Hatred for Democracy

American democracy is majority rule with minority protections. Texas failed its responsibility for minority protections when it passed a voter ID law last session. Quoting from a letter to Texas Elections Director Keith Ingram from Assistant US Attorney General Thomas E. Perez:

"That is, according to the state's own data, a Hispanic registered voter is at least 46.5 percent, and potentially 120 percent, more likely than a non-Hispanic registered voter to lack this identification. Even using the data most favorable to the state, Hispanics disproportionately lack either a driver's license or a personal identification card issued by DPS, and that disparity is statistically significant."

What's so hard about getting a Texas driver's license or ID card?

"First, according to the most recent American Community Survey three-year estimates, 7.3 percent of Hispanic or Latino households do not have an available vehicle, as compared with only 3.8 percent of non-Hispanic white households that lack an available vehicle. Statistically significant correlations exist between the Hispanic voting-age population percentage of a county, and the percentage of occupied housing units without a vehicle.

 Second, in 81 of the state’s 254 counties, there are no operational driver’s license offices. The disparity in the rates between Hispanics and non-Hispanics with regard to the possession of either a driver’s license or personal identification card issued by DPS is particularly stark in counties without driver’s license offices.  According to the September 2011 data, 10.0 percent of Hispanics in counties without driver’s license offices do not have either form of identification, compared to 5.5 percent of non-Hispanics.  According to the January 2012 data, that comparison is 14.6 percent of Hispanics in counties without driver’s license offices, as compared to 8.8 percent of non-Hispanics.  During the legislative hearings, one senator stated that some voters in his district could have to travel up to 176 miles roundtrip in order to reach a driver’s license office.  The legislature tabled amendments that would have, for example, provided reimbursement to voters who live below the poverty line for travel expenses incurred in applying for the requisite identification.

The third and final point is the limited hours that such offices are open.  Only 49 of the 221 currently open driver’s license offices across the state have extended hours.  Even Senator Troy Fraser, the primary author of this legislation in the Senate, acknowledged during the legislative hearing that, “You gotta work to make sure that [DPS offices] are open.”  Despite the apparent recognition of the situation, the legislature tabled an amendment that would have required driver’s license offices to be open until 7:00 p.m. or later on at least one weekday and during four or more hours on at least two Saturdays each month."

Why did this legislation pass? My reply is another question. In the year 2050, what will be the world's largest Spanish-speaking nation? (demographics, prediction)