Wednesday, November 26, 2008

An Open Letter to State Senator Mary Lazich

Dear Madame Senator,

An electronic essay has recently come to our attention in which someone who claims to be a staffer in your legislative office advances the following proposition:

Ideally, fewer people, those who have actually studied and researched candidates and issues should vote. That may be a minority view, but it’s the correct view.
This is not the first time this person has made this claim -- which sounds vaguely like the literacy tests black voters were required to take during Jim Crow. Needless to say, voters might object to the reimplementation of this policy.

Your staffer's comments raise several questions that I would like answered as soon as possible.

*** First, do you plan on introducing legislation in the state Senate that would require voters in Wisconsin to pass an intelligence examination or achieve a certain degree of education before they are allowed to vote?

*** If so, what will the requirements be?

*** Second, who will be co-authoring and/or co-sponsoring this legislation with you?

*** Third, is the staffer in question speaking for your office?

Nowhere on his web site is there a disclaimer asserting that the opinions are his alone and that he is not speaking for his employer. In fact, in one recent post, he seems to trumpet the fact that he works on Capitol Square. Until we hear otherwise we will assume that what reflects published on your employee's web site is your office's official policy.

*** Lastly, and if the staffer is not speaking for your office, why is someone working for you who has a clearly demonstrable contempt for the voters of Wisconsin?
Is this indicative of how you run your office? And, most importantly, is your staffer's behavior what you call "public service"?

We await your reply.

Sincerely,

The Chief

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