Thinking about the voter ID thing.

I was thinking about the voter ID thing, and what could be done, is to set up an organization funded by donations or do it through a current organization to help pay for driving lessons. The group can provide driving companies with bar code vouchers, and those of low finances can get these vouchers and get refunded via a group called "drive out the vote" or something. It's just a thought, a bit of brainstorming to overcome voter suppression. I'll throw that out there, see if anyone can run with it. It's just the best idea I can think of to make sure all have ID to vote.

You should contact the "fellowship project" over at barackobama.com

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/fellowsapp

You need only go to the nearest tag office and they will take your picture and state seal it. The cost varies, of course. But your plan if implemented as you have it could still work.

It's a constructive suggestion, but I disagree with the idea for two reasons:

First, there really is a legitimate issue in voter fraud -- but any solution that requires voters to pay money for an ID that allows them to vote is, by definition, a solution that requires voters to pay money to vote. This is a completely unacceptable version of a "grandfather clause," in that it limits voting to those who can afford the ID.

I don't have a problem with requiring ID at a voting booth as long as:

1. The identification is provided at no cost by the government.
2. The information in that identification is not available for *any* other purpose than voting.

The solution you mentioned doesn't address those two issues.

Second, we're already in an identification mess because propaganda has successfully managed to muddy the line between a drivers license and an ID card.

A drivers license should be a simple permit, stamp, or encoded information that gets associated with an ID card. There is no reason to have identification associated with the knowledge of driving. You'd still need people to get an ID card to drive, but other forms of certification, such as driving ability or citizenship would be a separate issue. This way, you could train illegal aliens to drive without giving them the keys to citizenship and still keep our roads safe.

Getting people confused about the true purpose of a drivers license is the source of a lot of trouble in solving the problems associated with illegal immigration, and this solution would only spread that confusion further and make that problem worse.

Just my cheapo thoughts.

All of us are in some data base somewhere but I am not fond of my name on another "card" in another data base.

She used to until she had a heart attack. Now she has a photo ID but not a DL. It has a state seal just like a DL. Got it at her local tag office.

to get a state ID.

afford it. Everyone should have some sort of ID in my opinion. If they drop dead on the street it would be nice to know who they where.

and they should be free. But there's no need to provide driving lessons to people - at least for the purpose of getting them an ID.