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California Official Taps E-Voting Critic
by Michael Martinez
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen made big news in her first week on the job by tapping one of the nation's most vocal critics of e-voting machines as a top deputy.
Bowen, who was sworn in Monday, selected Berkeley-based lawyer Lowell Finely to be her deputy in charge of voting technology and policy. Finely is the co-founder of the voting-rights group VoterAction, which has filed lawsuits during the past several years challenging the integrity of voting machines in several states, including California.
According to an article Friday in The Oakland Tribune, Finley has agreed to pull out of lawsuits filed in California, Florida, Ohio and other states in order to accept the job.
VoterAction co-founder and co-Director Holly Jacobsen said this week in a letter posted to the organization's Web site that Finley's appointment demonstrates the seriousness of Bowen's campaign pledges to make the state's voting system as fair and accurate as possible. "Naming [Finley] to oversee voting systems for the state of California makes good on that promise," Jacobsen said.
Robert Salladay, the author of the Los Angeles Times' Political Muscle Web log, noted this week that Finley represented an official at the Sacramento Labor Council in a 2004 lawsuit that forced California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to pay $4.5 million for accepting illegal campaign contributions.
According to a report released this week by outgoing Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, parallel testing conducted on the state's e-voting machines found that they recorded votes accurately in November's election. The report said actual results matched expected results in all counties and precincts where testing occurred.
"Parallel monitoring is an important security measure to ensure the reliability of electronic voting machines used in California," he said in a statement. "The results of the report confirm for voters that their votes were successfully recorded Nov. 7, 2006."
Idaho's Plan For Drones Raises Privacy Concerns
Concern in Idaho is swelling over a proposal by a federal agency to use unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor vegetation and streams in the eastern part of the state.
Reuters reported this week on a plan by the Bureau of Land Management to launch a drone to monitor public land in eastern Idaho. According to the agency, there are no immediate plans to use the device for law enforcement.
Some conservationists have praised the proposal, arguing that it would boost federal oversight of grazing and leases on public land. But the idea has some officials worried about whether the drones will intrude on people's privacy.
"It would be like the environmentalists sneaking up on you," said Wayne Butts, a member of the Custer County Commission. "They may be taking pictures of a plant or two, but where does it stop? Do we have to grab our pitchforks and our guns?"
Lance Brady, a geographic information systems expert at the agency, told Reuters that it is planning public hearings on the issue, and that drones won't be patrolling the Idaho sky anytime soon. "These discussions are very preliminary, but we know these UAVs are the wave of the future," he said.
Missouri Launches Search Tool For Medicines
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt on Wednesday announced the launch of an online resource that he said will help the state's residents find more affordable prescription medicines.
The Price Compare program will allow Missourians to search a state-operated database for information about the prices pharmacies offer on drugs. The initiative is part of Missouri Rx, which was designed to coordinate benefits with Medicare's prescription drug program.
"This resource will help hold down the cost of prescription drugs for Missourians by making it easier for people to compare prices for the medicine they need to stay healthy, Blunt, a Republican, said in a press release. "It also demonstrates how we can use technology and transparency to improve our healthcare system for Missourians."
Republican state Sen. Michael Gibbons said Price Compare will offer valuable help to those facing important decisions about the health care they receive. He was one of the sponsors of legislation to create the Missouri Rx Web site.
"We want to put the people back in the driver's seat when it comes to options and decisions on their health and the health of their families," he said. "People have a right to know about the quality and cost of their health care, and this Web site is a step that empowers them to choose their own options."
L.A. Employees Accused Of Hacking Traffic System
A pair of engineers employed by the city of Los Angeles has been accused of hacking into its traffic-light system to instigate accidents at busy intersections.
AP reported Tuesday that prosecutors have accused Gabriel Murillo and Kartik Patel of breaking into the city's traffic system to cause back-ups at four major intersections last August, a day before 1,500 members of the Engineers and Architects Association went on strike. Murillo and Patel pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday.
According to prosecutors, the two engineers deliberately chose intersections close to freeways and traffic hotspots, such as Los Angeles International Airport. A Superior Court commissioner has ordered them to stay away from the state Transportation Department's property unless they are accompanied by a lawyer.
City lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the security of the system, in light of the case. "The issue here was public safety," Councilwoman Wendy Greuel said. "What if there had been a major accident and we were not able to control the lights while the officers were on their way."
Arkansas Governor Wants Online Access At Schools
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe began his tenure Wednesday by urging lawmakers to do more to increase high-speed Internet access at schools.
Beebe, a Democrat who was sworn into office this week, told the legislature in his first State of the State address that Arkansas needs to assess all of the technology resources in its public school system. After the review, he said he will work with the state Education and Information Systems departments to develop a strategy to ensure that all schools have high-speed Internet access.
"Our students deserve the best and the newest learning tools that we can provide," he said. "It's essential that all of our students have Internet access and current technology to maximize it."
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