[E-voting] E-voting machines to be used in 2009 despite warnings

[Aengus Lawlor]

On Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:07 AM [EDT],
Colm MacCarthaigh <colm at stdlib.net> wrote:

> On Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 02:57:12PM +0100, Timothy Murphy wrote:
>> On Tuesday 17 October 2006 14:19, Colm MacCarthaigh wrote:
>>
>>> A lot of this is just completely cynical politiking.
>>
>> Since the minister seems to be saying that he doesn't want to waste
>> the money that has already been spent,
>> it would seem to me worth while pressing him
>> on how much additional money will be necessary
>> to bring the machines to what he considers a suitable state.
>
> http://lists.stdlib.net/pipermail/e-voting/2006-July/005746.html
>
> :-)
>
> And that's just a start. I'd think 50m euro is a conservative estimate
> for just what's been recommended. Another reasons why this stuff just
> seems particularly cynical. I very much doubt the minister has a shred
> of intention of actually doing anything about using the machines.

Dick Roche is a "true believer". Not in the value of these machines as such, 
but in the utter irrelevance of anyone who doesn't agree with him. While 
Cullen tried to ignore opposition because it just made him look dumb, Roche 
will ignore those that disagree with him, because, as long as he is 
minister, nobody elses opinion (with the possible exception of the High or 
Supreme Courts) matters. If FF are in power after the next election, he'll 
ram the project through whatever committee is supposed to deal with the 
issue (just as Cullen did). He might spend a million or two on cosmetic 
changes to muddy the waters and win over public opinion (they won't know how 
effective or otherwise such changes are), but as far as he is concerned, the 
machines are a perfectly acceptable solution today, and we'd have used them 
at the last election if that bumbing fool Cullen hadn't queered the pitch.

The Minister has made up his mind. The only question in his mind is when.

Aengs