nina ----- Original Message ----- > Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 10:33:15 -0800 (PST) > From: Ben Austin <sonofapalmbeachprecinctcl...@yahoo.com > Subject: My mother, Palm Beach County precinct clerk > Dear friends, > > I don't normally send emails like this to a large > block of people, certainly when it comes to my family, > and certainly when the import of the issue makes it > seem like the letter might travel far and wide. But > so many people have asked about this story that it > seems important to send it out. This is the true > story of my mother, precinct clerk in Palm Beach > county, Florida. > > My mother was a precinct clerk in Palm Beach county, > Florida, election day of 2000. Mom's very good friend > Leah was a precinct clerk as well. Both of them were > incredibly upset during and after election day, before > anyone knew the import of these specific voters. And > my mother was convinced there were serious > irregularities long before they gained national > prominence, and she called me to say so. > > I note this because some Republicans are now asking > if there were these irregularities, how come they > were not raised until after the election? In fact, > my mother and the other precinct clerks raised these > issues from the moment that the polls opened in the > morning; the problem is that the person they intially > called on was Theresa LePore, elections supervisor of > Palm Beach county. She was the source of the ballot > confusion, and was uninterested in the issue. > > First, the paper ballot was extremely confusing to > these voters. Although both major parties got a > chance to review the card layout, it is not clear if > any had a chance to put the actual ballot in an actual > machine and punch the holes. The card is laid > horizontally as you vote, and it is hard to see the > holes as you punch them. And my mother, who > supervised the precinct she was in (this is a paid > position, and she reported directly to Ms. LePore) > said the card did not even fit correctly in the ballot > machine, so the holes in the card did not line up with > the ballot. > > Anyone who thinks this was minor voter confusion has > never dealt with retirees in a West Palm Beach > retirement village in Florida, I promise you. > > My mother, following the rules, said the poll workers > had been told not to help people with the cards, as it > might bias the voters. My mother witnessed many, many > people who voted incorrectly. Some stayed on a second > line and had their cards re-done, some punched the > second hole (and thus were probably thrown out), and > some found out they voted for Buchanan after they had > deposited their cards in the ballot box, and there was > thus nothing they could do. > > Mom called me up to complain about this after the > elction, and she called me up again on Thursday, very > upset after reading a story in the New York Times (Nov. > 9 2000, p. B6). The Times story states: > > After numerous complaints were received on Tuesday > morning, Ms. LePore issued this directive to the > county's 106 precincts: Attention all poll workers. > Please remind all voters coming in that they are to > vote only for one (1) presidential candidate and that > they are to punch the hole next to the arrow next to > the number next to the candidate they wish to vote > for. > > Mom never received this directive, and she believes > that if anyone knew they could have helped people vote > their preference, the outcome would have been very > different. Instead, my mother and the others were > trying to do the right thing, and they felt that > helping explain the ballot to these people would have > been helping them to vote for Gore, something she > didn't feel was proper. These women are honest to a > fault. > > Leah did receive the directive, but not until 4pm on > election day, and only by accident; someone was > coming to visit from the main office and told her > about it. In the mean time, my mother and Leah (and > most of the precinct clerks) had been desperately > trying to call the county office. They had been given > a phone number by Ms. LePore and told that the phone > line would be staffed throughout the day. They were > told to call if there were any problems. > > Mom tried to call starting at 7:30am, calling straight > through when polls closed, but she got a busy signal > the entire time. But mom was at a polling station > with only a pay phone, so she had to deposit coins > each time, and with long lines waiting for her, she > was becoming increasingly frustrated. > > Leah was precinct chief at the retirement village > where they live, and ran a polling station at the > clubhouse. Having a more modern facility, Leah tried > on the phone as well, and when she couldn't get > through, she called the operator to ask her why the > phone was busy. Leah had the presence of mind to get > the operator's number (history is made by people like > Leah) when the operator told her the phone was off the > hook, meaning nobody was on the line the entire day. > Evidently, the supervisor's office just didn't want to > hear the complaints. > > Leah then faxed the supervisor's office with her > concerns at noon and again at 2pm. Nobody called Leah > back until 5pm, when she heard from Ms. LePore, with > the following words "don't bother me." > > So as this news starts to be spun and re-spun, let me > tell you a few things I am certain to be true: > -I can't argue intent either way, but the supervisor=C6' > office in Palm Beach county is at the very least > unable to carry out an election in which these people > have their say > > -These people started trying to fix the problem from > the moment polls opened, and were fought along the > way. This is not about crying about the election once > it is over. > > It pains me to see the issue being politicized by both > sides. Gore has no place having his advisor Daley make > statements that after a recount, Gore will emerge > victorious; and Bush has no place saying that he is the > victor, or setting up a transition team. In fact, the > idea that Bush and his brother were together on > election night, with Jeb Bush promising to "deliver > Florida," draws a picture at least to me with the > semblance of impropriety, especially now that we have > seen the results so askew. I hope everyone will pay > attention to the facts here, and let the people of > South Florida have the same opportunity to vote that > the rest of us had. > > You are free to send this to anyone you wish. > > Ben Austin > Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 10:33:15 -0800 (PST) > From: Ben Austin <sonofapalmbeachprecinctcl...@yahoo.com > Subject: My mother, Palm Beach County precinct clerk -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: silver-list-requ...@eskimo.com -or- silver-digest-requ...@eskimo.com with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the SUBJECT line. To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
