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| Disenfranchised teens need to vote! NOT! |
| 2004-03-09 |
| 14-year-olds would rock the vote under this plan By Ed Fletcher -- Bee Capitol Bureau Weary of diminishing voter participation in state elections, a group of lawmakers proposed a radical solution Monday: Let Californians as young as 14 cast ballots. (Yes he said 14!) Under a proposed amendment to the state constitution, those age 14 to 17 could vote for state and local offices and measures, but not for anything dealing with the federal government. Ballots cast by 14-and 15-year-olds would count as a quarter of a vote. Votes cast by 16-and 17-year-olds would count as a half a vote. (This is like out of the 1800s) "We believe it is time to open the voting franchise to young Californians at the age of 14 and let them register and vote and to be seriously included in the process," said Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-Santa Clara, principal author of the proposal. (Is anyone surprised that a Democrat proposed this?) Since the national voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 with the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1971, participation in that age group has steadily decreased. (And why is that?) Voter participation overall also has been slipping. Vasconcellos said the proposal amounts to meaningful reform that could make lifelong voters out of young people. "People who are engaged early stay on," he said. "Experience is the best teacher." But although most agree that something should be done to improve voter turnout, the solution proposed Monday is far from the consensus answer. "Terminal dumbness," said Curtis Gans, director of the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate. "All they will do is further depress voter turnout" because it would create a larger pool of eligible voters. Gans said society has to draw the line somewhere, and children don’t have the "judgment or perspective" to be serious voters. There is a big difference, he said, between giving voting rights to people old enough to fight for their country and giving them to young people living at home and working weekend jobs. (Finally a voice of reason) It’s unclear, at best, whether the measure’s backers could get the bipartisan, two-thirds support they need to put the amendment on the ballot. (Don’t be so sure they don’t) Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, was noncommittal, but he said that Vasconcellos was "thinking outside the box." (and outside our planet) Sen. Ross Johnson of Irvine, the Republican vice chairman of the Senate elections committee, was more direct. "To waste taxpayer money having children cast votes would be ridiculous at any time, but in the face of our current fiscal crisis, it is an obscenity," he said in a statement. But Vasconcellos and the measure’s other authors - Sen. Edward Vincent, D-Inglewood, and Democratic Assemblywomen Sarah Reyes of Fresno and Carol Liu of South Pasadena - envision young people talking politics in school before heading to the polls. (Fellow politburo members) Reyes said young people could handle the responsibility. "Many of the young people here are probably more politically savvy than some of the adults who are voting today," said Reyes, referring to a group of young people the lawmakers brought to their news conference. One of them, 16-year-old Thien Vinh Nguyen of C.K. McClatchy High School, said the bill "would ensure that students learn about politics and recognize the importance of voting while still in high school and be in the practice of voting by the time they reach 18." Belno Lange, a social studies teacher at Casa Roble High School in Orangevale, said he could see 16-year-olds voting but isn’t sure about high school freshmen casting ballots. "From my standpoint, I don’t know if 14-and 15-year-olds are looking at those issues and have enough background in order to make a valid decision," Lange said. (Amen Brother) Although there have been earlier and ongoing efforts to allow people to cast votes at a younger age - including a current state effort to allow some 17-year-olds with approaching birthdays to vote - experts say they have never heard of an effort to give some citizens less than a full vote. "I’ve heard of lowering the voting age ... and I’ve heard of bringing in young people as poll workers, but that is the first I’ve heard about a fractional vote," said Doug Chapin, director of electionline.org a Web site offering nonpartisan election reform information. "If nothing else, it is good that people are thinking about trying to get more people in the process." Richard Smolka, editor of Election Administration Reports, was more critical. "I don’t know any reason why something like this would lead to lifelong voters," Smolka said. There were supporters of the effort. "Young people have a lot to contribute," said Veronica De La Garza, Youth Vote Coalition executive director. She said this proposal by itself wouldn’t solve the youth-participation problem, but along with voter education, it could help. Al Fawcett, administrative services officer for the Sacramento County registrar’s office, said the proposed system probably would make elections more costly and complicated. Counties would have to create a way to ensure youth ballots aren’t counted as regular ballots, Fawcett said. I have kids this age and believe me they are NOT ready to vote for dog catcher let alone Congressman or President. My daughter (14) would vote for anyone that owned or professed an affection for cats. My son (16) would vote for who ever looked ‘coolest’ or could speak intelligently about animae. The bottom line is that the Dems are trying to dredge up some more voters for their dumb ideas. You can’t tell someone who worked his way up the income ladder that he need to pay more taxes so someone else can sit on the a$$ all day. But if you tell a 14-year-old that that ‘evil’ rich guy doesn’t want to share his income with this poor single mom you know how they would vote. When I was young I was VERY liberal. But after working since I was 13 I can’t understand why someone who is 25 can’t get up and go to a job. Finally, the low voter turnout is on the Democrats side and not the Republicans. The Republicans have seen a surge in voter registration and voting, while the Dems are declining in both. |
| Posted by:Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) |
| #20 Will the Dems soon want fetuses to be able to vote or does that open up that icky rights of the unborn thing? Probably will take a pass on it. Who wants to have to listen to some NOW witch rant and rave about that. Nevermind. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-3-10 12:07:26 AM |
| #19 In 2003, for the first time since the 1850s, a majority of newborn children in California were Hispanic. As usual, when I see something like this, I start asking who/whom. Who does teenage voting benefit and to whom does it put the screw? This violates at least two clauses of the Constitution, so it will be struck down immediately if passed. But it provides a sickening insight into the Third World political shenanigans coming to a governing body near you unless we adopt a more assimilationist stance immediately. We need a melting pot, not a tossed salad. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-3-9 7:10:18 PM |
| #18 Let me see if I have the concept... First graders get 1/12 of a vote, second graders 1/6 of a vote,etc.... Great idea. The LLL teachers union can then |
| Posted by: GK 2004-3-9 4:39:48 PM |
| #17 I would not mind letting kids vote if their parents would forgo theirs. It would be a good test for all concerned. I'd probably let my 17 yr. old vote for city and county commisioners and I'd forgo my vote. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-3-9 3:36:50 PM |
| #16 this is so wrong it gives me a toothache. First of all, in a democracy we have a "one (wo)man, one vote policy. So that alone makes this violate the spirit, if not the letter of the constitution. Second of all, this is supposed to "teach" young people about voting? Huh? Is there something difficult about the process? It's not like they don't understand what it's about -- they vote for school president, vote for decisions throughout childhood using the democratic process, etc. What am I missing? |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2004-3-9 2:26:43 PM |
| #15 Must be a chainey thing. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-3-9 1:59:27 PM |
| #14 porto rican disenfranchise to muck you saying the porta ricans are not respecting wendies? |
| Posted by: HalfEmpty 2004-3-9 1:32:08 PM |
| #13 Ooh--even better, somebody has that exchange on Real audio here. |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-3-9 1:16:33 PM |
| #12 Vasconcellas is about as far left as you can get. Check out this loony rant about how we stole California from Mexico, and he has no problem with them taking it back. Just the kind of guy I want representing me! |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-3-9 1:12:38 PM |
| #11 When I was 14, I would have voted for Carter. When I was 18, I voted for Reagan. I suppose that's the reason the Dems want it. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2004-3-9 1:10:31 PM |
| #10 I didn't even bother to get my driver's license until I was 18 because I didn't feel I was mature or responsible enough to handle it. And now, with high school kids far dumber and lazier than even the worst of my compatriots, the I hope it's shot down like a Zero over Midway. |
| Posted by: Raj 2004-3-9 12:38:18 PM |
| #9 I've been wonderin' where the dumocrats would come up with their next batch of airheads. As the dumocrats lurch evermore leftward, those with any sense in their party leave and go elsewhere. Then they turn farther leftward to attract the "gutter snipe" needed to fill their ranks. Well, I thought they had nowhere left to go to attract voters..... obviously, I was wrong. I have never been a liberal, and I was raised poor as dirt. My mother raised 3 kids on $50 a week. She cursed the "bleeding heart liberals". NEVER did my mother ask for food stamps or free medical care...or anything. She knew what was happening to our country. She knew government was THE PROBLEM, not THE ANSWER. I only wish she were alive today, so I could TRY to repay her steadfastness. |
| Posted by: Danny 2004-3-9 12:29:16 PM |
| #8 They failed to get illegal aliens voting privileges, so this is the logical next step. |
| Posted by: Lil Dhimmi 2004-3-9 12:28:17 PM |
| #7 Rex - I was about to point that out - people that young are 'under-the-influence' of the teachers-union (aka Democratic Party). I wouldn't be suprised if they require a 'democratic' vote to get an 'A'. Why not? They already require teachers to contribute to the Democratic Party in order to work (at least in washington state) - do you think the children would be immune? Besides most people that young dont know anything outside of their own hormones anyway (hell a lot of alledged adult don't either .... look at Clinton....). |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-3-9 12:28:04 PM |
| #6 Some other potential voters were forgotten like convicted criminals, the local zoo, mental health wards, Europeans etc.. Drooling on your ballott does not constitute a reason to not vote. |
| Posted by: dataman1 2004-3-9 12:25:36 PM |
| #5 People this is far worse than a case of bad judgement. This is all about establishing a voter block that would be under the literal control of the Democrat party via the teacher's union. If you think the political indoctrination of our children in public education is bad now (or if anyone doubts it at all) this would make it exponentially worse. Liberals are losing the ideological battle at the ballot box. They'll do anything, propose any asinine idea in order to maintain power. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-3-9 12:13:55 PM |
| #4 Oh, goodie, just what we need: more clueless, idealistic idiots who believe the purpose of government is to serve them a free lunch. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-3-9 11:52:37 AM |
| #3 porto rican disenfranchise to. |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2004-3-9 11:49:20 AM |
| #2 Bad bad BAD idea. I was once an idiot liberal up until the time Clinton got elected (I was 18-19 at the time, unregistered). By the time I did some research trying to figure out how a draft-dodging, wife-cheating smarmy dirtbag could have gotten elected, I had been converted to the side of Liberty, Individual Rights, Low Taxes, and no tolerance for Liberals aka the Fifth Column. I never looked back. Thanks Bill! (But seriously... no child under the age of 18 has the slightest clue about the way the world works. Anyone who witnessed the internet Deaniacs last year probably took note that a LARGE percentage of them were either 14-17 years old, or at least had the maturity level of children of that age.) |
| Posted by: Unmutual 2004-3-9 11:38:37 AM |
| #1 Bad idea, but not as bad as Britain's Liberal Democrats pushing for votes for criminals. Does anything better expose the corruption and desperation of today's left better than these attempts to push the gullible and naive, and the anti-social into the electorate pool? |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-3-9 11:17:15 AM |