Quote:
Originally Posted by Easy Mac
(Post 3142454)
So, is there any reason to believe that any "independent" body or whatever that Trump gets to do an election audit won't turn up "evidence?" This just seems like the next totalitarian step on his list. He's already lied about God knows what, its well within reason to assume they'll create "evidence" to show fraud to drastically purge rolls/change voting rules.
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Yes, because you still need local officials to go along with it to produce evidence, as Pat McCrory found out when he tried pulling similar shenanigans in the NC governor's race and found that the Republican dominated, politically-appointed local voting officials were more interested in doing their job competently than partisan shenanigans. Just as their more egregious voting restriction overreaches were slapped down by the courts. There probably are some corrupt local officials, but things are borderline impossible to invent at that level.
Now, as Goodell showed with Deflategate, Trump can just lie about what was found even when the actual report disproves his statements, and people will be more than happy to go along with it as long as it fits their preferred narrative. But I don't think actual commission's will be inventing things in concert with local election officials.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tarcone
(Post 3142456)
I didnt realize you were Trumps counselor. Because that would really be the only way you know if he is DEEPLY insecure.
Because, I doubt a man who has done what he has is DEEPLY insecure.
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I think the hands issue proved it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RainMaker
(Post 3142486)
One of the sneaky things in that budget plan I noticed was that SS cuts wouldn't start right away. Obviously they realize they can't cut current benefits because they'd lose those voters. So the cuts start down the road. Basically if you are planning to be on SS in 20 years, you'd be the one getting fucked.
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I've assumed since I started paying in to SS 15 years ago that I would definitely not receive all the promised benefits. I've always thought it was more likely they'd increase means testing and retirement age instead of completely throwing the program out, but if you're under 45 and you've been planning to retire comfortably on SS alone you're an idiot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JPhillips
(Post 3142488)
This is happening already at the state level. My mother lives in Ohio and was promised healthcare for life as the spouse of a state employee. She stayed home, raised a family, and had basically no income or savings or retirement plan to draw from in her old age. She did what women of her era were expected to do.
And now the state has pulled her healthcare and given her premium support of something like 250 a month. 250 for a woman in her eighties. At the end of the day spending less is more important than honoring promises.
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I feel bad for individuals caught up in it, but many state and local governments have been drastically over promising for decades and it makes the federal numbers look positively rosy in comparison. Massachusetts was giving 80% of the top 3 years income after as little as 20 years in certain fields (the MBTA was the most notorious offender). Detroit's the most prominent municipality to file for bankruptcy, but it's not just declining rust belt areas - there are a plethora of California jurisdictions that had to file, even Orange County. Your mother sounds like someone the system should be there for, but with advances in life expectancy & quality of life there is way too high a ratio of retirees to workers to sustain the high benefits (and way too many able bodied workers retiring when they could still contribute, and even being forced into early retirement at various times to solve short term budget problems.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Easy Mac
(Post 3142522)
That's what I'm saying, surely rolling all of this into one service would greatly reduce government redundancy, and may actually save the government money. Think of how this could help track down tax cheats, welfare cheats, any number of people who are trying to game the system.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cuervo72
(Post 3142583)
What if you're getting a new ID? My aunt recently had to transfer her license to PA, from CA. She initially couldn't complete the process because PA found that GA (where she lived before CA) never canceled her license there, and until that got done PA couldn't do anything. She eventually got her license (btw, current license wasn't good enough, she needed her SS card too), but she spent an entire day there (possibly more - I can't find the post, but I think she had visited once and found out about the GA snafu, then had to go back again later).
My other aunt is in her 50s and just got her license. Not sure what she used as ID prior to that.
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I don't want to do it for voting ID reasons, but I think there's a lot of sense in standardizing ID's. It's insane that my flimsy SS card with no picture is considered better proof in some instances than a driver's license. (Luckily I have a passport to skip all the SS card/birth certificate BS.) Maybe you could even tie it in with census's - you could apply anytime, but also when they do their census every 10 years they proactively registered people as well. That eliminates the "how could a bed ridden person with 3 jobs and no transportation ever get one" argument (btw, I don't think major cities are the place it's hard to get an ID, it's poor rural areas.)
We're trending towards a national ID card anyways, why not just go for it. If you want to opt out for separatist/anarchist reasons, go for it, but even as a fairly libertarian person (sorry for mentioning it Larry!) I have no problem saying that person shouldn't have a say in how our government is run.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thesloppy
(Post 3142603)
You don't need photo ID to fly, fwiw.
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This doesn't sound right at all, but a perusal of the DHS website says you can verify your identity other ways? Have you actually done this or is it just theoretical (makes sense to have some option for a traveler who loses their ID)? But also with the emphasis on REAL ID being implemented soon I can't imagine it's an easy process.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA
(Post 3142610)
What, you don't still get carded? I have to show mine on every alcohol purchase here -- both retail & dining out -- even thought I'm pretty freakin' clearly past 21.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thesloppy
(Post 3142616)
Yeah, at some point a couple years ago Portland slipped into "every body gets carded every time" territory as well.
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Massachusetts was much more strict than North Carolina has been, but even there different businesses had different standards, from "card under 30" to "just card everyone to prevent putting this 18 year old clerk from putting our company at liability". Hippie central Northampton also passed a town ordinance requiring stores to ID on EVERY tobacco purchase. I worked at a liquor store and we'd be able to sell alcohol elderly people but had to deny them tobacco. It was odd. (They also banned plastic bags. And the town of Concord banned the sale of bottled water - except on Patriots Day. Liberal do gooders come up with some fun regulations.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben E Lou
(Post 3142598)
Serious question for everyone: how often do you use your ID in situations where a poor person wouldn't need to?
I use my driver's license...
--to drive, only if I get pulled over, of course
--to get on airplanes
--at Will Call when I buy tickets online to a sporting event or concert
--as identification when I recently bought a house
--at some places when I pay by credit card
What are the reasons an ID would be needed for a carless person who doesn't have a credit card and can't afford to fly, attend sporting events, or buy a house? I'm sure there are some; I'm just coming up blank right now.
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I'm not sure one is needed, but it sure seems hard to be a productive member of society without one. I suppose elderly retiree is a good example, but they're presumably still tied in to the Social Security system. I guess you could do so living in a really rural area (or being Amish) and either working on a farm or doing web based contracting.