Fucked Up Priorities - Tomorrow Should Be A National HOLIDAY

[matcom]

:grr:

stock market should be closed, schools closed, businesses closed, etc...

it is rediculous that it isn't

[NorCalDem]

1. Agreed!

I know people who have said things like "I don't know if I can vote tuesday because I have to be at work." It's bullshit that you can't take off guilt free to do your civic duty.

[Actionmac]

5. vote before or after work...

unless you work in a sweat house

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Not everyone has that option

Remember what happened in Ohio last time? People standing in line for HOURS waiting to vote. How can you do that AND still work?

Don't be so quick to judge.

[Actionmac]

14. go after work not a judgement just not empowering the whine

because there is the absentee...

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. Yes, but you are missing the point - people shouldn't be put

into the position of having to choose to work or go vote; nor should they be forced to go through the hassle of absentee voting just because of work.

But then, I suppose poor should just get a job.

[Actionmac]

19. please don't fight me

I did not let the situation get to where it is and your missing the point it's about a choice of when to go. Most polls are open 12-15 hours.

"But then, I suppose poor should just get a job." yes they should... anybody working 2 1/2 jobs just to stay above the poverty level want to give up one.

I am what as known as the forgotten middle class... I don't want to listen to people whine about going to vote and others making excuses for them. others had to give up a lot more just to have the right to vote...

SO PLEASE DON"T WHINE TO ME!

[Wednesdays]

21. What I hear you saying is

"Voting is a privilege."

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. That doesn't make any sense -

Are you calling Wednesdays a republican?

You, sir, have major cajones. :wow:

[EdwardM]

30. I'm having trouble understanding you.

I take it English is not your native language. You said "anybody working 2 1/2 jobs just to stay above the poverty level want to give up one." Are you trying to say that people who work 2 or more jobs should have to give up one to vote? If you are, that is not very reasonable. Some people have kids or sick parents that they have to support, because they lack health insurance. For some people, working is the difference between life and death, regardless of what the poverty level may be. Voting is a right in this country, no matter how much money you make or how hard you work, and therefore it should be a holiday.

[Actionmac]

32. whine whine whine... go vote and make a change

sounds like people like to be victims and simply only want to focus on the argument and not the work it takes to make the change. STOP WHINING AND MAKE A CHANGE EVEN IF IT COST YOU A DAY OF WORK. if your not willing to do that, then you will not get the elected officials in office empathetic to your issues.

[EdwardM]

35. Dude what's your problem?

I am not whining. And yes I will vote, because fortunately, I don't have to work tomorrow. I'm just saying that it is not that easy for some people. Some people don't have health insurance and have to work 2 or more jobs in order to pay for their health bills. I just think that they have as much right to vote as I do, that is why I support a national voting holiday. They can not just take a day off work to vote like you say. They could get fired.

[Gormy Cuss]

38. For some, it's not " a day of work" at risk, it's the job.

And not all polling places are open before work and not open long enough for the person to get home from work if they have a long commute or go straight from job 1 to job 2. Sure, if they knew ahead of time that this was the situation and could apply for an absentee ballot by mail then there is a way for them to vote. Not everyone can do so.

Polling places are open 12 or 13 hours typically. In some states the polls close at 7 PM (6 PM in one or two states.) If the early morning voter turnout is heavy the choice may be to be late for work or not vote at all, and employers are under no obligation to give you a pass if you're late because of voting.

It may not be necessary to have a whole day off but we could make it a bit easier for voters if the polls were held open for more hours each day or there were a guarantee that up to two hours of unpaid leave was due to employees on election day.

[AngryOldDem]

39. So what you're saying is...

...in a highly Democratic precinct with high voter turnout, someone who has to go to work should be happy to stand in line for HOURS because there just aren't enough machines at his or her polling place to accomodate everyone. Meanwhile, this person's co-worker, who votes in a predominantly Republican precinct, is in and out and on the job in a matter of 30 minutes or a little longer, because there are more than enough machines to accomdate fewer voters than at the Democratic precinct.

The above is what happened all across Ohio in 2004.

And, for a lot of people, losing a day of work COULD cost them their jobs. Now, something about that picture just isn't right, seeing that we live in a representative democracy and all. Don't you agree?

[Rockholm]

47. For those of us who commute by train....

My husband catches the 7:00am train to Boston. He takes the 6:10 out of Boston home. The commuter rails are packed with people who all do the same. Tomorrow he is driving in after voting when the polls.
Election day should be a national holiday. Voting should be made easier.

Edit: spelling

[Rabrrrrrr]

25. You say it's about a "choice of when to go", and I'm saying,

"Not everyone gets to have that choice".

Is that so difficult to understand?

It is you who are whining - "I had to sacrifice to vote, they all should, too! BOO HOO! WAAAAA!" and "I'm the forgotten middle class, BOO HOO!"

I'm saying that voting should be made easy - and I agree with matcom, elections should be a holiday; or, at a minimum, it should be a legal requirement that all places of business allow time off - with pay - for the employees to go vote.

Though perhaps we should follow your line of logic and put an obstacle course in front of the door to the polling places, to ensure that voters are really committed and willing to make the necessary sacrifices, and that isn't toooooooo easy for people to just go cast a vote. Perhaps even change the voting day at random, and not announce it until the morning of election day to keep people on their toes.

:eyes:

[Actionmac]

34. all that means NOTHING if you don't have the elected officials

PERIOD My message that was deleted was "I love you have a good day"

[Rabrrrrrr]

57. Your message that was delted called Wednesdays a Republican

Also, you say "all that means NOTHING if you don't have the elected officials"

So tell, Mr. Logic, what does that have to do with making life easier for the voting public to actually go vote?

I have to admit, with your "the poor should just get a job" and, perhaps, "The homeless wouldn't be homeless if they'd just buy a house" attitude, I'm surprised you aren't tombstoned yet. I expected to come home and find you gone.

You're either still not getting the problem, or you just give a shit: not everyone can take time out of their workday to vote. ALL PEOPLE of voting age and non-felons have the RIGHT to vote - along with that right to vote should be the right to be able to leave work, get out of work, or otherwise actually GO to the voting place without repurcussion or penalty or cost.

[Guaranteed]

71. Unless EVERYTHING shuts down, some people are going to have to work. nt

[Rabrrrrrr]

74. Did I ever say anything different? Did I not admit earlier

that emergency workers would in fact still have to work?

:eyes:

Thanks for pointing out the clearly obvious.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

46. some people work double-shifts

or two jobs. Skipping one of those can be the difference between late fees on car payments, missing rent, bouncing checks, etc.

It's a joke that we are the supposed "beacon" of freedom and democracy and don't get a holiday to go out and vote.


edited for clarity.

[redqueen]

2. Supress the vote? Who said it was like this to reduce voter turnout?

That's so not the case!

[bigpathpaul]

3. It's a national shame, but to expected from "leaders"...

...who go out of their way to keep us from voting.

[CabalPowered]

4. I'll go one more step.

You shouldn't be able to claim your standard deductions on your taxes unless you voted in the prior election.

[NuttyFluffers]

64. i think i love you for that suggestion...

:loveya:

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. I agree - or if not a national holiday,

make it a legal requirement that all places of work have to allow their employees at least 2 hours to go vote, with pay.

I was lucky to work at a couple big firms that gave us election day off (not primaries, just the November ones). Pretty cool of them.

I think it's fucking stupid that any business is running on election day - we should require that everything, except emergency services, be closed.

[porphyrian]

8. I know it's still lame, but state workers in Tallahassee get an hour to vote paid.

At least, the ones I know do.

[Sensitivity]

9. And why isn't it? Will the Dems be able to do it if they win congress?

[itsmesgd]

10. how about an alcoholiday?

Vote early, volunteer til the polls close, and then drink and dance the night away.

[unpossibles]

13. I like the way you think.... n/t

[astonamous]

22. Except in Utah...the liquor stores are closed on election day.

I don't know if they are closed on all election days or just presidential ones, but they always find an excuse to close them.

Trudy
www.pryorsplanet.com

[KamaAina]

55. Both of them?!

:spank:

[astonamous]

75. Are there two?

:hi:

[chelsea0011]

11. You betcha.

Fire up the grill!

[Clark2008]

12. Our schools are closed

:shrug:

[madinmaryland]

15. Schools are closed in Maryland tomorrow.

Nothing else though.

[tblue37]

28. So parents have to stay home to take care of their kids instead of voting?

Some parents don't have cars and can't lug their kids to the polling site with them--and often the parents are single mothers.

Election day should be a national holiday. It is deliberately set up in the middle of the week to depress turnout. That's simply true.

[endarkenment]

17. I agree. When are we going to wake up?

This should be a mandatory national holiday with only essential services allowed to operate. Instead every effort is made to discourage participation in our democracy. What a joke. All the ruling elites have is lies, deceptions, and distractions. They know the truth will end their rule.

[greatauntoftriplets]

18. It is a holiday in most countries.

Or else elections are held over the weekend to make it easier for people to vote. In fact, I heard someone on Worldview today on NPR advocating such a thing.

[rman]

20. if only because in some places it actually does take all day

to vote

[The Count]

24. Schools are closed in NY - which only makes it harder for working people

to find someone to stay with the kids while they work & vote.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

27. "Sweep the Bums Out Day."

Absolutely, it's holiday material.

[Emit]

29. Get this

Here in Nevada, they closed the schools for E-Day.

That's great, since most of our polls are in the schools.

But, what that did was put working parents in a bind.

AND, they made all the teachers go to in-service training. In my case, I'm running a 14-precinct GOTV team and had hoped to use some of my volunteer teachers. None of them are available during the most crucial times of the day!! Arrghh!

Not to mention, my three kids are out of school that day -- I'll put my teenager to work, along with several of her friends. But my two littlest ones, well, they'll be tagging along unless I can find a babysitter!

[INDIA]

31. I completely agree.

Go out, vote. Head to the bar, watch the results come in and talk politics with friends.

Good times!

[AngryOldDem]

33. I think voting should be an all-weekend event....

But I agree that we should treat Election Day much more seriously than we do.

[europegirl4jfk]

36. We here in Europe vote on Sundays n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

42. Better that Voting time should conflict with Church than Work.

[deaniac21]

37. One day isn't enough. We should have a week off for national

elections. We are a very busy people.

[Midlodemocrat]

40. Gee. It's a holiday here.

In this Cracker Barrel lovin', Shoney's adoring, redneck filled state.



:hide:



:rofl:

[lies and propaganda]

41. I concur!

But that ,of course, means that people will vote and they sure as shit dont want that!

[ROFLMAO]

43. California law

states that an employer must give up to two-hours paid time off either at the beginning of the shift or at the end of the shift for the employee to vote. the employee must give the employer notice of their intent to do so at least 48 hours prior to election day

Here is a state by state listing of the law on voting time http://www.toolkit.cch.com/columns/people/02-075voting.asp

[newyawker99]

49. Hi ROFLMAO!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ROFLMAO]

50. Greetings

:hi:

[Scriptor Ignotus]

44. agreed

agreed and agreed!!!!

[3121guitarist]

45. They all like it this way.

The working class have a harder time voting this way, and the elites know that working American cannot stand their elite policies, so don't expect any day off to vote any time soon. Business buys their votes for very timely reasons.

[ROFLMAO]

48. when you say "they all like it this way" whom are you referring to?

We've gone through how many election cycles with both pubs and dems in power? It still is not a holiday.
Everybody here is fired up about tomorrow and wants as many people as possible to vote but the truth remains that nothing has ever been done by any administration to make National election Day a holiday. Not GW Bush, not Clinton, not GHW Bush, not Reagan, not Carter, not Ford, not Nixon, not LBJ, not JFK etc...

Why is that?

[yvr girl]

51. We are guaranteed 4 hours to vote in Canada

The polls need to be open for 4 hours before or after our shifts. You can't be docked for a salaried job. I'm not sure how it works for hourly employees. Also, anyone in line to vote when the polls close gets to vote.

I also think we have more polling stations. I've never had to wait more than 20-30 minutes to vote. Usually, it's less than 5 minutes.

[KamaAina]

52. Why not just move the election to the Veterans Day holiday?

Then again, Election Day is a holiday in its own right out here :bounce: , yet we still have the crappiest voter turnout in all the land. :(

[matcom]

54. i don't even get Veteran's Day off

and I'm a vet :argh:

[Rabrrrrrr]

58. Being the Military Guy in the Village People doesn't make you a "vet".

I'm sorry, but it's time to give up that illusion.

:eyes:

[tom_paine]

53. K & R!

[bagrman]

56. Change your state to vote by mail, Toss the computer in the heap

and vote by mail. Then go get a job counting the ballots.

Latr
bagrman

[demo dutch]

59. Totally agree!

[LWolf]

60. Or the nation could vote like my state:

by mail. Ballots arrive in the mail a couple of weeks before election day, and we can schedule our own time to sit down with them. It does cost a first-class stamp, but there are no lines. Procrastinators can drop their ballots off at any collection spot if they didn't mail it in time; there are plenty to choose from.

[walldude]

61. Mandatory paid vacation day.

Should be on Pelosi's 100 hours list. For a country that is willing to bomb another back to the stone age to "spread democracy" we sure seem to have a problem with honoring it at home...

[bumblebee1]

62. I plan on getting two kinds of exercise tomorrow.

Physical exercise as in walking to the polls. Then I will be exercising my right to vote.

[Dervill Crow]

63. My son's employer gives time off for voting.

The bakery he works for is owned by Cargill, and I was concerned that it was one of the evil huge companies taking over the world, but from what I've read, they seem to be responsible in the way they treat people and the planet.

[Atman]

65. It WILL be...if we all get out to vote, and bring a few friends!

We'll be celebrating the re-birth of democracy.

.

[wholetruth00]

66. You are on to something IMPORTANT! Agreed.

[sweetheart]

67. why should it be?

The country was very clearly designed by wealthy bourgeoisie to
perpetuate the rule of an elite minority of white christian men.

The system of corporate government has indeed allowed them to
perpetuate a stranglehold on the majority of feudal proportions,
what 'should' they do because starwars and star trek say so.

[Clarkie1]

68. This should be on our platform. I wish I could recommend this thread 1,000 times! nt

[jillan]

69. Agreed 100%

[Guaranteed]

70. We should be voting on July 4th. nt

[dad]

72. It should not be just one day

Polls should be open all week, and people could come in and vote at their convenience.

[upi402]

73. yes k/r n/t