The biggest waste of $249,660 in Pa. history, which is saying a lot
Daniel Denvir of the City Paper -- one of the best journalists in Philadelphia who doesn't have the words "Daily News" under his byline -- has what I think is something of a scoop today. Remember that ridiculous voter ID law we were talking about earlier today? Comes now Denvir, with a story that goes something like this:
Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's administration has signed a $249,660 contract with a company run by Mitt Romney fundraiser, former state GOP party executive director, pharmaceutical lobbyist, and school voucher advocate Chris Bravacos to direct a media campaign promoting the state's Voter ID law.
Yes, that very same law, requiring that voters present identification at the polls, which critics contend will suppress Democratic-leaning non-white, poor, elderly and youth voters and which House Majority Leader Mike Turzai recently boasted (video) is "gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania."
One sample PSA on the Bravo Group's Vimeo page portrays voter ID as just the latest installment in a bright history of American voting rights, and features anodyne black and white photos―including one of suffragettes. Another spot portrays a lot of shiny-toothed middle class models holding ID cards. [note: Bravo removed the two videos this morning but Occupy Harrisburg has reposted them here and here.]
The tagline? "Your right to vote: it's one thing you never want to miss out on."
Wow. So here's a little quiz: What's the most outrageous thing about this?
A) The ad invokes the civil rights struggle and the women's sufferage movement to promote a law that has the potential to disenfranchse tens of thousands of black and/or female voters, among others, from Coraopolis to Chester.
B) At a time when Pennsylvania is slashing millions of dollars in school aid, cash assistance to the needy and other programs for the poor, the Corbett administration is spending money to promote a law that was completely unnecessary, to tackle a crisis of "voter fraud" even after Gov. Corbett did not prosecute a single voter fraud case during his years as attorney general.
C) Not that a lobbyist for Comcast, Sunoco, Aetna, and some of your other favorite corporations needs the money, but the contract for a major Mitt Romney fundraiser (and a big supporter of school vouchers...aren't they all?) is a nice little thank-you tip, isn't it?.
D) All of the above.
OK, there's no wrong answer here, although I'd say it's more D) than anything. It's increasingly clear that the spending priorities of the Corbett administration are a total farce -- what the governor does find dollars for include things like corporate welfare, buildiing more prisons for graduates of the public schools that he is working to destroy, and now idiotic junk like this.
And by this, I'm talking about something that reminds me of a cheesy protection racket, where the state comes in and -- for no compelling reason -- makes it harder for citizens to vote, and then hires a friend to kindly tell you how you can get your constitutional rights back. It would be funny if Corbett's clown act wasn't starting to make me sick to my stomach.
CORRECTION: This video below was prepared internally by Bravo in advance of seeking the state contract -- but it won't be airing, so it's not part of what we paid for: