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Jacob Tomsky on the Plight of the Hotel Housekeeper Jacob Tomsky, a long-time hotel employee, understands the "difficult position" hotel housekeepers are in. "They're often alone on a floor, cleaning a vacant room, back to the door, the vacuum's drone silencing all sound," he describes in The New York Times. "A perfect setup for a horror movie." Tomsky notes that "beyond their physical safety," housekeepers are often subjected to accusations of theft and racking up high phone bills. And, of course, being "sexually accosted by guests" which, he laments, happens "more often than you'd think." And, contrary to the common defense that "she asked for it," the only thing any housekeeper he's known really "wants to do is finish up her work and go home to her family." Women put up with this job because "many are union positions" that offer a variety of benefits. However, "for the Sofitel housekeeper, the encounter with Mr. Strauss-Kahn brought nothing good at all."
Kris Kobach on the Need For Voter Identification Kris Kobach describes a new Kansas law that requires identification at the voting booth, verified license number, signatures on absentee ballots, and proof of citizenship for new voters. "Voter fraud is a well-documented reality in American elections," the Kansas secretary of state insists in today's Wall Street Journal, listing several examples including an instance in which a candidate "allegedly received more than 50 votes illegally cast by citizens of Somalia" who were coached "by an interpreter at the polling place." Kobach, who also co-authored Arizona's controversial anti-illegal immigration bill, surmises that there are likely hundreds of illegal immigrants registered to vote in Kansas. "Fear that elections are being stolen erodes the legitimacy of our government," he declares. "Carrying a photo ID has become a part of American life. You can't cash a check, board a plane, or even buy full-strength Sudafed over the counter without one. That's why it's not unreasonable to require one in order to protect our most important privilege of citizenship."