Search:

Custom Search

Readers' Comments

Total Comments: 9
Page 1 of 1

Court Upholds VA Restriction on Voter Registration at VA Medical Centers

VA Medical Centers

Mister
DCMA
Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:01 AM

Post Reply

VA medical centers are medical facilities and I agree with the court's decision. However it is every Americans right to vote whether in a medical facility or not. The director of the VA should be required to formulate a process allowing our veterans the opportunity to register to vote. It can be done it only takes a little thinking outside of box. Which management is always telling its employees to do. The VA should show the veterans an effort is being made. Remember these are members of our services who have defended our country and the freedoms we enjoy to day, the right to vote.

Let the public decide

Supervisory Human Resources Specialist
DHS
Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:01 AM

Post Reply

Voter registration is now "partisan activity". George Orwell lives.

Vets should register to vote!

Program Assistant
Dept of Veterans Affairs
Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:11 AM

Post Reply

As a conducter of several successful voter registration drives in and outside of VA grounds I believe the vets and visitors should have the opportunity to register to vote. The key word here is register. The VA grounds are not holding a town house for candidates to speak the differing views or bombard our veterans with empty promises of cutting pharmacy costs. Part of our One VA program should give the veteran the opportunity to register to vote - some elderly vets only get out to make scheduled appointments at the VA and having the one-stop-shopping convenience of registering to vote should be granted. My experience registering veterans and visitors to vote a VA facilities was met with great appreciation and consideration from the veteran and his family and helped in the veterans healing process and return to norality.

Re: Vets should register to vote!

Retired VA employee
DVA
Mon Mar 3, 2008 12:08 PM
I agree that veterans should register to vote & that they can & do vote but I don't agree that a VA employee should CONDUCT voter registration drives within a VA medical center. Particularly when the comment was "registering veterans and visitors" at VA facilities. Key word, visitors. It seems this VA employee as well as the medical center is NOT in compliance with existing VA regulations & furthermore is now in direct violation of the court order. Many communities offer voter registration assistance to the elderly/disabled. VA social workers assist veterans in making these types of arrangements utilizing community resources as part of their duties. Organized drives for voter registration belongs outside the VA medical center. In my experience, most VA employees have too much official work & don't have the time to perform functions unrelated to their work responsibilities or tasks outside the position description.

Re: Vets should register to vote!

rafferty@gmail.com
counsel to Mr. Preminger
Fri Mar 7, 2008 10:26 AM
I would be VERY interested in successful voter reg on other VA campuses by staff or others 202-380-5525

This decision doesn't tell the whole story, because the "as applied" case is in a court in California. If the Fed Cir's construction of "partisan activity" as limited to disruption was binding in the 9th Cir, all would be well. 9C holds that any discussion of or attempt to influence federal policies requires authorization.

The VA (at least at Menlo Park) prohibits staff from assisting veterans to register, even if they ask for help and need it due to a physical disability.

MP's director testified that only League of Women Voters is authorized to register voters. They haven't been since 1995 and don't plan to return. She states that P&A - the statutory patient watchdog which visited Menlo Park at Mr Preminger's request - was not authorized by her and was therefore illegal.

A year ago, Sen Feinstein asked the Secy to accept responsibilities under Motor Voter. No response ye

HEY!!! VETERANS CAN VOTE, and register too...

Consultant
DVA
Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:31 AM

Post Reply

All the comments are assumed, based on lack of knowledge.

The court never said veterans cannot register to vote and cannot vote. The court did not say social workers and others employed by the VA cannot assist the veterans in these endeavors.

What the Court actually did say. LISTEN now, is that some Crank and all his Crank buddies that will follow on cannot come on to VA property and set up shop and run things their way. Did you hear???

Repeat for those who did not. The court told this twit he cannot come onto VA grounds and do his thing.

Veterans can register to vote and can vote and do vote.

Hey, it works, if people listen. Otherwise, there will be more lawsuits like this somewhere because they did not.

Listen that is.

"Susan B. Anthony"

Voter Registration Restriction

Adjudication Officer
DHS/CIS
Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:53 AM

Post Reply

Wasn't there any other place to hold this voter registration drive? I would imagine there was. This appears to be something intended to create publicity for the political party involved in order to satisfy whatever social or political agenda they might have, worthy or not. In this case, the Court was right. The VA is a place for healing and therapy, not some severely retarded Neanderthal trying to beat drums for his political party.

Healing @ Rehab

retired
U S P S
Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:27 PM

Post Reply

I guess the numbers of the appeals court have never been to a VA facility.Why give them something else to screw up.

Court of Appeals decision re: voter registr. at VA

Chief Steward, AFGE Local 1216
Dept of Veterans Affairs
Wed Sep 10, 2008 11:32 AM

Post Reply

Beginning with the Patriot Act and looking forward from there, we see the continual decline of democracy and democratic principles in decision after failed decision in nearly every layer and branch of government, including this latest debacle in the Judicial Branch. If the Federal government is truly "of the People, by the People, and for the People," how is it that Federal property--in this case, VA property--has been declared "non-public" by the Court of Appeals? Moreover, the argument that registering Veterans for participation in the democracy that they fought to preserve somehow interferes with the VA Mission of providing "a place of healing and rehabilitation for Veterans" is nothing short of ludicrous and, as well, patently despotic.
It is this writer's hope that the Supreme Court will hear this case and overturn the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals' civil and political rights undermining decision. Our Forefathers would not tolerate it. We shouldn't either.

Total Comments: 9
Page 1 of 1

Add a Comment about this Article

** All fields are required.
Note: Your comments will not show up right away. FedSmith.com selects the most insightful comments from our readers for posting. If selected, your comments will show up in the comments section after they have been reviewed and approved. See our terms of use for more information.