The Chad Problem:
Fact or Fiction?
Our posting this message should not be construed to represent endorsement
of TCAN or its affiliations. If true, the information itself is critical.
We have no way of confirming its authenticity and believe it very likely
to be based on fact.
To insinuate that the current situation is merely the actions of "a sore
looser" (Gore) is either an indication of gross naivete or the intentional
misleading of the uninformed and naive. While both Gore and Bush await the
outcome, the drama being played out to the American masses is being orchestrated
and contrived by the power elite. Wouldn't it be a hoot if each of them has
been told.. "Relax... it's in the bag."? As we've learned, information is
given to the "lesser brethren" only on a need-to-know basis.
In addition to what "appears" before our eyes, we must watch and listen
carefully to the rhetoric spewed forth that is once again forming the thoughts
of tens of millions of Americans who may soon be calling for "a Constitutional
Amendment to eliminate the Electoral College". The easily-led masses will
believe it is their idea, having no awareness that there is no safe way to
amend the Constitution... never mind the fact that such an amendment would
create a "national election" under total control of the U.S. Government.
In fact, the real underlying motive could be to open the Constitution
via a Constitutional Convention in order to eliminate the Second Amendment...
or the Bill of Rights in its entirety. Can't happen, you say? The States
would never ratify? Check Article V and you will see there are two methods
of ratification. One would be 3/4 (38) state legislatures. The other mode
of ratification is the formation of Ratifying Conventions which bypass
legislatures. The U.S. Congress decides the mode of ratification.
The 21st Amendment was NOT ratified by state legislatures. Promoters
of the 21st Amendment knew they would have a problem getting 3/4ths of the
state legislators to ratify, so Congress empowered ratifying conventions
which did the job very quickly. According to our meager bits of data, it
appears that out of the 21st Amendment we got the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco
and Firearms as the Grand Prize.
Keep in mind that Title 26 relating to the Income Tax has no Code of
Federal Regulations. Income Tax laws use Title 27 CFR, relating to the BATF.
The language and laws surrounding both the 18th and 21st Amendments might
be an item of further research for our income tax gurus, if they haven't
already.
— Jackie
Rev. Curt Tomlin
<ctomlin@vvm.com> on 11/15/2000
04:15:25 PM
Please respond to
"TCAN"<ctomlin@vvm.com>
It is not very often that I avail myself of the opportunity to write an expose'
on any given subject. However in this particular case, I feel that I have
an obligation to my fellow Americans to explain, and clarify, and clear all
the "smoke and mirrors" confusion that has been fed to the American people
concerning the recounting of punch card votes in Florida.
The controversy primarily centers around a tiny thing call a "chad." A "chad"
is that tiny piece of paper (card) that is removed from the (IBM) punch card
when a person records their vote or any other character if data.
First: For over 24 years this writer was deeply involved in processing
information on ALL types of punch card processing equipment. For example,
some years ago I was part of the operating staff of the Personal Accounting
Machine Installation for the Pacific Fleet (PAMI PAC FLEET- normally referred
to as PAMI) stationed at NAS, North Island, San Diego California.
During the several years that I was part of the operating staff at PAMI,
our mission was to maintain, on a daily basis, over 255,000 Navy personnel
records for the entire United States Pacific Fleet.
At that time, each personnel record consisted of not less that five (5) IBM
punch cards which resulted in the master personnel file containing 1,275,000
punch cards . Each of those punch card contained 80 columns into which a
single character of information could be recorded. The sum total of possible
characters of data recorded in this master file equates to 102,000,000 (one
hundred two million) characters.
Each column contained twelve (12) possible punch positions. An alphabetic
character required two (2) holes in a single column. A numeric character
(0-9) required only one hole in as single column.
Assuming that all 80 columns in a single card were to contain alphabetic
characters, a total of 160 holes in each card would be required. That would
create 160 pieces of "chad" or waste that was discarded.
Given the fact that each personnel record contained not less than 5, eighty
(80) column cards and assuming that all 80 columns in each of the 5 cards
contained alphabetic information, four hundred (400) pieces of "chad" would
be created for each personnel record.
Now, given the fact that the PAMI maintained 255,000 personnel records with
each record creating up to 400 possible pieces of "chad", during each update
of the master file, a total of 102,000,000 (102 million) pieces of "chad"
were created during each update cycle, which occurred every day (not just
on election day).
To prepare the punched cards for processing by the various pieces of tabulating
equipment, the operator goes through a standard procedure of "fanning" the
cards. Fanning is a simple procedure of holding a deck of approximately 300-400
cards in one hand and fanning (flipping) the cards with the other hand. This
procedure is ALWAYS required for two reasons: (1) to remove the "static
electricity" which can cause two cards to cling together and misfeed and,
(2) to dislodge and remove any "chad" that "might" still be clinging to those
cards that have not been previously processed since they were originally
punched.
This procedure is absolutely necessary simply because every punch card processing
machine, regardless of it purpose, has a very narrow opening through which
the card must pass, from the input hopper into the machine for reading and
processing. This openings normally referred to as "the throat." The opening
of the "throat" is microscopically adjusted to the thickness of the particular
brand IBM or other) punch cards being used so as to allow only one card to
feed into the machine at a time. This opening can only be adjusted by an
mechanical engineer, technically trained to maintain the particular brand
of punch card equipment being used. It "CANNOT" be adjusted by the usual
equipment operator.
Any time a card entering the throat is thicker than that allowed for a single
card, the machine will not accept the card and will cause a jam at the "throat"
before the card enters the machine to be processed. Normally the card causing
the jam will be damaged to the extent that it must be duplicated and reentered
into the process.
Reconstruction of the jam card requires very careful effort on the part of
the operator. THIS reconstruction activity is where MOST errors occur simply
because the operator fails to reconstruct the card as it was originally punched.
Errors created during this process are extremely rare and far between. The
vast majority of errors introduced during this activity occur when reconstructing
a damaged card that contains mostly alphabetic information or two (2) holes
per column in the card. Errors introduced as a result of reconstructing cards
that contain mostly numeric (0-9) information, or only one hole per column
are extremely rare, as is the case with most voting punch card systems.
Item Two: During the several years as an equipment operator stationed at
the US Naval Station in New Orleans, responsible for maintaining some 50,000,
multiple card, personnel records of those Naval Reserves living in the Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Arkansas, "CHAD" was not a problem.
Item Three: During the four years being responsible for processing ten's
of thousands, multiple punch card personnel records for ALL US Army personnel
stationed in Europe "CHAD" was not a problem.
Item Four: During the Presidency of John F. Kennedy, being responsible for
the processing of thousands of multiple punch card records pertaining to
highly classified atomic weapons, missiles, enemy targeting, etc., etc.,
"CHAD" was not a problem.
Item Five: During the year that I was responsible for maintaining some 18,000
multiple punch card personnel records and payroll records for the US 9th
Infantry Division in South Viet Nam, working under conditions FAR from ideal
or satisfactory in terms of moisture, equipment maintenance, untrained equipment
operators, poor supplies, etc., etc., "CHAD" was not a problem.
CONCLUSION: For over 24 years, this writer, using punch card processing equipment
to process every thing under the sun, from local church membership to very
highly classified information pertaining to atomic weapons, missiles, enemy
targeting and much more, "CHAD" was not a problem .
Given the vast amount of personal and practical hands on experience as noted
above, this writer can guarantee and, given the opportunity to work with
the actual punch card ballots in Florida, can prove beyond any shadow of
doubt that "CHAD" WAS NOT A PROBLEM IN OBTAINING AN ACCURATE MACHINE TABULATION
OF ALL VOTES CAST IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA BY MEANS OF THE PUNCH CARD."
FINAL CONCLUSION: Given the above, I can assure the American public that
ANY MANUAL COUNT OF PUNCH CARD BALLOTS WILL, WITH OUT QUESTION, BE FAR LESS
ACCURATE THAN ANY MACHINE COUNT, ESPECIALLY IF THOSE TABULATIONS ARE CONDUCTED
BY VOLUNTEERS, UNTRAINED AND INEXPERIENCED IN "PUNCH CARD PROCESSING."
It is more than obvious, that the Gore contingent, realizing that the vast
majority of average Americans have never been exposed to the "actual punch
card processing" beyond simply seeing a punch card, have seized upon this
opportunity to mis-lead the average American as to the real problem with
the vote counting.
"The so called "CHAD" problem with the count is simply a SMOKE SCREEN, employed
by a very sore looser and in so doing is casting the average American as
a BLOOMING IDIOT.
Wake up America and pay attention to what is happening in the world around
you.
Due to the seriousness of this situation, TCAN respectfully requests that
this TCAN Alert be forwarded to the maximum extent possible.
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