Last month I wrote about the racist roots of the filibuster and the oppressive nature of its structure systematically designed to stifle legislation and keep our communities disenfranchised (“Undemocratic process,” April 15). A system created not to uphold First Amendment rights, but instead to oppress the people that it impacts the most. My fans in the comment section will be excited to hear that I am back this week to expand on exactly that—how a few powerful people are deliberately disenfranchising voters one step at a time.
You’ve heard about voter suppression in Georgia, Florida, and Texas, but now it’s right here at home in SLO County. While most of our community members are hard at work following COVID-19 restrictions, providing the essential services our communities rely on, and keeping their families afloat during an incredibly challenging year, the SLO County Board of Supervisors’ Republican majority is making decisions to keep us out of the ballot box. While we struggle to survive, there is a quiet but overt strategy happening in SLO County to keep working people from having their voices heard and their votes counted.
First was the decision to skirt state law on campaign contributions. Just weeks after the November 2020 election, the board majority rushed through a policy allowing for a $25,000 per donor ceiling on campaign contributions for county seats such as supervisor, district attorney, and sheriff, giving SLO County one of the highest limits in the entire state of California. This came weeks before a new state law, AB 571, went into effect that set the FPPC donation limit to $4,900 per donor, a donation cap that the majority of California had no problem respecting. During that November meeting, Supervisors John Peschong, Debbie Arnold, and Lynn Compton blatantly ignored an outpouring of criticism in opposition to this decision, exercising their power to squash small-dollar donors like you and me, with their knowledge that candidates with the wealthiest donors get an automatic advantage.
Then came the 15-hour meeting on May 4. After hundreds of calls and emails and even reordering of the agenda to discourage participation, an exhaustive questioning began baselessly undermining the work of our elected county clerk recorder, questioning the integrity of our elections, and casting doubt on our systems, furthering right-wing efforts to scare voters with distorted information and blatant lies. At 11 p.m., in a 3-2 vote, the board majority voted once again to make it harder for the average community member to participate in their democracy. Though recent surveys show the majority of SLO County voters support permanent vote-by-mail accommodations, Supervisors Arnold, Compton and Peschong made the deliberate decision to adopt the most limited voting model for the future of SLO County. Adopting a one-day voting model, they ruled against mail-in ballots being sent to every registered voter and did away with multi-day voting centers to constrict voting to single-day polling locations. And as a bonus, they went a step further, directing their staff to explore getting rid of same-day voter registration and adding additional voter ID requirements. These are state laws aimed to make voting accessible, but here in SLO County, our leadership isn’t interested in that.
Our county supervisors voted against the people they serve and are leading us backwards into the future. Though no one seemed to be able to argue why single- day voting was better, they deemed it best we go back to inconvenient systems and strike new measures that would ensure increased voting access and boost voter turnout. Making voting more accessible? Yeah, what a terrible idea.
Next, SLO County will be redrawing its supervisorial district map in the once-a-decade process of redistricting. Redistricting in most places is done by an independent commission, but not in SLO County. Here, our county board decided it was best to skip assembling a citizens’ advisory committee altogether. They instead have tasked their staff with the project to preserve their own final say in deciding their districts’ boundaries. This process begins this summer, and based on recent decisions by this board, you don’t need a wild imagination to guess how this is going to go down. Voting for supervisor in District 4? Not for long if our board majority sees your vote as a threat to their power. Gerrymandering is the next big threat to our local democracy.
Republican leaders claim they care about restoring confidence in the voting booth. But their actions have shown they aim to cast doubt on the electoral system and keep people who don’t look like them, afford things like them, church like them, and talk like them out of the process. Their goal is to keep us away from the voting booth, because they know that the more of us who show up, the more they lose.
Want to change what’s happening? The future is in your hands. There is quite literally no one coming to save us from this mess. The impact from these decisions, and whatever happens next, will be profound and will last for decades to come. With a continued wave of attacks on democracy from the political right, there is no time to lose. Δ
Quinn Brady (she/her) is a community advocate, organizer and mother on the Central Coast. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in May 13-23, 2021.
Thanks, Quinn Brady, for this well articulated essay. We have the numbers to oust Arnold, Compton and Peschong, so let’s do it. Voters in Compton’s district can start by voting for Jimmy Paulding.
I understand the author’s concern for 3-2 votes in SLO County. Perhaps she could empathize with those concerned about 51-50 votes at the national level for things that have sweeping consequences.
The cramdown because “we’re the majority” goes both ways. It’s never right, but everybody likes it when it is their turn.
So, until there is a move beyond narrow margins, we’ll just all have to continue to bask in the underwhelming unity…
Yes, to preserve democracy and fairness we need to mount a unified countywide campaign like never before to oust Arnold, Compton and Peschong from office. It’s never been so clear that these three are not working for the best interest of the majority of voters in our county. One example of their dereliction of duty is their continual efforts to Block eligible voters from casting ballots as easily and efficiently as possible. They are obviously working against democracy and fairness.
“51-50 votes at the national level”
I’ll take Poor Examples for a thousand, Alex.
I guess you are referring to the U.S. Senate which is an atrocious example of small “d” democracy. Although the Senate is indeed 50-50 with a Democratic tiebreaker, the country as a whole is far more Democratic. The 50 Democratic Senators represent greater than 40 million more citizens than the 50 Republican Senators.
And, by the way, in the 2018 midterm election, the Democrats won 9 million votes more than their Republican opponents. The absurdity of the Senate and extreme Gerrymandering in the states have led many to conclude that the U.S. is evenly divided when it comes to political bias.
That is far from the truth, especially considering that Republicans have only beaten the Democrats ONCE in popular votes in the last 7 presidential elections and if the Senate used population instead of land, Democrats would have an advantage that the filibuster could not impede.
Thank you Quinnipiac Brady for acknowledging your “fans in the comment section.”
Throwing tidy micro jabs at critical thinkers will get you noticed in Suburbia. Please girl, go prepare your children a home cooked meal. Feeding your children sugary boxed cereal grains and soy milk isn’t going cut it.
So what you are saying is, Republicans are bad and dishonest. Democrats are good and honest. I think I heard that same rhetorical narrative floated a gazillion times on t.v.. Blah, blah, blah, be scared. Fear this person or that person.
Quinnipiac Brady, without you and Mighty Heidi, how would we ever survive???
(he/his)
The Rhodesian
I hope Quinn Brady is a better mom than she is a thinker, her superficial analysis stinks of high school-level critical thinking.
Perhaps Quinn is trying to distract people from the BLM inspired killing of slain police officer Luca Benedetti, I heard distraction is central to the Democrat Alt. Left playbook. Heidi Harmon is laying low this week as the Blue Thin Line flags parade around town in support of the widow and children of the slain officer.
Nice work Quinn and Heidi, you have blood on your hands.
The tyranny of the masses that glom into large cities will always be able to dump large numbers of votes leaning left into elections until they are enlightened to the left privilege agenda forwarded by the democrat party at all levels of government in our country. The board should be proud that they stand in the face of the pressure forced into society by media accomplices like Quinn and the “spreader”…eeeerrrrr Shredder of the socialist agenda. These board members will get re-elected handily. Also, WE conservatives are growing in numbers and are starting to move into San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, (fill in the liberal enclave name here), with full intent of restoring the American dream to fruition. Young folks, people of “color”, many former democrats are voting Republican. The party of Lincoln, TR, Reagan. The party of individual freedom, set to overcome the plantation democrat party.
Abraham Lincoln was not a white supremacist. Some of Americas most beloved institutions including libraries and public schools are socialist organizations. Quality public education is money well spent. Democracy is a good thing.
Abraham Lincoln IS an American hero and icon. Public schools are only as socialist as the boards that manage them. I encourage all Republicans to run for school boards in your districts. We must take back education controls from corrupt, morally bankrupt socialists. They have for too long been influencing young minds (see any college campus, USA) with anti-freedom, anti American self directed hatred. Young people today need guidance through traditional American values they can rely on taught by patriotic citizens with patriotic school boards behind them. We will win, election after election with the principles of freedom for individuals and the prosperity of this nation as the core nature of our actions.
Theres nothing greater a nation can do than to make sure all its people are adequately fed and have access to quality healthcare and education.
Its primarily people who have never been to college or who have dropped out who complain about college education and/or believe the anti-education propaganda promoted by forces that hope to weaken democracy and promote bigotry in America.
Lets brighten our future by respecting and honoring our public education teachers who devote their lives to making our communities less ignorant and democracy stronger.
It is absurd to suggest that if Abraham Lincoln were alive today he would be a member of a political party actively trying to suppress the voting privileges of Blacks. Nor would he be trying to pass legislation and promote propaganda aimed at curtailing democracy in America. Why would he ever?
The Trump lie would surely disgust Honest Abe. Figuratively speaking, Abraham Lincoln would be eager to kick Donald Trumps ass from here to Mars.
Rightword2…and Jill stegman…have their lefty heads way up their asses
Not actually. It doesn’t work that way. Sorry.
Black folks know how to get an ID right turd. What’s offensive is that you so badly want to keep us on the plantation and deny us the dignity of self determination. White folks mean well but liberal white folks are just MEAN in their incessant need to meddle in affairs that do not concern them. I have an ID and I know how to vote, so does the rest of my family. No voting laws suppress us. No voices are being silenced. Left privilege plantation democrats seek to curtail democracy, as well as free speech, religious freedom, the right to defend yourself and your family with the common sense of owning a firearm legally and responsibly, the right of parents to teach values to their children without public education indoctrination to leftist immorality and prejudice. Sho is a lotta curtailin goin on on da plantation!
Voter suppression affects more than just black people.
There are people of all races who want to preserve democracy in the United States
Yes. They are called Republicans.
Yes, we should not suppress the voting rights of Republicans either. To support a strong democracy, we must do what we can to make sure that elections are fair and eligible voters are not denied the opportunity to cast a ballot.
Unfortunately, there is an anti-democracy movement within the Republican party to try to limit the voting eligibility and access for those who are least likely to vote Republican.
We must remember that when people vote, they feel part of the community and are more likely to want to sustain and improve it. The more eligible voters who cast their ballot, the better for our nation.
Let’s be honest, the whacky left Democrat Party undermines our election processes, and examples are trying to allow illegal immigrants to vote, mandating that voters DO NOT have to show proper I.D. to get a ballot, and seeking to allow convicted felons to vote n the election. They see this as the path to electoral success.
Guess what? Polls show that the majority of Americans DO NOT want felons and illegal aliens to vote, and they certainly acknowledge that ALL voters should be required to present an I.D., it’s only common sense.
Please see beyond the whacky left’s current rhetoric accusing moderates and conservatives of ‘voter suppression’ simply for asking that reasonable precautions, everyone knows the Democrats make false allegations to secure the support of low-information voters, SAD.
ABANDON DEMOCRATS IN 2022 & 2024
Right/Left, Dem/Rep both ways of thinking fail to recognize the real political divide.
Do we want other or self control of our lives and fortunes?
What made America Great?
Freedom and Liberty and individuals acting in their own and other’s interests to bring products and services to the marketplace.
What has changed in recent years?
Gov’t at every level trying to legislate or regulate perfection disrupting the market so individuals do nothing to bring new ideas and products to the marketplace.
Capitalism is not the big bad evil system. The progressive’s attempt to control others or design perfection is destined to failure. Putting the blame where it does not belong means no correct solutions will materialize.
It has been said again and again. Set the People free. Stop trying to perfect an imperfect world with gov’t edits.
Quinn Brady, do you actually have a job? Or does your rich family support you? You sure seem to have a lot of time on your hands. You are a busybody.