[ale] ["Topic"? I don't think it means what you think it means] Re: Incompetent corporate web sites

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 23 October 2009 5:48:14 pm Jim Kinney wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 5:25 PM, William Fragakis <william at fragakis.com> 
wrote:
> > Politicians can only be "bought" when we ratify that purchase with our
> > own vote. Elections can only be rigged when we acquiesce in the result.

By and large, in the current system we are only their constituency effectively 
during the few months leading up to the election. After that they have a whole 
new constituency that resides mostly in DC.

Until we can get a Supreme Court that is willing to say money != free_speech 
don't expect a lot of change -- at least not a lot of change for the better. 
If I had to place my term-limit dime anywhere it would be on the Supreme 
Court: 1 term, 10 years and you're out. And maybe 10 members with an elected 
official to break ties.

>
> And the lobbyist are paid with the money we give to the controlling
> interests by way of our purchasing the products and services they
> offer.
>
> So if someone doesn't like what's going on they need to vote at the
> polls, write ON PAPER to their congress critter and never spend money
> with companies and organizations who lobby for opposing causes.

Actually, writing on paper would be my last choice because it will take 
several weeks before it's read (due to the anthrax thing). My first choice is 
to call, 2nd is to email.

>
> I still like the voting process whereby each office candidate is
> ranked in order of preference.  A candidate with a 50% +1 count of
> "first choice" clearly wins. If no clear winner then add in the second
> choice votes, etc. I sort of like the "not this person" choice which
> acts like a -1 vote. I haven't thought that process out fully.
>
I'm a huge fan of this concept. If anyone wants to know more: 
http://www.instantrunoff.com/how/videos.php

Haven't heard of the -1 idea before. Interesting. But unless it's coupled with 
a rule that says anyone with a net negative rank is excluded from run-off 
rounds I don't see that it would add much. It just shifts the numbers over 
otherwise.

> --

-- 
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone elses opinions, their 
lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
 -- Oscar Wilde