Jane Balogh had a pretty good idea who was calling when the phone rang and the caller asked for Duncan M. MacDonald. Duncan is the dog Balogh registered as a voter seven months before the November 2006 election. Duncan’s absentee-ballot envelope was signed with a picture of a paw print.
“You can’t sign with a paw print,” the election worker told Balogh on Nov. 9.
“I said, ‘he can if he’s a dog,’ ” answered Balogh, a 66-year-old grandmother and Army veteran who lives in Federal Way.
If she declines to plead guilty, prosecutors told her in a letter this week, they will file a felony charge of providing false information on a voter-registration application. She doesn’t plan to contest the misdemeanor: “I’m not going to claim to be innocent when I know I’m guilty.”
Balogh, who lives with Duncan, an Australian shepherd-terrier mix, and four other dogs and four cats, registered her dog as a protest of a 2005 state voter-registration statute that she says makes it too easy for noncitizens to vote. She put her phone bill in Duncan’s name, then used the phone bill as identification to register him as a voter.
| I guess she made a point… that the government has no sense of humor. |
| From The Seattle Times. |
In the West Texas town of Lajitas, their mayor is a beer drinking goat.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/TXLAJgoat.html
Id rather vote for a creature I KNOW Doesnt Kill its OWN.
Her point had nothing to do with any sense of humor. Voting verification is practically non-existent and ineffectual. I’d like to know if the Dog actually voted, and if it swung the election–but not enough to look it up.
#2–yea, dogs and most mammals never eat their young? Many do especially when the young is deformed or sick. But in the end, you are right. They show more human compassion than we do in such cases.
The point she tried to make will be lost on goverment and missed by most people who will just think it was funny.
Thats a shame….because verifing who is actually voting is almost non-existent these days.
Illegal aliens vote, ex-con felons vote, just about anyone votes, some more than once. It harks back to the first Florida fiasco, when the Democrats screamed bloody murder because of the voter list purges. Turns out a lot of those purged were felons(not allowed to vote in Florida). A lot of states have changed their laws, restoring citizenship perks like voting once your legal obligation is finished, thank God for that, ot else a lot of office holders in New York, Maryland, D.C., and New Jersey wouldn’t be able to vote for themselves.
I think what scares me the most is internet voting. This is an idea who’s time I hope NEVER comes.
If we really want to increase participation, and aren’t just trying to pad the roles with sure thing votes, then changes like what day we vote, and maybe a 2 day, east/west election, or possibly 24 hour voting. Not allowing the media to report results until all voting is finished nationwide…..just for starters.
And I for one welcome our Canine brothers into the voting booth.
Well said ECA,
As I’ve previosly posted, I’m still amazed by the low quality of the design of this blog, come’on Mr. Devorak, you can afford a decent designer, I’m starting to believe you’ve got your current from http://www.borat.tv
Don’t be cheap.
#4, joshua,
It harks back to the first Florida fiasco, when the Democrats screamed bloody murder because of the voter list purges. Turns out a lot of those purged were felons(not allowed to vote in Florida)
Turns out that most of those purged from the voter rolls were NOT felons and had every right to vote. The problem was they lived in black neighborhoods or were registered Democrats.
You remember the efficiency and honesty of private enterprise.
And I for one welcome our Canine brothers into the voting booth.
As you would. Especially considering the number of times you have complained about dead people getting on the voting rolls.
*
There was no joke involved. To knowingly register someone when that person is ineligible to vote is a crime. Something like yelling “FIRE” in a theater isn’t a joke. Or mentioning the word “BOMB” when boarding your flight isn’t funny.
It looks like illegal registration voters isn’t as easy as she thought.
I would like EACh state to elect a running candidate..
THEN on a 10 state regional election, select the 5 that WILL run.
I dont want 2 groups, The Ass’s and the Elephants trunks, to SELECT who is running for us. electing persons WE KNOW nothing about.
I would also like to give the electorial 1 vote per state, insted of letting the EAST coast govern this country.
As to pets,
I see more devotion, and uncomplicated Life style in animals then I see in mankind. They give what is given. And can generally tell a BAD person from a good person.
I’ll bet this dog could discern the issues and make better decisions than those who hang on every Paris Hilton story. Vote, dog, vote!
#1, Stars and Bars, I’ve had the privilege of handing that goat a beer. It took him maybe 8 seconds to drain it! Right next door is the store where I was introduced to Cave Creek Chile Beer. Nothing like a cold one that scores major points on the Scofield scale. What a treat! 8)
http://www.chilibeer.com/
On election day, I go and vote with my paw en I even pays the phone bill too. So wats the big deal?
Is the dog’s name Mayor Daly?
#6….Fusion….put your bifocals on old man….no where did I use the term *most*….I believe I said *a lot of*….typical lefty, just make up what dosen’t suit your line of the day.
And when you find ANY time, including my post on this topic, where I complained about dead people getting on voter lists, let me know. Not that I don’t think the dead vote, especially in Chicago (Cook county) and Philadelphia….but I don’t believe I have ver *complained* about it.
If you want to be an opposing opinion of whatever I post, thats your business, but at least be factual and show your links!!!
This lady didn’t yell *fire* in a theater, but she did a public service, by showing just how farcial the registration process is, to bad more people don’t question these kinds of abuses.
#6…Fusion….Oh, in 2000 147,000 names were purged from the voter lists in Florida for being ineligible because of being felons, moving and not changing address, double registration or having died. 50,000 of those approximatly were black, less than 10,000 were Hispanic, leaving the other approximatly 87,000 as white. After all of the wailing and knashing of teeth, only a few hundred(mostly Democrats, and 40% white) were even shown to have MAYBE been erronously purged.
Blaming the state for the purges sort of forgets that the individual COUNTIES made up the list and presented it to the state. Most of the blacks and a good portion of the Hispanics were on the list from counties that have 40 or higher percentage’s of blacks and hispanics living in those counties and….ready for this one…..were run by DEMOCRATS!!!
Face it Fusion….Bush may have actually lost the damn election if the Democrats hadn’t screwed up the Florida election. They screwed up the ballots in their Democratic run counties,(allowing Nader and Buchannon to get votes meant for Bush and Gore) and screwed up the purge lists, then screwed up when cherry picking the counties they THOUGHT they could win in. When are people like you going to finally admit, your own party cost your candidate the 2000 election???
It really is a shame, our government instead of taking the high road and fix it self, for the good of it citizens, instead; decides to attack citizens for pointing out a systematic fault.
Are they going to use this information to fix the system, no!
Instead prosecutor(s) threaten a 66-year-old grandmother, only because she is such an easy target, nothing more. It’s an easy career builder for this prosecutor.
Unfortunately all citizens are easy targets these days! Better to keep shut, not protest our Precedent or our government.
Our Government is really not ours any more. Our elected officials only know how to spend. The rarely if ever demonstrate a real improvement (and not the rhetorical kind, the electorate shallows hook line and sinker) in the management of the current budget, for a more efficient and better governmental service.
When did we loose government by the people for the people? What supreme court decision?
Noname,
The problems come when from the past, as we look, the PEOPLE havent gotten their way. Even those that DIDNT win a TRUE election, understand what happened..
But as a Lawyer says…You DONT ask a question, unless you KNOW how they will answer.
AS with the Oregon Vote to Legalize MJ…They worded it in reverse, so that a YES vote was a NO.
The people have been Beaten down, Lied to, rigged elections, Votes were over turned, and so forth.
Recently in Montana(?) they had a vote on MJ, and it Passed. but the Legal system said…NO WAY…
This is not an issue about legalizing MJ, not even close.
#13, joshua,
Where is that “Law and Order” Republican we all know and love.
Instead prosecutor(s) threaten a 66-year-old grandmother, only because she is such an easy target, nothing more.
She broke the law. She did it on purpose. She even freely admitted so. So what do you suggest? Ya right, blame the guy whose job it is to prosecute her. From someone criticizing voting fraud that surely strikes me as pretty hypocritical.
15,
Right…
Its about many other factors… but, how many things have you voted for, that COULD make things better, that DIDNT pass. Or were done to such an extent that SOMEONE made a Large profit from your state and federal Gov.
HEY!! It’s Federal Way – lots of crazy people live down there…
#17 Mr. Fusion; It appears reading and math is not your forte. Please note the number 16 comes after 15 and 12 comes before 15 and 16.
You foolishly attribute my quote to #12, joshua (me thinks it’s because you wrote #16 with the opening #12, joshua)
Where is the voting fraud you decry so? She wrote “VOID” on the ballots, and didn’t cast any votes. Yes she violated the letter of the law.
You have to be inhumanly delusional, paranoid and schizophrenic to believe she defrauded any one. The fact you have demonstrated that you can not distinguish the number 16 comes after 15 and 12 comes before 15 and 16; I say you fit the delusional definition to a letter!
The greater and more important public good would be, fix the system and thank the 66-year-old grandmother for pointing out the broken system!!!
#20, 加盟创业投资 (noname),
I notice you can’t spell your name very well either. I would have thought after all these years you would know how to. But, …
I apologize for attributing your post to joshua. My comments about the post still stand. The old bag broke the law. She knew the consequences of her actions before she did it. She wanted to be a martyr, so let her.
#21 Mr. Fusion, I am not sure where you read “She knew the consequences of her actions before she did it”. I doubt she understood the possible severity of the consequences.
She is a 66-year-old grandmother and I take her at word, she wanted to illustrate a broken system to the authorities.
Like all aristocrats, the stick your head in the sand and ignore the public good represent whats wrong with the system:
Don’t Fix It, Shoot All Negative Messengers
Mr. Fusion your an upstanding example of a George Bush clone.
#22, noname,
you wrote
… I am not sure where you read “She knew the consequences of her actions before she did it”.
then in the next paragraph you wrote
she wanted to illustrate a broken system to the authorities.
If you admit she knew it was wrong then how can you then argue that she shouldn’t be charged. Understanding the possible consequences is implicit in her admission that she did it to prove the system is broken. She claimed there were no consequences and found out she was wrong.
You break the law you pay the consequences. No free society can function when some people claim the penalties either don’t or shouldn’t apply to them.
23 TRUE,
But our legislators SHOULD make stupid laws that cant/wont be enforced.
AS the lady was showing that ANYONE could have a bill, With an address and get a Voters card. with NO background check.
How many people could be living in a house? have the same address, or even FAKE an address, and get a card, and VOTe in the next election for BUSH.
Lately, I am disgusted I am an American.
When people vote, they try to elect someone who they believe will efficiently and more properly manage a fiscal budget and provide for more efficient and better governmental services.
But now, our Government is not ours any more. We are so manipulated by mass media, the officials we do elect, purposely do not properly manage our tax monies, engage the country in unnecessary war(s) and lie all along the way. They endlessly pontificate and profess rhetorical resolve, i.e.; Bush said he would fire anyone in his administration found to have publicly disclosed the identity of Valerie Plame.
Later Bush admits the White House did leak and knows who.
The president had initially said he would fire anyone in his administration found to have publicly disclosed the identity of Valerie Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson and a CIA operative. Mr. Wilson is an outspoken Iraq war critic.
Bush said. “I’ve often thought about what would have happened if that person had come forth and said, ‘I did it.’ Would we have had this endless hours of investigation and a lot of money being spent on this matter?
Yea, heaven forbid “we” should prosecute the person disclosing Top Secret/SCI information, Plame’s identity.
Yet the country has the resolve and timidity to prosecute a lady who registers a dog to vote, to highlight a broken system.
Well, guess what, the system is broken, it’s not our’s (the publics) and our elected officials do not want to fix it.
Good luck with that America.