Democrats are upset about a Florida law requiring that convicted felons repay all of their debts to society before having all their freedoms restored, including the right to vote.
An appellate court ruled last week that it was perfectly constitutional to mandate that felons, once out of prison, pay all owed court fees and restitution that came as part of their sentence before they see their freedom to vote reinstated.
That’s a concept formerly known as “crime and punishment.” First, there is a crime. Then the perpetrator is punished, whether it be by fines or imprisonment or both.
Yet following the court’s ruling, Democrats immediately began referring to the payment requirements as a “poll tax.”
The far-left Nation magazine asked, “Why the Hell Is the Supreme Court Allowing a New Poll Tax to Disenfranchise Florida Voters?”
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California tweeted that the ruling “takes away voting rights from 800,000 Floridians, 2/3s of them Black. It’s a modern day poll tax.”
True, many convicts may not be able to afford to pay off the debts that resulted from robbing a bank or murdering a family member immediately. They might have to skip an election or two. But what’s the point in charging criminals with fees and fines in the first place if they’re not expected to pay them back? Well, the point would be for Democrats to run candidates who promise those would-be voters more goodies so that the party takes more power. Duh!
Nobody should be falling for this anymore.
