Denying Voting Rights in Florida

The lead story in this past Tuesday's Bradenton Herald was about the Supervisor of Elections, Mike Bennett's plan to reduce the number of polling places in Manatee County, FL.  Bennett, a career politician who was unable to run for re-election to the Florida House due to term limits, was elected to replace the former elections supervisor who was retiring.  Bennett, a Republican, is one of the most useless politicians it has been my displeasure have anything to do with--the most useless being Tommy Thompson when he was Governor of Wisconsin.  Marching alongside Florida Governor, Rick Scott, he is doing what he can to eliminate voting opportunities for minorities who live in the county. 

Unfortunately, the four Republicans on the County Commission voted to accept Bennett's plan while the sole Democrat voted against the plan.  Such is the life of a progressive in a blue collar Florida county.

The following is a letter to the editor which appeared in this morning's paper. 

Dear Editor:
I was disappointed, but not  surprised, upon opening Tuesday's Bradenton Herald to the news that Mike Bennett is planning on closing 30 polling places throughout Manatee County.   Walking lockstep with Republicans, both in Tallahassee and Washington, he is working on a plan to disenfranchise voters.  Voting is a right, not a priviledge reserved for WASPs like myself.

My dad was a member of the Greatest Generation.  I am a Vietnam veteran.  Never, in his wildest dreams, did Dad think he was fighting against Hitler and his goal of Aryan supremacy so that minorities could be hindered in that most basic of American freedoms--the freedom to vote for the people of one's choice.  I never thought that while enduring the Tet Offensive. 

If anything, the number of polling places and opportunities for early voting should be increased, not reduced.  To add to the confusion, Bennett wants to renumber the voting precincts.  Such a proposal does not streamline anything.  It only leads to more confusion and disenfranchisement.

Bennett says he was "quite surprised" at the reaction of others to his proposal.  When, Mr. Bennett, was this proposal widely publicized before it was presented to the County Board?  If this is the way you want to treat voters--the ones who elected you--then perhaps it will be time for you to look for a new job, come election time.
Dave Hilsheimer