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Another random week of thoughts

Friday, October 23, 2009

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By NapaValleyRegister.com readers

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Fire out your thoughts here on your topic of the week that is not covered through a Register.com article or opinion item.

Same rules apply here as with all other comments, though. Play by the posted comment guidelines or don't play the game

Do you have a topic for general comment that is more than the 300 word limit in the comment guidelines? E-mail that one to dross@napanews.com for it to be posted separately for everyone else to comment on.

44 comment(s)

Raven wrote on Oct 19, 2009 7:32 PM:

" Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill last week that will require gun dealers starting in February 2011 to record and retain the driver license numbers and thumbprints of people who buy handgun ammunition.

It also bans the direct sales of ammunition to Californians who purchase via mail order or over the Internet. Out-of-state ammunition dealers will have to ship to licensed dealers in the state who would then have to record the purchaser's identity and fingerprints. The new law not only makes it unlawful for a gun dealer to knowingly sell handgun ammunition to anyone prohibited from possessing a firearm, it also prohibits any person subject to a gang injunction from owning or possessing handgun ammunition.

The De Leon bill, the governor correctly concluded, appropriately balances public safety against the right to keep and bear arms. The type of record-keeping mandated in the new law is no more intrusive than similar laws governing pawnshops.

The bill reasonably regulates access to ammunition and improves public safety without placing undue burdens on law-abiding gun owners. It makes California safer.

From the sacbee today...

(wait for it...wait for it) "

kevin wrote on Oct 19, 2009 9:31 PM:

" Wouldn't this be more appropriate on the daily rant blog, raven?

BTW, you don't have a Constitutional Right to use a pawnshop... "

Raven wrote on Oct 19, 2009 10:02 PM:

" lets see...this is a rant (actually more like an announcement that could cause a rant) ..it takes place in this week....meets the qualifications that I see..

and the article says you have a right to use a pawnshop where? "

kevin wrote on Oct 20, 2009 4:56 AM:

" I don't make the rules here, raven. I have as much problems following them as you do. But the rules for the rant section are clear "If you have a non-political rant, take that over to the weekly Random Thoughts blog."

Gun control is obviously a POLITICAL rant and should be in that section.

"...the new law is no more intrusive than similar laws governing pawnshops". Again, pawnshops have NO Constitutional protections, UNLIKE our Right to own firearms.

This is nothing more than a "back door" attempt by Liberals to implement gun control by limiting our ability to obtain ammo and it will be overturned either in the courts or by new legislation.

Sure glad the State has plenty of money to spend on fighting it in court... "

Raven wrote on Oct 20, 2009 9:14 AM:

" Show us how this infringes upon your right to own a firearms - all this does is make you present ID and a thumbprint when you purchase ammunition. How does that stop you - they don't have to check to see if you can be ammo, just get your id and thumbprint...which if you read the article and other pieces about other cities with the same local ordinance, you will find it has had a significant impact for law enforcement to identify people who use a firearm in a crime...don't you want to help law enforcement?

And why shouldn't gun dealers have to face the same restrictions that pawnshops have to when faced with similar circumstances?

Shouldn't be much of a court battle as the local ordinances have been fought and the challengers have lost. Again, this does nothing to infringe upon your right to own a firearms... "

funnyme wrote on Oct 20, 2009 9:33 AM:

" Check out "diehard4ever" on the NVR Sport Pages, she is a "No Name" kid!

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/10/20/sports/doc4add4d8c6bf34038281997.txt "

Sickothis wrote on Oct 20, 2009 9:48 AM:

" I would like to thank whomever it was that borough Nixle to Napa. Made the Jamison issue yesterday a lot more manageable. "

PlasticPinkFlamingo wrote on Oct 20, 2009 9:26 PM:

" raven, it infringes. Take it to the rant page instead of trying to slip in in random thoughts. NVR, can we have a decision on this please? "

Raven wrote on Oct 20, 2009 10:04 PM:

" from the lead on this page...

"Fire out your thoughts here on your topic of the week that is not covered through a Register.com article or opinion item"... "

steph wrote on Oct 20, 2009 10:40 PM:

" I'd like to require a thumbprint for anyone who wants to open credit in my name.

Oh, and thumbprints for anyone who is trying to prove legal residency. Isn't it just like our government to claim they can't reliably track the identities of people in this country who claim to be here legally--oh, the bureaucrats just CA-AN'T tell who belongs here and who doesn't, who is legally employable and who isn't, who should be deported and who shouldn't, but they CAN track gun owners and users. "

steph wrote on Oct 20, 2009 10:41 PM:

" This is one more reason to spend your money in Nevada, one more reason for businesses to locate in Nevada and not California. And we wonder why we have no money for schools. "

freeport56 wrote on Oct 21, 2009 8:05 AM:

" Not only that steph, did you see any footage of thye Afghan elections. Voter lists pages long complete with pictures.

Imagine using a photograph to identify a voter. if only we could do that! "

freeport56 wrote on Oct 21, 2009 8:10 AM:

" Raven-

Except for the fact that it will not effect criminals...............such flawed thinking! "

Raven wrote on Oct 21, 2009 8:54 AM:

" the thumbprint for a credit card transaction aint a bad idea ... easy to do..even home laptops can get print readers that control access to the machine... "

freeport56 wrote on Oct 21, 2009 10:39 AM:

" how about a reasonable solution to voter fraud. A piture ID. Since all Californians are required by law to have identification, drivers license or california ID Card, we could put an end to voter fraud.

Sounds reasonable. "

post-it wrote on Oct 21, 2009 12:19 PM:

" how does requiring to show a picture ID work on a mail-in or absentee ballot? "

sickothis wrote on Oct 21, 2009 4:12 PM:

" Nice.

Following the widely publicized case of a KBR employee in Iraq who was gang-raped by her coworkers, Senator Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment that would prevent federal contracts from going to companies like Halliburton/KBR that make employees waive the right to sue their employer if they are raped on the job.

"The old 'it's okay if you get raped' clause," The Daily Show's Jon Stewart commented sarcastically. "If ever there was a time for the unanimous passing of an amendment, the Franken Anti-Government Contractor Rape Liability bill would seem to be that."

And yet 30 Republican senators voted against the amendment. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), for example, argued, "The Congress should not be involved in writing or rewriting private contracts. That's just not how we should handle matters in the United States Senate."

"No, that's exactly how you should handle matters in the United States Senate," Stewart responded. He mockingly paraphrased Sessions' position as, "It's not the government's business to decide who the government does business with."

"What exactly is your real objection?" Stewart asked.

http://rawstory.com/2009/10/gop-supports-rape-arbitration/ "

sickothis wrote on Oct 21, 2009 5:55 PM:

" freeport56 requiring picture ID's has been shot down in the courts as unconstitutional a couple of times. "

kevin wrote on Oct 21, 2009 7:44 PM:

" As long as the State allows for poor people to get an ID for no charge, they have begun allowing ID cards... "

freeport56 wrote on Oct 21, 2009 8:11 PM:

" Actually, it has never been determined to be unconstitutional. The Supremes have not heard it.

Liberal judges listening to groups like ACORN has used the ploy that it is unfair to the poor on the state court level.

Tell you what sickothis, show us a link that shows what the identification requirements are for each state. Then show me the link to the states that do not require identification be carried by it's citizens. When you can do that, I will stop talking about it.

California requires ID for everyone that lives here. As I have already stated a CDL or CA ID Card. Since all our LEGAL resident must posses this form of ID what is wrong with using it to identify a voter to prevent fraud?

Why the fear of reducing voter fraud? Why so unwilling to protect this privilege? "

Raven wrote on Oct 21, 2009 11:51 PM:

" "Actually, it has never been determined to be unconstitutional. The Supremes have not heard it."

The Supreme Court on Monday (April 28, 2008) backed Indiana's law requiring voters to show photo identification, despite concerns thousands of elderly, poor and minority voters could be locked out of their right to cast ballots.

Indiana can require voter identification for next month's presidential primary, the Supreme Court ruled.

The 6-3 vote allows Indiana to require the identification when it holds its statewide primary next week. It also will give most state legislatures time to revise their voter laws for the November elections.

This was perhaps the biggest voter rights case taken up by the justices since the 2000 dispute over Florida's ballots, in which George W. Bush prevailed to gain the presidency.

At issue was whether state laws designed to stem voter fraud end up disenfranchising large numbers of Americans who might lack proper documents to prove their voting eligibility. The case raised important constitutional questions, but also involved race and partisan politics.

CNN

What would make CA doing so wrong is no one can get a govt issued ID for free, so requiring it become a form of a poll tax, which is illegal. Indiana in the case last year does offer free govt issued ID cards.

(and there is no requirement that you carry ID just that the courts have ruled you must identify yourself to police if asked....) "

kevin wrote on Oct 22, 2009 4:59 AM:

" Sounds like an EXCELLENT question to ask potential State office candidates, "do you support free government ID card for poor people in order to require voter ID?".

The ID would also be required TO REGISTER to vote, so it would have an impact on mail in and absentee voters... "

steph wrote on Oct 22, 2009 1:14 PM:

" Photo ID's are outdated technology.

You should have to use a thumbprint (or equivalent if you have no thumbs) to vote. Then you only get to vote once. And only if you're registered. "

steph wrote on Oct 22, 2009 1:21 PM:

" sickothis--

Your rape story is a likely underwritten by trial lawyers, who HATE arbitration agreements.

The victim in the case WAS allowed to sue, because the judges hearing her case brilliantly realized that her rape had NOTHING to do with her employment, and so the agreement that she signed to not sue, did not apply in the case.

In general, I see nothing wrong with arbitration agreements. This can reduce frivolous lawsuits.

Everyone agrees that rape charges are not frivolous, nor is consent to rape a condition of employment, as your story is desperately trying to imply. "

post-it wrote on Oct 22, 2009 1:38 PM:

" so freeport, if it is OK to require to show an ID to vote, why not require to show and record an ID for all gun sales? "

post-it wrote on Oct 22, 2009 1:45 PM:

" Why not just register every one to vote at the DMV as a default. If you move, you are required to report an address change to the DMV anyway. Register every state citizen as "decline to state" as default, conduct an open primary. Get the political parties out of voter registration business. Free ID, and ID required to vote. No issues with people fraudulently registering voters, every resident is eligible to vote, every voter has their proper address recorded.

Simple, easy, technology already in place to implement. "

steph wrote on Oct 22, 2009 4:08 PM:

" *gasp!*

It's a first.

I...I agree with post-it!

*gasp!* "

pharper wrote on Oct 22, 2009 4:54 PM:

" I agree with post-it; that's a great idea.

Also, on a lighter note: I saw a bumper sticker today that made me laugh: "The lottery: a tax on people who are bad at math." "

pharper wrote on Oct 22, 2009 4:56 PM:

" Also: "Be nice to America, or we'll bring democracy to your country." "

17506 wrote on Oct 22, 2009 5:02 PM:

" I hope the Media that is behind the ammo ID gets behind the requirement to show ID to vote.
post-it Not every one has a car or DL so the DMV idea may not work and to verify ID for mail in, places that have this requirement, you put the last 4 #'s of DL or SS # so it can be verified, that is unless in the next election we send our ballots to ACORN to count!! "

post-it wrote on Oct 22, 2009 5:14 PM:

" 17506,

The point is right now it is "optional" to register to vote at the DMV. I say require to opt out, not opt in. It is pretty hard to function in society without a state ID of some sort. Sure, you might miss 10% of the population or so, but it would be far more than registered today. Bonus, No more complaints about ACORN registering mickey mouse. Heck I don't even care if an ID is needed to vote. I just think voting is an obligation and it should be easy to participate. Why should any citizen have to jump through an extra hoop to register to vote? Why should you be required to declare loyalty to a party to get a ballot?

No politician should be afraid of a larger voting pool. "

post-it wrote on Oct 22, 2009 5:38 PM:

" 17506,
adding and tying a number makes your ballot less "secret" once cast. If an ID requirement is made, it should be to get the ballot as would be the case when one showed ID in order to vote.

Jury duty lists in Napa county are made from DMV and Voter registration lists. If your name is not exactly the same on both lists you will be called more often. Merging this list would eliminate this problem. "

Raven wrote on Oct 22, 2009 11:03 PM:

" steph...

In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers while she was working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. In an apparent attempt to cover up the incident, the company then put her in a shipping container for at least 24 hours without food, water, or a bed, and “warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.” Even more insultingly, the DOJ resisted bringing any criminal charges in the matter. KBR argued that Jones’ employment contract warranted her claims being heard in private arbitration — without jury, judge, public record, or transcript of the proceedings. After 15 months in arbitration, Jones and her lawyers went to court to fight the KBR claims. Yesterday, a court ruled in favor of Jones.” sept 16, 2009.

Does this really sound like it belongs in arbitration? Would you be ready to sign an arbitration agreement if you thought it prevented you from going to the justice system if you were assaulted at work? "

4gnapan wrote on Oct 23, 2009 12:54 AM:

" And 30 of 100 senators voted against giving Ms. Leigh the right to sue Halliburton for this outrage.

Thankfully, the other 70 werent bought n paid for. "

a teacher wrote on Oct 23, 2009 7:16 AM:

" Are Kevin and Freeport advocating a national ID card? I am shocked! "

post-it wrote on Oct 23, 2009 9:40 AM:

" no teach it appears as if they want the states to do it.... "

freeport56 wrote on Oct 23, 2009 3:26 PM:

" a teacher-

No, we are not advocating a national ID card. My comments were focused on "reasonable restrictions". I was commenting on the news footage I saw regarding the elections in Afghanistan. The election officals were flipping through their voter rolls and each listing had a photograph.

My comment was that a reasonable restriction to voter fraud was to use a photo ID. California requires all of it's residents to have one be it a CDL or State ID. After reading the other posts, it strikes me as funny. California requires everyone who lives here to have an ID, period. I was questioned on how it would work with absentee ballots.....that is a good question.

I am sure given some time to really focus on the problem I could come up with a solution. Maybe the Registrar could photograph the voters and add the picture to the list for the polling place. Regardless, it is the simplest way to prevent the preverse use of voter fraud in elections.

Post-it- great points. First we have to make sure the people working at the DMV can be well supervised. "

steph wrote on Oct 23, 2009 4:49 PM:

" raven, I'm aware of the story. If you re-read my post carefully, you'll see that I'm pretty clear on where I stand on her ability to sue in this instance.

NO senators voted against her right to sue her employer for what happened to her.

Re-read what I wrote. "

a teacher wrote on Oct 23, 2009 4:53 PM:

" Hmmmm... Freeport, can you show me where it says in the Bill of Rights or the Constitution where a citizen must show ID to vote? How about where it says a citizen is required to show ID? Or have ID?

I mean talk about taking away liberty. "

steph wrote on Oct 23, 2009 5:10 PM:

" http://overlawyered.com/2007/12/halliburton-gang-rape-and-fear-of-arbitration-the-jamie-leigh-jones-case/ "

kevin wrote on Oct 23, 2009 5:41 PM:

" actually ateacher, the Constitution and Bill of Rights doesn't say ANYTHING about voting other than people have a right to elect their Representatives... "

steph wrote on Oct 23, 2009 9:14 PM:

" Does the Constitution say you have to have a photo ID to drive a car? "

XMAN wrote on Oct 24, 2009 3:03 AM:

" The Constitution says you have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Antithetically, the State of California has thereafter drafted 368,432 enforceable statues of law. "

Raven wrote on Nov 1, 2009 10:26 PM:

" Steph, reread the bill....30 voted to prevent her or others in her situation from being able to sue...here is the language they voted against...

....an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts from companies like KBR “if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court."

Not quite true kevin, the constitution in the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th and 26th amendments all deal quite specifically with voting in a number of issues, including eliminating poll taxes and lowering the age for voting to 18...

and xman...it is the declaration of independence that says that.

teach, the states have the authority to set requirements for voters,...section 4......

The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations.... "

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