This is where the partisanship shows itself to be out of control on both sides, yet again. And please forgive my "border hopping" as I am a Canadian living and working in the US, married to an American and my son is an American.
- voter I.D.s - fine by me but there needs to be provisions to provide them for free, for the poor and this needs to be instituted well in advance of major elections. Here in PA they wanted to introduce a voter ID law less than 6 mos before the presidential election: sorry but you need to give people time to react and adjust.
- prisoners voting - not until their sentence is FULLY served, including parole/probation. Those convicted of crimes are essentially found guilty of violating the rights of someone else in society. I think it is JUST for their rights to be curtailed in proportion to the severity of their crime, including the right to have any influence on changing those laws. I know there are some unjust laws and mistakes made (i.e. David Milgaard etc) but those types of cases are the exception not the rule.
- the EPA - the Koch brothers ARE vehemently opposed to the EPA, and sorry but they are wrong in this. I saw it in the oil & gas industry in Alberta, and I see it in the fledgling industry in the NE US, industry is only capable of policing itself to a point (usually where regulation meets goals of shareholders). We need governmental watchdogs over industry, especially environmental issues, because they have a better perspective. Yes, they are somewhat susceptible to some of the scare propaganda in the media (look at the BS over fraccing wells; something that has gone on for damned near 100 years) but they are not subservient to the best interests of the company above all else.
- yes the Kochs are instrumental in funding the tea party, which is sadly ironic given the supposed goals stated by tea partiers but they have the right to do so under American law.