Voting is good. Flu shots are good. But mix them together in the middle of a hard-fought election season and politics takes over.
Mayor Bill White ordered a halt Wednesday to the city health department’s privately funded drive to offer flu vaccinations at early voting sites in predominantly Hispanic and black neighborhoods, amid conservative criticism that the effort would boost Democratic turnout.
About 1,300 flu shots were given to people age 50 or older in the past three days under the program, which didn’t require the recipients to vote. Health officials said they were only trying to reach people in medically underserved communities.
White defended the program Wednesday but said he decided to abandon it to avoid the perception that it was an attempt to draw certain voters to the polls.
“There was no political motive whatsoever to do it,” he told reporters after the City Council meeting. “I don’t want to have to spend more money in defending a baseless lawsuit than we’re giving away in vaccine or allow anybody to question the integrity of the political process.”
Texas Republikans and tame judges have already gerrymandered the election beyond reason. I guess any collateral attempt to aid senior citizens still worries them.
That’s how I like it. Oh and you misspelled Republicans.
I have to agree with the Right on this one. There should be no incentive to vote other than the voting process itself. I mean, how would the Left feel if a voting district gave out white sheets and crosses?!
#2 Can you try using loaded language a little more? I am not sure everyone got your point.
This seems to be the same reason that people have opposed to allowing people to register to vote while getting a drivers’ license.
It does seem that good policy seems to stop at the voting booth.
His point seems rather clear. That the populous should go to voting stations to… vote. There shouldn’t be a conflicting incentive akin to a “free lunch” as was the case here.
Speaking of registering to vote while at the DMV. I’ve not read the law so I don’t know exactly how it reads but I can give a report from a single location that I spent one hour watching in July.
They asked every single black and those whites that were dressed in a fashion that might indicate they are from a lower economic level if they would like to register to vote. But out of the 10 whites, myself included, who were dressed in either suits or nice casual attire they didn’t ask a single one of us.
Flame away but I saw it happen.
#3 Can you try recognizing satire and hyperbole a little more?
#4
Which state?
What do you mean which state? I feel like you’re setting me up here.
SN, when you are trying to make fun of something or you are being sarcastic you should indicate it by using tags (). Some people just can’t get subtle humour. You need to beat them over the head with it.
2. Yes, I see what you mean, the Left could then make lots of signs supporting full-term abortions.
RBG
4,
mxpwr03,
The fact that something that should be freely and easily available is viewed as a great “freebie” incentive says a lot about our society.
> Voting is good. Flu shots are good. But mix
> them together in the middle of a hard-fought
> election season and politics takes over.
Lovely logic. How about, “Voting is good. Free money is good…” or “Voting is good. Punching someone you don’t like is good…” or the ever popular “Voting is good. Sex is good…”
“SN, when you are trying to make fun of something or you are being sarcastic you should indicate it by using tags ().”
I’m sorry, but my school has banned tags.
4 There shouldn’t be a conflicting incentive akin to a “free lunch” as was the case here.
Why is this “conflicting”?
Are they registered voters?
Are they voting more than once?
Are they “selling” their vote for the flu shot?
Were they “red-lining” the Republikan neighborhoods, and not providing shots there? [and no, I didn’t mispell “republican”]
About 1,300 flu shots were given to people age 50 or older …trying to reach people in medically underserved communities.
Obvious age discrimination against us younger-than-50 types! 🙂
I love how republicans think – “Punching someone you don’t like is good…”
You’re not supposed to bribe voters.
I understand the propriety of the Mayor’s opinion. It is the wrong decision though.All governments should encourage people to vote. If there is already a flu shot clinic then this is an encouragement to at least come to the same place as people are voting. I can’t see it being an enticement to vote one way or another. In the interest of public safety, the Mayor should reconsider.
BTW, voter preferences are a society construct and should have no basis in law. This should also apply to gerrymandering.
I’m going to cast another vote against addional incentives to vote.
I’m not saying the votes were bought, but if an incentive does not bring about equal numbers, or numbers that are proportional to (yet to be known) total area votes, it can be seen as swaying the vote one way or another. besides, if voting itself is not motivation enough to vote, they shouldn’t be there voting.
also, if the state cared enough about its people to offer flu shots, they should be completely free of cost and catches.
Maybe they need to give away free handguns to make it even.
Seriously though, with the shape of the districts this is a little late. Gerrymandering is yet another reason I hate the Rs right now. It’s simply another word for cheating.
16 You’re not supposed to bribe voters.
Agreed. But this program did not require people to vote. They could just get a flu shot and leave. Where is the quid pro quo?
There aren’t any low-income, Republican-voting, Senior Citizens in those areas?
18 …if voting itself is not motivation enough to vote, they shouldn’t be there voting.
Voter registration drives, and “get out the vote” campaigns are not to your liking?
Encouraging people to do their civic duty, instead of remaining apathetic slugs, is of questionable value?
The local GOP wanted it halted, since it could only increase Democratic turnout – Repubs can afford their own immunizations.
Our wonderful Mayor White is, on paper, a Democrat, but he is a nevertheless a loyal handmaiden to the Republican power structure here. He tosses bones to the local minority pressure groups to keep them quiet (actually, to their corrupt leaders, who learned how to book passage on the Good Ol’ Boys’ gravy train long ago), but he holds his office only by sufferance of the GOP and he’s fully cognizant of which side his bread is buttered on. Big Bidniss (primarily Big Oil) runs Houston, and Hizzonor knows it well.
>Gerrymandering is yet another reason I hate the Rs right now.
Umm it was a Republican governor who tried to end gerrymandering in California, but Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats opposed it. If only they’d supported it, they’d probably be looking at another 4-5 seats right now.
So, one mayor does a thing and it’s “RepubliKans” now instead of “One Republican mayor?” Interesting. Wonder why this logic never seems to be applied the other way?
I thinks the Republicans have always been quite far behind in the political dirty tricks department. Glad to see they are trying to catch up. I love equality.
Not mentioned in the above stiry(but in the full version) is the fact that Mayor White is a Democrat, and contrary to Lauran the Ghoti’s usual pessimissim, a fully functioning one. He was not long ago the Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party and has been known to do other slightly less civic minded things to bring out the Democratic vote.
Also, all the polling places(read…ALL) that offered the flu shots just happened to be Democratic precient’s, with iffy voter turnout.
There are laws on the books of everystate in the country about **incentives to vote**, while I hardly consider flu shots what most of those who passed the laws considered an **incentive**, it nonetheless is.
What made this very suspicious to the local Republicans is the fact that these shots were only offered in districts where Democratic vote can’t be counted on to vote, and were only offered AT polling places, not next door or even down the block, and were only offered during early voting period, not prior to the open of early voting or after the election.
Blame Tammany Hall and Mayor Daley of Chicago(the dead one) for these laws.
While I think this is silly. If not a serious attempt to increase turnout by certain voters, then these people didn’t think ahead. And it was PRIVATE funds, not goverment. I can’t seem to find out who the group is that raised the money.
This is typical liberal BS.
Giving out flu shots at the polls … might as well offer a hot meal, and the monthly social security check. Make sure a big banner is outside announcing it is all courtesy of ‘Those Great Democrats You Are Sure To Vote For!’
Frankly this idea NEVER should have gotten off the table.
Are you guys sure that the Republicans weren’t complaining about the flu shots for the reason they usually have… Their natural opposition to health care for the poor and the elderly…
Anyone detect a pattern here? Anything that might GENERALLY bring out the vote is opposed by the Republicans.
This is un-American.
#28…Greg Allen….you need to have a talk with the Democratic election offical who was just charged with reverse discrimination for attempting to surpress the WHITE vote in his County. I think it was either Mississippi, or maybe Arkansas. Just happened last week.
Both parties do what they can to minimize the other guys vote, there are no hero’s or pure souls in politics.
It goes from Republicans who want 2 forms of ID(new law effective this election in Arizona) to the Democrats shamefully challenging every single absentee ballot from our troops over seas. This is what happens when you allow lawyers to take part in elections…..oh, wait, I’m a lawyer.
Why do they hate America?
Old people shouldn’t be getting flu shots, or voting.
They don’t have long on this earth, and therefore don’t care about its future. We have to make it so that there is a cutoff in Civil Rights, at, say 65, or whenever you start to collect Social Security. This would cut down on the healthcare bill of this nation. It would also cut down the population of Florida, and perhaps Arizona. It would also cut down on the number of people who drive 15 miles under the speed limit with their left blinker on for 200 miles.
No flu shots for old people, and no votes either!
It’s the American way!