[Newspoetry] Financing Elections?

[DL Emerick]

Dear Joe,

 

Well, I am glad to hear that people are willing to try something new.  However,
I hope any enabling legislation approaches change as an experiment in democracy
- one that may succeed or fail.  That is, even if a majority of the people vote
"yes", they should be voting for an experiment, not a permanent change.  Indeed,
more people might be willing to vote "yes" if they think they are voting for an
experiment, than if they think they are giving up the old way, permanently.

 

The question may be one of majority process versus minority resistance.  Would
it be right to make such a change permanently if pockets of resistance, such as
I describe, anticipatorily, develop?

 

Caring for the public requires some sense of the people who believe their ox has
been gored.  This does not mean, of course, catering to their prejudices and
weaknesses.  But, it does mean being sensitive to their concerns and addressing
those with extra efforts and attentions.

 

For instance, in a sense, IRV is just like an ordinary ballot, if you make only
one mark on a ballot per office, as far as the individual voter is first
concerned, about what he must do to cast a vote.  A "selling" campaign for IRV
could stress such a "fact" - and then add, insert happy face here, "and with
IRV, there is no messy and expensive primary!"  The latter claim appeals to the
so-called conservative-minded people who, I think, might then weigh IRV
favorably.  Such might be case of the Champaign county official that you briefly
mention, as favoring IRV.

 

Still, the effects of eliminating primaries may itself have a structural effect
upon politics as the recruitment and employment (hiring/firing) mechanism of
public office.  We always have to look at effects, good and bad, as against the
present structure.  Effects are not easily pinned down, in a narrow time frame,
and certainly not in a single experimental test.

 

Well, that's all I can think to say, except to add good luck and wish you every
success in your efforts, and to hope, too, that you take seriously the
possibility of adverse effects, as well, and plan to experiment not to be
permanent, with any change.

 

Thanks, DL

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/newspoetry/attachments/20070426/a2cb0ac8/attachment.htm