Eye On Modesto

Thoughts and observations about Modesto and Stanislaus County

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22 Oct 2012

Why All the Rush Over Falling Water?

Don Pedro Daybreak - Day 39

Don Pedro Daybreak – Day 39 (Photo credit: Velo Steve)

By John Duarte

MID leaders have taken up an urgent review of a falling water credit that water users receive for the value of the hydroelectric power generated at Don Pedro.  This sudden “crisis” follows a series of fast moving actions on the part of MID following the failed (board vote 5-0) water sale proposal previously championed by Board President Tom Van Groningen.  Many participants in the water sale dialogue/debate requested that the district form advisory groups to review district issues more in depth, over longer terms and with better access to district experts than the board meetings allowed. 

 

The current advisory committee proposed by the board, selecting representatives from local groups to form a committee of committees, is more likely to be an effort to weight the group against ag in order to extract a particular outcome, rather than to improve the dialogue surrounding complex and important issues.   In addition to a selected membership with no guarantee of transparency, the committee will be charged to address speculated claims under Prop 26.   It appears that some district leaders would like to see the equivalent of six wolves and a lamb vote on what’s for lunch, while piping the scent of simmering lamb into the room.

 

A review of the district history and current situation is in order.  Irrigation districts frequently possess riparian water rights that can be used to generate hydroelectric power.  With the available water flow, technology and marketability of electricity, any irrigation district that did not develop hydroelectric power from these resources would be negligent towards its irrigation customers and the public for the lost opportunity.

 

Irrigation districts have multiple options as to how they choose to market the generated hydroelectric power.  The two most frequent choices are to market it wholesale to a second party (as does SSJID and OID from their New Melones project), or to form local power authorities and market it retail to local customers (as does MID and TID from the Don Pedro project). 

 

SSJID and OID use the revenue from wholesale power sales to benefit their agricultural water users, to the point where water costs are negative and rebates are often sent to customers from the power revenues.  PG&E buys the power wholesale and delivers it to its customers as part of a supply blend over a large market area.  All sales and costs are established in free market transactions.  Electric ratepayers in the irrigation district boundaries are served by a for-profit utility and do not enjoy any financial benefit from the cheap hydroelectric generation.

 

Many OID and SSJID area electric customers are served by MID power delivery per the four cities annexation that MID executed in the 1990s.  Other OID and SSJID customers are now considering options to form their own power distribution company.  I do not believe that these efforts will lead to the irrigators giving up the benefit of the hydroelectric power to the retail electric customers.   There are few voices in the PG&E power service area that would not prefer to be in a locally run municipal service area.   

 

MID and TID chose early on to provide retail delivery of their hydroelectric power to in-district electricity customers.  This has given our communities the advantage of locally governed municipal power.  For many decades MID and TID ratepayers enjoyed enviably low electric rates in contrast to those served by for-profit delivery, particularly those served by PG&E.   MID and TID irrigators have gained from the value of the falling water based on their well-established senior water rights.  This arrangement has provided great benefit to the community in affording low rates for both electric and irrigation customers, local control and better accountability.

 

MID now faces a number of financial challenges.  The district is increasing costs of operating beyond the growth of its power deliveries.  From 2010 to 2011, MID increased overhead costs by 20 percent or six million dollars as it delivered slightly less electricity than the year before.  MID projects to increase total costs of operations by 5% per year from 2013-2017 while it delivers only slightly more (0-1% per year) electricity.  This is all on top of an already bloated budget that is absorbing a number of past strategic errors (Mountain House, over purchase of green power, four cities, pension benefit giveaways, Phase 2 Water Plant…). 

 

Recently, a water sale of a significant amount of the district’s water was proposed by the district.  The revenues from this sale were to go to the district’s general fund to serve a long and exhaustive list of financial needs.  The sale was opposed by local interests and failed.  The proposal that failed would have raised $1.5 million dollars per year.  This amounts to one-fourth the increase in the districts overhead in just one year.

 

Adjusting the falling water charge will not provide equity between customer groups within the district.  It may not be required by prop 26.  If it is required by prop 26, there may be a number of irrigation districts that need to take a broad look at the beneficiaries of their hydroelectric generation.  It will also not substantially alter the financial course of MID or the obligations of its electric ratepayers. 

 

This demand by MID Board President Tom Van Groningen for an extremely urgent review of the policy appears to be his personal tantrum over the failure of his ill-considered water sale.  It must have be a very personal failure for him, as he may have seen it as a last ditch effort to redeem his decades of failed service and a litany of ill-considered and costly MID initiatives adopted under his reign.

 

 

John Duarte

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19 Oct 2012
5 Comments

Sign the Petition Against the Annexation of Salida by Modesto

Official seal of County of Stanislaus

Official seal of County of Stanislaus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Emerson Drake

As most now know, Stanislaus County and Modesto have paid $30,000 each towards a study of the costs surrounding the possible annexation of Salida by Modesto.  After going to several meetings in Salida, from the Hammett Road Interchange meeting to a Salida MAC meeting,  it’s obvious most civically active Salidans are overwhelmingly against the annexation.  Unfortunately governments are seldom driven by what their constituents desire, rather, they are motivated by either special interest groups or political self-interest.

In this case it’s obvious it’s both.

Stanislaus County would like to get Salida onto someone elses checkbook.  Salida has a simple problem, they don’t have the tax base necessary for easy independence at this time.  In years past Modesto held the metaphorical gun to their head when it stole Costco and the rest of the stores on the north side of Kiernan from Salida in a water/sewer deal for the sales tax generated by these businesses.   The County has been careful to keep the small strip business parks lining North 99 for themselves too.

Now developers like Modesto Councilman Joe Muratore, who was caught with his finger in the Federal HUD/NSP2 money pie, are at it again.  Councilman Muratore, thru his company Benchmark Realty, is representing land owners in Salida, one being a current business partner, Stephen Endsley. At the same time the Councilman voted to move Modesto a step closer to the annexation of Salida. See it’s easier to control development if you have friends on the Planning Board and are a Councilman.  Modesto already has 5,700 acres in their sphere of influence to develop but that isn’t enough according to Modesto politicians and their political donors.

At a recent City and County liaison meeting we once again heard the term developers love, when the phrase “low hanging fruit’ was used several times when referring to Salida. 

Most  Salidans say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

An online petition has been created for Salidans, Modestans, and indeed ALL citizens of the county to sign to register their concerns.  I invite everyone who wants to help David from being devoured by Goliath, to sign and let their thoughts be known. Say NO to greedy special interest groups who would plant driveways instead of crops and change the quaint, rural environment of Salida into the city controlled by developers that Modesto has become.

Please consider clicking on the link and filling the form out.  Thank you.

http://www.change.org/petitions/stanislaus-co-board-of-supervisors-modesto-city-council-mayor-garrad-marsh-stop-proceedings-for-the-annexation-of-salida-by-the-city-of-modesto

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12 Oct 2012

MID Board Split on Public Comment Time and Everything Else

By Emerson Drake

With the temporary stoppage of the proposed water sale things have definitely quieted down at recent MID meetings. We’re back to fewer people attending and just a smattering of people actively commenting on current issues. At the latest meeting only four people stood up to comment during ” public input for the good of the district.”  Since the Board reduced the alloted amount of time from five minutes to three several months ago on the pretext of shortening waiting  lines and with only four people speaking (that is becoming the average post water sale) it seemed like an appropriate time for the rules to return back to normal.

Director Larry Byrd presented the board with a request to move the alloted time back to five minutes. But that was not to be. Since Director Warda was absent the board was down to just four members. Director Wild spoke against the idea saying he would like to discuss it more but then stayed quiet. After all, like his mentor Van Groningen, Wild prefers to violate Brown Act laws and discuss things with other board members away from public scrutiny. Please understand they like to talk not in “closed session” but in the backroom without witnesses. If they were to repeat anything from closed session they would be in violation of Board policy and could be censured.  But if a Director relates something that took place “behind the wall”,  ie: illegally, there isn’t anything Van Groningen and Wild can do.  Director Blom was willing to second the motion.  But seeing Directors Van Groningen and Warda were against a revision of the relatively new rule, no second was made.  That’s the way the MID works.  Rather than expose a rift and discuss their differences they choose to remain silent in front of the public. 

I later spoke to Director Wild regarding his comments. Concerning five-minute allotments he said “I’ve been keeping track of people who speak and during their first three minutes they are succinct and present themselves well. But during their last two minutes they berate the Board and I don’t like it.”  Personally, I always thought elected boards were supposed to reflect the will of the people, but when elected officials ignore the public’s input it only stands to reason some frustration might surface.

A current example might be a request for the 2013 budget PN# U00018 for $500,000 to replace the Board room’s audio and video equipment. All of this money for a fancy system and they still refuse create an archive for recordings of meetings or even save for more than 100 days the recorded discs of proceedings, let alone  broadcast their meetings on streaming video.   To this day they continue to destroy ALL electronic recordings of their meetings and refuse to consider approving the minutes of their meetings until AFTER the recordings have been destroyed.

In the next two years they want to spend $1.75 Million on a smart grid security system PN#U00513. These people are spending us into the poorhouse.  The IT department wants to spend over $4.1 Million in just the next two years. CAP-40 CAP is their designation for this.

I could go on about this but my point is their “wish list” was created when they thought they were going to be able to spend Millions of Dollars from the water sale  money they were telling the public was going to irrigation infrastructure.

Another ongoing concern is the money being funneled through Martino Graphics. Year to date Directors Tom Van Groningen and Glen Wild have apparently signed what are called expense approvals in the amount of $21,000.  There is no purchase order assigned for these expenditures.  The account number they use is 312500 00.0 401 and the payment explanation is Board Development and Internal Communications.  These are NOT pre approved by the Board members.  Directors Van Groningen and Wild along with General Manager Allen Short have personally made these arrangements with Martino Graphics and Carol Whiteside.

Ms.Whiteside confirmed in an email to me on 10/10/12 she’s been the recipient of a total of $9,000 as partial fulfilment of her contract with Martino Graphics which she suspended in July.  Her work has never been brought to the Board and Tom Van Groningen says he has a copy of her work but no presentation has ever been made.  As a point of interest Ms. Whiteside was paid $1,500 directly to her for an earlier presentation to the Board and public.  Questions abound as to why Van Groningen and Wild have made these obviously deceptive arrangements and why was the ante upped and how do they account for the remaining $12,000?

In addition, we know $6,000 of these billings ($3,000 each ) have been pulled at successive meetings from the consent portion of the agenda. The question remains unanswered as to whether or not  the checks have been sent.

When I asked Director Van Groningen if the Board pre approved the expenses, his response was “they approved them when they voted in the consent Calender.”  In other words NO they didn’t. So what we are hearing is two members of the Board, outside the scope of the public, and their fellow Board members, can approve expenditures which would advance their positions on future votes.

It appears we won’t have any relief from this type of underhanded dealings until after the 2013 elections when Van Groningen and Wild have to stand in front of the public asking for their votes.

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11 Oct 2012

The Bee Editors Get it Right

Black & Veatch Corporation logo

Black & Veatch Corporation logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Dave Thomas

Good afternoon.  If you have not read today’s BEE Editorial page, be prepared for a rare surprise.

The BEE’s editorial opinion is right-on correct, and actually shows regard for the Citizens of our community.
You are thinking that I have lost my mind, right.  But no, the BEE pretty much gets it right.  They
printed a story yesterday which told us that our mayor, city staff and MID management were making
a deal with the fools who screwed up the Phase 2 water plant debacle.  But, they were doing the People’s
business, behind closed doors, and were not intending to tell us anything about the deal.  
Of course, we are quite used to these back door deals, done secretly, and we know that they will make a deal
that satisfies THEM, because they can raise our water, electricity and sewer rates any time they want, for as 
much as they want.  They make the deal, YOU and I PAY FOR IT.  
The BEE quotes the mayor as saying it will cost the ratepayers nothing.  That is the normal signal to us
that it is going to cost us A LOT!!  So, the opinion explains that the sophisticated editors understand that the city,
the MID and the people who can not build a water plant do not want anyone to know who gets zoomed on the
deal, because it is always US.  
BUT, the BEE opines that, “...the MID and city have a bigger responsibility to their constituents than to 
Black & Veatch.”  I know this is totally out of character from a paper whose primary goal
is to defend and protect government.  But you know that I always say, “Come to the table.  Come early or late,
but come to the table.”  We shall see if the BEE is serious about this concern for the People on this or other 
issues. 
 
I recommend, however, that we give the editors our kudos, and encourage them to continue with this attitude.
 
As ever, Dave
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09 Oct 2012

“What’s on America’s Mind”

Topic to be covered include MID’s Tom Van Groningen and Glen Wild short circuiting public input, how Tom and Glen “approved”  $21,000 for their special friend Carol Whiteside without a purchase order, the committee they propose to decide our water future, Modesto Chamber of Commerce’s lobbyist Cecil Russell taking your tax money for his project You get to pay for his applause,   McClatchy’s Modesto Pravda’s very own Tokyo Rose…Judy Sly, Low Hanging Fruit is how some of  the City and County liaison members referred to Salida as, This and More so join us at 7:00 PM Wednesday right here on BlogTalk or on 104.9 FM Salida.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2012/10/11/whats-on-americas-mind-with-emerson-drake 

And don’t forget to like  our Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/WhatsOnAmericasMind?ref=hl 

More information can be found on these and other subjects at www.EyeOnModesto.com

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07 Oct 2012
2 Comments

Modesto Chamber of Commerce Drops the Ball Wants City Bailout Money

By Emerson Drake

Over the last several months we’ve been regaled with several tales lauding  the Modesto Chamber of Commerce’s CEO/lobbyist Cecil Russell and side kick Mike Moradian for raising money to restore Modesto’s Arch.  While I acknowledge it’s a fine project, and will be somewhat appreciated, does the City of Modesto really have $40,000 in the General Fund with nowhere else to go?  We’re even being asked to throw in $15,807 from the Mann Grant Donation into the project for a total of $55.807.00.

At a recent City Council meeting lobbyist Cecil Russell was given a round of applause as was Mike Moradian for selling the $3.00 “Golden” candy bars.  There were several stories in the Modesto Bee ( Aug.18, Sept.7 & 11 and Oct.1) about what a great job the Chamber has done raising money.  But now they come, hat in hand, begging for tax money that could have gone toward another police officer on the street. 

It’s Item #11 under new business http://www.modestogov.com/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=460&doctype=AGENDA   on this weeks agenda.  What?  You say you haven’t read about it anywhere?  Not even in the Modesto Bee?  Apparently City manager Greg Nyhoff requested this item be added.  But how did he hear about the need?

There is little doubt that when he blew off last weeks agenda meeting and missed half of the Safety and Communities meeting, he was being apprised of the situation as the city liaison with the Chamber.  He failed to mention it upon his return from the meeting, but since he likes to keep city business on a need to know basis or as strictly required by law, we don’t wonder why, as it would keep his secret as long as possible.  At least several City Council members were surprised to see this item on the agenda when it was published on Friday afternoon.

The Chamber of Commerce has already planned a celebration for October 26, 2012.  But they FAILED to raise the necessary money to pay for it.  Unfortunately it says more about Mr. Russell’s leadership than it does about Modesto businessmen.  I don’t believe this would never have happened under someone who was  as  fiscally responsible as former Chamber  CEO Joy Madison.

Lobbyist Cecil Russell has done a lot of bad-mouthing against the Modesto City Council over his client/benefactor the Double Tree turning down the Modesto Centre Plaza deal. You would think he would have run into some resistance for being a grandstander who failed in his responsibility to come through with the promised funding.

Next time the Chamber of Commerce or its CEO have grandiose plans (for the public’s good) I hope they can pay for it themselves and leave Modesto’s general fund out of the equation.

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03 Oct 2012

“What’s on America’s Mind”

English: Ca-99 (northbound) near Modesto, Cali...

English: Ca-99 (northbound) near Modesto, California (1). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wednesday night at 7:00 PM Pacific

The discussion will include an update on the potential annexation of Salida  by Modesto and a meeting that took place behind closed doors,  the continuing saga of four homeless hero’s, Sheriff Christianson and Correct Healthcare Solutions campaign contribution, Modesto scrambling over Centre Plaza being thrown back by the Double Tree,  has MID paid Martino Graphics the $6,000 without the Board voting, this and more so give us a listen and find out concerns the Bee won’t tell you about.

Our flagship station 104.9 FM Salida Modesto

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2012/10/04/whats-on-americas-mind-with-emerson-drake

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26 Sep 2012

“What’s on America’s Mind” Wednesday at 7:00 PM Pacific

Blogtalk

Blogtalk (Photo credit: onitz)

Tonight’s discussions include the MPD’s response to a 14-year-old girl getting beat up and a video made at Enochs High school,  last nights Salida MAC meeting including an update on the annexation, MID cover-up of $21,000 in “special spending”, A quick look at the local Bail Bond Industry, missed opportunity regarding the veteran’s jobs bill.  This and more, so make a difference by participating in the democratic process and let your voice be heard.

7:00 PM Wednesday on Blogtalk or 104.9 FM Salida/Modesto

Our call in number is 1-347-215-9414

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2012/09/27/whats-on-americas-mind-with-emerson-drake

Some of the topics discussed will reference articles on http://EyeOnModesto.com/

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24 Sep 2012

People – 1, MID – 0, in Best of 7

By Emerson Drake

After a hard-fought battle the people of Stanislaus County emerged victorious.  But we can’t let our guards down.  Modesto Irrigation District could decide to re-open the issue at any time and General Manager Allen Short is probably already exploring a way around the Board. 

                                               The Seventh Inning Stretch

The letter from the SFPUC  didn’t arrive in time for the public meeting.  It magically appeared during the closed session. Between the suspect timing of the letter’s arrival, and the realization that their terms had been rejected, three of the Directors had finally had enough. Larry Byrd, Nick Blom, and Paul Warda, to paraphrase, said enough was enough.  Directors Van Groningen and Wild went apoplectic!  They argued vehemently to bring one of the opposing Directors around to no avail.  And in a move of political butt-covering decided to make the vote unanimous.

Of course Dir. Van Groningen went from newspaper to newspaper making specious  claims of being unhappy with the contract, but what we need to remember is that he was ready to sign this terrible contract back in January. So his words, as far as I’m concerned, fall on deaf ears. 

Now it appears we get to see how the staff was divvying up the money before the water contract was signed, or maybe this is the kind of spending that got them so deep in the red.  As you’ll see, it really does pay to stay for the budget workshop.

                                               The Scouting Report

The budget workshop showed, at least in some people’s eyes,where they had intended to spend some of the water sale money.  Allen Short is requesting in the 2012 budget $30,000 dollars to spend for his outer office.  Eyes were raised when the figure was announced.  Allen said the money was going for two desks and a counter.  Pretty fancy desks and one heck of a counter.

So why should $210,000 for carpeting the second floor in the 2014 budget bother anyone?  At $61.76 per square yard installed we should be happy. Buying 3,400 yards I’m sure they got a discount.   The justification they used was “The carpet is difficult to clean and make presentable.” 

What’s the big deal about an $8,000 ice machine?  Just because the old one  still works and they’re keeping it for the employees to use, what’s the problem?  Must be nice to work for the ivory tower at the Taj Mahal.  You’d think since they didn’t have to make any concessions regarding their health insurance or to contribute to their retirement (except for new employees) they’d be happy, except of course for the new people who were thrown under the bus and will be required to help pay for both.

Did I mention the proposed management raises?  A Public Information Request came back saying they don’t have anything on paper regarding them.  Allegedly they want the Board to vote on unknown raises for unknown people.  Don’t get me wrong, Tom Van Groningen and Glen Wild are ready to vote for them and are insisting if the rank and file gets a raise so does management. 

Could it be some of the members of  this Board are tired of being led around by the nose?  Allen Short doesn’t believe it yet or at least isn’t willing to admit it. Allen is spending money like he isn’t accountable and is readying his golden parachute.  And where does Attorney Tim O’Laughlin fit into all of this?  He’s still on schedule to make $ 1 Million from MID this year.  The ever churning lawyer keeps playing both ends against the middle and collecting from both as usual.  Remember how O’Laughlin told the Board they had nothing to worry about from the garbage burner lawsuit?  They didn’t. Endsley collected $1.2 Million and  O’Laughlin collected $97,000.  No worries, it came from the ratepayer’s pocket, not the Board’s.

The Modesto Irrigation District has played fast and loose with the Brown Act.  Dir. Van Groningen does what ever he wants and O’Laughlin stays quiet.  Unless he’s arguing with one of the Board members.  And O’Laughlin himself presides over the violations of the Public Information Act requests. Why he’s still there is beyond belief.

Since the Board meeting is tomorrow I want to mention Martino Graphics.  At last weeks meeting I specifically asked Dir. Van Groningen what the $3,000  to Martino Graphics was being spent on in last weeks warrants. He asked the staff but they stayed quiet (could they have been instructed to do so since Denise Ray, the head of Purchasing, was in the audience?)  They did place the question on this weeks agenda thanks to Directors Byrd and Warda (Van Groningen and Wild remained quiet).  Amazingly enough Van Groningen and Wild signed for the payment on September 4,2012.  A case of sudden amnesia?  I sent an email to the Board this morning and asked them to include three more Martino invoices in the discussion, two at $3,000 and one for $9,000.  I had already talked with Van Groningen during the Capital Budget workshop last week about this but felt it was important to document the request.

Did I mention all of the preceding in an attempt to document everything?Heck no I left out about half.  Did you know they want to spend more money for the Mountain House infrastructure?  But that’s enough for now.  It all goes to show we can’t let our guards down now.  Yes, we should enjoy the victory for now.  But until Tom Van Groningen and Glen Wild are off the MID Board and we get some people who are concerned and won’t be led around be the nose by Short and aren’t intimidated by O’Laughlin, and don’t have the ability to subvert conscious thinking at the Bee (if indeed it ever existed), we as a community won’t be free of outrageous electrical rates or able to ensure our children’s future with plentiful clean water.

So to finish up  with the baseball metaphor I started with, it ain’t over till the fat lady sings and she’s not even at the ballpark yet.

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23 Sep 2012
1 Comment

More Voter Suppression By The GOP

By Gaetana Drake

Pennsylvania’s new voter ID laws will require many women to show two forms of identification in order to vote.  Women whose names have changed due to being married now need to show a state-issued ID card (issued by the Department of Transportation) and a separate government-issued ID card or driver’s license (issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles). 

Because of the centuries long tradition of women taking the last name of their husband when they marry, they are now forced to pay for two separate forms of identification just to vote.  For low-income women, this is an additional financial burden to voting.  Because the approved forms of identification come from two different state departments, women are now required to visit both of those departments to get the necessary identification.

One accepted form of ID comes from the Department of Transportation.  In Pennsylvania, nine counties do not have an office for the Department of Transportation.  In thirteen of their counties, the Department of Transportation office is only open one day a week.  This will require women (many of whom are elderly and don’t drive) to travel to another county (on the correct day) in order to obtain their IDs.

Additionally, the state has 31,000 poll workers – who can chose to enforce the law at their discretion.  It’s going to be chaotic in Pennsylvania on election day!

In addition to this latest restriction, consider this:

Viviette Applewhite is a 93 year old African American woman who was born 1919 in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love (not much brotherly love going on there right now)!  She worked as a welder during WWII and raised a daughter who has worked for various government agencies.  Ms. Applewhite marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and has voted in every election for 50 years.  She has been unable to obtain a photo ID required by Pennsylvania’s new law and will not be allowed to vote in November.

Wilola Lee, is a 59 year old African-American woman who was born in Wilkerson County, Georgia, a very rural area.  She was raised by a grandmother who moved her to Philadelphia (again, the City of Brotherly Love) in 1957.  She has lived there ever since.  She raised two children, one of whom now works for the Pennsylvania state government.  Ms. Lee worked for Philadelphia Public Schools for several years and has even been a poll worker in Philadelphia.  For years she has been trying to get a birth certificate that she needs to get a photo ID.  But the state of Georgia has told her that they have no record of her birth.  After voting for over 30 years, she will be denied her right to vote this November.

Grover Freeland is a 72 year old African-American man born in Buffalo, New York.  He is an Army veteran with an honorable discharge.  He has not had a driver’s license since the 1980s.  He has a photo ID known as a “veteran’s card” which contains coded sensitive information, such as his medical records.  Unfortunately, the state of Pennsylvania does not consider this an acceptable form of identification.  He has been unable to get a birth certificate from the state of New York.  Come November, this veteran of America’s armed forces will be denied his right to vote.

Gloria Cuttino is a 61 year old African-American woman who was born in Summerville, South Carolina.  She has lived in Philadelphia for decades and raised her children there.  One of her children is a Philadelphia police officer.  She has worked for years on behalf of local candidates for elected office.  This is a woman who is very involved in our political process.  She has been trying for over a year to get a birth certificate from South Carolina – who claims they have no record of her birth.  A pro-bono attorney has determined that the only way she can get a “delayed” birth certificate is to seek census and other records, which will cost approximately $100, then employ an attorney in South Carolina to petition the court (additional expenses).  It is unlikely that Ms. Cuttino will be allowed to vote in November.

Ms. Nadine Marsh is an 84 year old caucasion woman who was born in Pittsburgh in 1928.  She was one of ten children whose father worked for Bethlehem Steel.  She has never driven a car, so has no driver’s license.  She and her family have tried for several years to get a birth certificate for her.  They have gone in person to the Department of Vital Records, but have been told that her birth record does not exist.  Ms. Marsh will be unable to vote in November.

Ms. Dorothy Barksdale is an 86 year old African-American woman who was born at home in Halifax County, Virginia in 1926.  She, too, has never driven and has no approved ID.  However, she was allowed to work as a poll official in Philadelphia where she has lived for many years.  She has tried for three years to obtain a birth certificate from Virginia, but has been advised that they have no record of her birth.

There are thousands of other American citizens just like the ones mentioned here.  Many of us don’t understand how someone couldn’t have the appropriate forms of identification.  After all, you need identification to do almost anything these days.  But my own grandparents probably couldn’t vote this year…my grandfather did not drive the last several years of his life and probably never had a birth certificate having been born in a rural county of Indiana.  My grandmother never drove and was born in rural Tennessee.  Millions of American citizens were born before detailed birth records were kept.  That does not make them any less American than you or I.

I’d also like to point out that all of these people (and some organizations estimate that 5 million eligible voters will be turned away at the polls in November) have during their working lives, contributed state and federal taxes to our government.  Now their government is denying them the right to vote.

We should all be ashamed of what is going on here in America.  If the purpose is to prevent illegal aliens from voting, why are we preventing men who put their lives at risk for our rights and women who raised their children to be proud Americans from voting?  It is shameful and un-American!

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