Wisconsin State Employee fired after sending “Voter ID” email [View All]

[Ian David]

State Employee fired after sending “Voter ID” email
Posted: September 8, 2011 by bdgrdemocracy in Media Check
Tags: Department of Safety and Professional Services, Scott Walker Administration, Secretary Dave Ross, State Voter ID Policy email, Voter Suppression

John “Sly” Sylvester received the on-air phone call Thursday morning (“Sly in the Morning” AM1670 WTDY) from recently terminated State Employee Chris Larsen breaking the story. Larsen explained he had been fired for communicating a clarification to his fellow State Employees regarding the new Voter ID policy. This on the heels of an email from DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb instructing DOT employees to refrain from offering the IDs for free – they had to be requested, fueling accusations of voter suppression and poll tax (to those who unknowingly pay for the ID). Chris Larsen sent the following email from his office computer at The Department of Safety and Professional Services to his fellow State Employees in the 1400 East Washington Building:

Do you know someone who votes that does not have a State ID that meets requirements to vote? Tell them they can go to the DMV/DOT and get a free ID card. However they must ask for the free ID. a memo was sent out by the 3rd in command of the DMV/DOT. The memo specifically told the employees at the DMV/DOT not to inform individuals that the ID’s are free. So if the individuals seeking to get the free ID does not ask for a free ID, they will have to pay for it!!

Just wanted everyone to be informed!! REMEMBER TO TELL ANYONE YOU KNOW!! ANYONE!! EVEN IF THEY DON’T NEED THE FREE ID, THEY MAY KNOW SOMEONE THAT DOES!! SO TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!

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In a phone interview with Badger Democracy, Larsen explained what happened next. Following the delivery of the email, Larsen was “called out of his cubicle” by his immediate supervisor Martha Zydowski , and led into the office of Division head, Jim Parker. He was told that Secretary Ross would be “very unhappy” with the email, and it would be better for them to separate his employment. The reason he was given for separation was “you shouldn’t use state email for those purposes.” Larsen then cleaned out his cubicle and was escorted out of the building.

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The second is more nefarious. This action goes further than any previous to confirm the motive behind this law – voter suppression. It is obvious by this action the Walker Administration is desperate to have this law do what they intended – prevent as many people as possible from obtaining voter IDs for free, thus disenfranchising their vote through a “poll tax” of information omission. Further yet, preventing those who cannot afford it from getting a voter ID at all, complete disenfranchisement of the poor. The case of Chris Larsen has exposed, in real terms, the agenda and desperation for power behind the GOP Voter ID law.

More:
http://bdgrdemocracy.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/state-employee-fired-after-sending-voter-id-email/

Hat-tip to: http://twitter.com/#!/faircher/status/112118130909777920


See also:

REPORT: From Poll Taxes To Voter ID Laws: A Short History of Conservative Voter Suppression
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/03/27/153179/report-from-poll-taxes-to-voter-id-laws-a-short-history-of-conservative-voter-suppression/