Court Opinion

ID: 9756608
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 21:40:10.049991+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:26.540983
License: Public Domain

*1025BREWSTER, District Judge
(concurring in result).
I reluctantly concur only in the judgment now being entered herein because I am unable to see a substantial distinction between this ease on the one hand and City of Phoenix v. Kolodziejski, 399 U.S. 204, 90 S.Ct. 1990, 26 L.Ed.2d 523 (1970), on the other. My oath of office binds me to follow the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, whether I agree with them or not.
My own views regarding the constitutionality of the restrictions on voting here involved are the same as those expressed in the dissenting opinions in Kramer v. Union Free School District, 395 U.S. 621, 89 S.Ct. 1886, 23 L.Ed.2d 583 (1969); Dunn v. Blumstein, 405 U.S. 330, 92 S.Ct. 995, 31 L.Ed.2d 274 (1972), and City of Phoenix v. Kolodziejski, supra. As Chief Justice Burger says in the Dunn case, 405 U.S., at 363, 92 S.Ct., at 1013, 31 L.Ed.2d, at 296, the compelling state interest test, as recently applied by the Supreme Court has created a “seemingly insurmountable standard” which “demands nothing less than perfection.” My feelings about the restrictions on voting imposed by the provisions of the state constitution and statutes and the city ordinance here involved coincide with those of Mr. Justice Stewart in regard to similar Arizona statutory restrictions, as expressed in the following quotation from his dissenting opinion in City of Phoenix v. Kolodziejski, supra, 399 U.S., at 218, 90 S.Ct., at 1998, 26 L.Ed.2d, at 533:
“This is not the invidious discrimination that the Equal Protection Clause condemns, but an entirely rational public policy. . . .”
I do not agree with the reasoning of the Memorandum Opinion, but will not engage in a useless, lengthy discussion of it. However, I do feel compelled to make a few brief observations about matters in it.
There is language in the memorandum opinion which might be construed by a person not familiar with the record as indicating that the question before us is whether a restriction on voting based solely on rendition of property is constitutional. The provisions of the state constitution here involved say that the only qualified electors in bond elections are persons “who own taxable property” in the political subdivision where such election is held, “and who have duly rendered the same for taxation.”1 The statute and the ordinance in question are to the same effect. If only rendition of some property, whether taxable or not, were required, my views about the kind of judgment to be entered would be different.
The memorandum opinion says that most automobiles and personal property are not rendered for taxation. I regard that as totally irrelevant. If it were pertinent, a look at the sworn statement of those who render their property for taxation might show that a good deal of personal property is rendered.
Finally, as I construe it, the memorandum opinion is calculated to leave the inference that most of the people who would be affected by the exclusion are those who have personal property but do not render it for taxation because nobody else does, and those who, though ambitious to make their own way, own “nothing worth rendering” today, but, being members of “a society where upward mobility is commonplace”, will become substantial taxpayers tomorrow. My humble feeling is that most of those excluded will more likely be the kind who are able to earn their way but would rather live off other peoples’ work. It would be safe to say that the exclusion would get everyone of the kind of people we know, as a matter of general knowledge, are in line for the food that is being handed out by Publisher Hearst as a ransom to try to secure the release of his kidnapped daughter, and who are griping about the quality of food they are getting. My feeling is that those irresponsible people should *1026not be allowed to vote to slap a lien on the property of someone else.
I deeply regret that I have been unable to find a legitimate way to distinguish the cases above cited.

. The quotations are from Art. VI., Sec. 3a, of the Constitution of Texas.