Senator Runner speaks on prisoner release and voter verification in Live Oak

Many topics were discussed at a town hall meeting held at the Live Oak Community Center Tuesday night as Senator George Runner came to speak to the people of Live Oak.

“Author of Jessica’s Law and Amber Alert, initiative proponent Senator George Runner represents the 17th Senate District and is a strong taxpayer advocate,” which is stated in campaign materials as Runner is looking to be elected for the Board of Equalization (BOE).

Voter fraud in California has prompted Runner to visit cities and explain the “Vote Safe Now” initiative and it’s three provisions to protect everyone’s right to vote.

Voter Photo I.D. requirement would protect the integrity of all votes by verifying voters’ identity, which is modeled after the Indiana law, and upheld recently by the United States Supreme Court.

“Voter fraud in California is as easy as walking up to voting pad and signing who you are on the list, just by signing in,” Runner explained. He continued, “When someone manipulates votes or casts too many votes it is stealing our votes.”

The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not require identification of some kind to verify voter identities.

We must present photo identification to fly on commercial aircraft, make store purchases, why not show I.D. for such a crucial thing as voting?

One thing that seemed to shock those in attendance last week, was the fact that California had 30,000 “lost” votes and 7,000 ballots were returned as undeliverable or rejected out of 103,000 ballots mailed overseas.

“Vote Safe Now,” at www.voteSAFEnow.com asks that military ballots be accepted by a county registrar for up to 15 days after the election. Nineteen states already have a process for counting military ballots received after election day.     Runner asked why the military ballots can’t be sent out earlier to ensure they get back on time.

As reported by the Associated Press recently, one our of four ballots requested by military personnel and other Americans living overseas for the 2008 election may have gone uncounted.
Absentee ballot voter verification is the third concern of the “Vote Safe Now” initiative.

Runner suggests having to identify the last four digits of a person’s social security number to verify an absentee ballot. He also explained that currently there is no verification when people register to vote at county fairs or booths outside of grocery stores, set up before elections.

Nearly 45 percent of votes cast in the 2008 presidential election were votes by mail, according to Runner.

A member of the audience asked when the people would be able to vote online. Runner answered that he gets nervous with anything electronic, asking ,”Where is the paper trail? What do you do when hacked into?” He further stated he wanted people interested enough to get out and vote.

He explained he is running for the BOE, which deals with tax appeals, corporate tax appeals and various tax policies.

Runner and his wife Sharon were the first couple to be in legislature at the same time. She termed out last December. This is Runners last term.

He has just resigned as Caucus Chair to Chief of Staff Will Smith to run for  the BOE.

With a Chief Adult Operator of the Department of Corrections, Rende Hansen in the audience, Runner spoke on the early release of prisoners and how that came to the legislature.

It was presented with 250 pages of prison issues just 12 hours before voting. There are lots of clean up bills according to Runner.

“It was a desire to save $1.2 billion for budget saving and the idea to come back and deal with it. The bill came forward with a series of things attached to it. Some had nothing to do with it,” he explained.

“I do believe you can save $1.2 billion, but not in that way. It went out with a minimum amount of votes. There were 19 “no” votes and 21 “yes” votes, which is pretty unusual. There was not enough support at the assembly,” he stated.

“They called the session closed at midnight. They needed 41 votes and couldn’t get it,” he explained.

Runner told the audience that it costs anywhere from $14,000 to $17,000 per inmate for care per year. More is paid for health care for prisoners than is paid for all of the guards in the prisons.

“The last thing we need to do is release prisoners,” Runner stated.