I think we're going about the voter ID problem backwards. We argue that we need voter ID, people claim it's discriminatory against low income minorities, and therefore racist.
So fuck it. Don't mention voting. Let's start a HARD PUSH for free state IDs. Doesn't have to be fancy. Doesn't have to be a driver's license. Just a push for a FREE ID that meets all minimum government issued ID requirements.
It's easy, we just gave BILLIONS of dollars in foreign aid to other countries in our "COVID bill." Just one billion of those dollars would buy a Texas Driver's license for all 330 million Americans 3 times over. We can surely afford as a country paying for a basic government ID.
A basic ID in Texas is $16. That's HALF the cost of a DL. Let's do THAT. Don't talk about voter ID, REMOVE the obstruction. Make a CLEAN argument that no one can object to.
"It's impossible to exist without a government issued ID, so a minimum ID should be provided free of charge by your state government. Driver's license still costs."
Liberals and Democrats CAN'T argue with it, because it's "gimme gimme" and Conservatives/Republicans shouldn't argue with it because it cleanly removes the biggest and only hurtle to Voter ID.
What do you guys think?
You know that, I know that. BLACK people know that. But that doesn't make the argument go away. I had a black guy tell me this MORNING that he assumes everyone he knows has an ID - but that doesn't mean those people don't exist.
OK - fine. Let's solve that problem. If there's a program in place that takes care of it - then they can't use it as an argument anymore.
I appreciate your approach, logical and effective. But the problem isn't lack of public support.
The problem is lack of elected officials willing to enact the will of their constituents instead of their overlords.
So we start small. Maybe we can get some cities on board to make this a thing in their area. Get some charities involved. Something, anything. Isn't that how grassroots works?
Lobby the city to provide free bus rides to the DMV with proof of an appointment. Get some charity to provide cash reimbursements for a printed receipt from the DMV. Hell, get the city to provide a bus credit in the amount of the DMV fee PLUS a round trip ride there.
Start small, make it big enough that it can't be ignored. Make it so that either side ignoring it looks nonsensical.