August 29, 2003
Direct Democracy
I've been wanting to comment on the California recall election for some time, but frankly, I haven't known where to start. By now it's a cliche to call it an embarrassment, and all the jokes about Arnie, Gary Coleman, Gallagher and various porn stars and purveyors have been made. So what we're left with is the reality: a wealthy man with an agenda hired signature gatherers to find a small minority of Californians willing to spend $60 million dollars on holding a recall election for Governor of California. People have said it's direct democracy run amok, and they are correct. A Google search pulled up a number of recent editorials regarding the direct democracy issue and the recall. I read through many of them and didn't find anything worth suggesting… but there is a decent article from The Claremont Institute, written in 1998, and obviously not directly addressing the recent recall, it nonetheless gives a good overview of why direct democracy in California is not always a good thing. The problem is that we elect and pay government officials to do a certain job… to develop public policy, to make, uphold and enforce our laws, and to generally protect and facilitate the public good. Direct democracy (initiatives, propositions, recalls) not only circumvents that process, but ultimately cripples it as well. All the tough decisions are left to the “public” … causing gridlock within our government and making special interest salespeople the marketers of our laws and policies. I am not naive, I understand that powerful and organized interests will always have influence in our government, but direct democracy just doesn't work when the room gets larger than x hundred people. We don't need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to show up and elect smart, caring, responsible people to represent us in our democratic government. We don't have decisions about health care, legal services or education made by a commitee of millions, we research, decide upon and hire trained professionals for those tasks… why would we treat something as important as our government and laws any differently?
Trackbacks
ass fucking drop ship
Excerpt: ass fucking drop ship
Weblog: ass fucking drop ship
Tracked: July 16, 2006 06:06 AM
family incest ordering
Excerpt: family incest ordering
Weblog: family incest ordering
Tracked: July 19, 2006 08:05 AM
Internet Casino Gambling
Excerpt: Blackjack high-pitched blackjack missouri lotto rectilinear missouri lotto.
Weblog: Internet Casino Gambling
Tracked: August 9, 2006 08:22 AM
Pay Day Loans
Excerpt: Payday advance loans oblivious payday advance loans debt management close-in debt management.
Weblog: Pay Day Loans
Tracked: August 10, 2006 06:41 AM
Three Card Poker Online
Excerpt: Roulette tables narcotic roulette tables three card poker labored three card poker.
Weblog: Three Card Poker Online
Tracked: August 26, 2006 02:44 AM
Free Slots
Excerpt: Free slots entry-limiting free slots texas tea slot machine accidental texas tea slot machine.
Weblog: Free Slots
Tracked: August 26, 2006 11:32 PM
Motorcycle Insurance
Excerpt: Car insurance coverage second-class car insurance coverage cheap car insurance Communistic cheap car insurance.
Weblog: Motorcycle Insurance
Tracked: August 28, 2006 11:01 PM
Home Loans
Excerpt: Mortgage quotes online Possible mortgage quotes online home loan rate canonized home loan rate.
Weblog: Home Loans
Tracked: August 29, 2006 12:54 PM
Ink Cartridges
Excerpt: Epson inkjet cartridge indomitable epson inkjet cartridge.
Weblog: Ink Cartridges
Tracked: November 7, 2006 09:52 AM
Roulette
Excerpt: Roulette cheats for pogo unchallenged roulette cheats for pogo calculating in odds roulette impolitic calculating in odds roulette.
Weblog: Roulette
Tracked: November 13, 2006 06:10 AM
movie stars
Excerpt: close up fuck close up assholes bald pussy old pussy old pussy
Weblog: movie stars
Tracked: November 15, 2006 06:47 PM
fat ass
Excerpt: brooke burke nude couple sex little girl sex male nude male nude
Weblog: fat ass
Tracked: November 15, 2006 10:18 PM
Rees
Excerpt: To strain at a gnat and swallow a camel... Rees
Weblog: Rees
Tracked: November 21, 2006 05:42 AM
Walter
Excerpt: Great talkers are little doers... Walter
Weblog: Walter
Tracked: November 24, 2006 09:55 AM
Dudley
Excerpt: It's as broad as it's long... Dudley
Weblog: Dudley
Tracked: November 29, 2006 03:31 AM
Dorothy
Excerpt: In every beginning think of the end... Dorothy
Weblog: Dorothy
Tracked: November 29, 2006 02:41 PM
Botolph
Excerpt: Good words without deeds are rushes and reeds... Botolph
Weblog: Botolph
Tracked: November 30, 2006 04:29 AM
Magdalen
Excerpt: First deserve and then desire... Magdalen
Weblog: Magdalen
Tracked: November 30, 2006 07:12 AM
Japanese Webcam
Excerpt: Live asian sex heart-stopping live asian sex asian upskirt voyeur grey-skied asian upskirt voyeur.
Weblog: Japanese Webcam
Tracked: January 21, 2007 07:16 PM
Bbw Webcam
Excerpt: Webcam sites for bbw memorial webcam sites for bbw free bbw webcams Sheer free bbw webcams.
Weblog: Bbw Webcam
Tracked: January 21, 2007 10:52 PM
9ca3ab1eb8f5a788d3c8
Excerpt: 9ca3ab1eb8f5a788d3c82ac72d6166fb9ca3ab1eb8f5
Weblog: 9ca3ab1eb8f5a788d3c82ac72d6166fb
Tracked: February 25, 2007 03:23 AM
buy carisoprodol
Excerpt:
Weblog: buy carisoprodol
Tracked: March 2, 2007 06:26 AM
buy paxil without prescription
Excerpt:
Weblog: buy paxil without prescription
Tracked: March 2, 2007 06:37 AM
phentermine diet pills
Excerpt:
Weblog: phentermine diet pills
Tracked: March 6, 2007 01:31 PM
buy phentermine
Excerpt:
Weblog: buy phentermine
Tracked: March 6, 2007 01:32 PM
cialis
Excerpt:
Weblog: cialis
Tracked: March 6, 2007 02:50 PM
hydrocodone apap
Excerpt:
Weblog: hydrocodone apap
Tracked: March 7, 2007 09:56 AM
does meridia work
Excerpt:
Weblog: does meridia work
Tracked: March 7, 2007 11:07 PM
hydrocodone
Excerpt:
Weblog: hydrocodone
Tracked: March 9, 2007 12:11 AM
tramadol hcl
Excerpt: news
Weblog: tramadol hcl
Tracked: March 19, 2007 11:41 PM
generic ambien
Excerpt: news
Weblog: generic ambien
Tracked: March 19, 2007 11:42 PM
buy ambien
Excerpt: news
Weblog: buy ambien
Tracked: March 19, 2007 11:42 PM
xanax
Excerpt: news
Weblog: xanax
Tracked: March 19, 2007 11:44 PM
generic xanax 2 mg no prescription
Excerpt: news
Weblog: generic xanax 2 mg no prescription
Tracked: March 19, 2007 11:45 PM
zithromax
Excerpt: news
Weblog: zithromax
Tracked: March 25, 2007 12:25 AM
didrex online
Excerpt: news
Weblog: didrex online
Tracked: March 25, 2007 12:29 AM
taking viagra with cialis
Excerpt: news
Weblog: taking viagra with cialis
Tracked: March 25, 2007 12:30 AM
Purchasing oxycontin without a prescription.
Excerpt: Oxycontin sales no prescription. Purchasing oxycontin without a prescription. Oxycontin no prescription. Oxycontin prescription.
Weblog: Oxycontin no prescription.
Tracked: November 15, 2007 07:44 AM
breast implant statistics
Excerpt: It is tiring trying to consider the hours we've invested looking for christian adoptions websites.
Weblog: breast implant statistics
Tracked: December 21, 2007 09:32 PM
Play lottery new york
Excerpt: The average fellow would believe spending the time to prepare websites on this topic is a waste of time.
Weblog: Play lottery new york
Tracked: December 22, 2007 04:08 AM
tallahassee hotel
Excerpt: The best way to dig up this info is to apply all means at your disposal.
Weblog: tallahassee hotel
Tracked: December 23, 2007 04:43 AM
ebook store
Excerpt: When you're surfing for china adoptions articles and info, be sure to use every one of the resources available.
Weblog: ebook store
Tracked: December 24, 2007 06:44 AM
money with clickbank
Excerpt: It can occasionally get effortful to extract the reliable international adoption text from the abominable.
Weblog: money with clickbank
Tracked: December 24, 2007 07:52 AM
search engine optimization tips
Excerpt: When you feel disheartened because of the daunting amount of time it takes to discover what you're looking for, relax because you're one step closer to your goal.
Weblog: search engine optimization tips
Tracked: December 24, 2007 03:34 PM
florida lotto numbers
Excerpt: The period of unlimitedly digging up original inclinations regarding this matter have ceased.
Weblog: florida lotto numbers
Tracked: December 24, 2007 05:25 PM
download borat the movie
Excerpt: We urge you to spend some added time checking out adopting a baby resources.
Weblog: download borat the movie
Tracked: December 24, 2007 07:02 PM
Last Minute Travel
Excerpt: Having a road to continual sources concerned with this is outstanding.
Weblog: Last Minute Travel
Tracked: December 24, 2007 08:42 PM
sat receiver digital
Excerpt: It can on occasion get demanding to separate the reliable intercountry adoption agency info from the abominable.
Weblog: sat receiver digital
Tracked: December 25, 2007 09:07 AM
forex system
Excerpt: Pages dealing with international rescue related data are appreciable.
Weblog: forex system
Tracked: December 25, 2007 01:57 PM
fitzpatrick hotel ny
Excerpt: The best foster adoption knowledge may take a bit of time to hit upon.
Weblog: fitzpatrick hotel ny
Tracked: December 25, 2007 06:07 PM
entrepreneur small business
Excerpt: The normal everyday user would might feel that investing the time to acquire webpages on this subject is a waste of money.
Weblog: entrepreneur small business
Tracked: December 25, 2007 07:38 PM
us online casino
Excerpt: It can frequently get strenuous to set apart the superior baby adoption agency evidence from the abominable.
Weblog: us online casino
Tracked: December 26, 2007 04:44 AM
Play washington mega millions
Excerpt: The most prudent plan of action is to do your research perfectly.
Weblog: Play washington mega millions
Tracked: December 26, 2007 01:46 PM
lesbian movie download
Excerpt: It is tiring striving to add the time we have used up looking up children in need webpages.
Weblog: lesbian movie download
Tracked: December 26, 2007 02:35 PM
The best top 40 hip hop songs
Excerpt: We are notably enthusiastic that you have stumbled onto this webpage dealing with wildlife rescue.
Weblog: The best top 40 hip hop songs
Tracked: December 27, 2007 02:21 AM
acne scar removal vancouver
Excerpt: Many times, you will become stunned by the massive amount of rescue squad intelligence realizable.
Weblog: acne scar removal vancouver
Tracked: December 27, 2007 05:08 AM
weight loss pills
Excerpt: It is necessary that you unveil the best sources.
Weblog: weight loss pills
Tracked: December 27, 2007 06:06 AM
foreign exchange
Excerpt: Top independent adoption agency material may take a little time to detect.
Weblog: foreign exchange
Tracked: December 27, 2007 01:57 PM
sample web design
Excerpt: Keep on the lookout for up to date information on this subject.
Weblog: sample web design
Tracked: December 27, 2007 07:11 PM
click here
Excerpt: When you're searching for birth mothers news and info, be sure to tap into every one of the sources at your disposal.
Weblog: click here
Tracked: December 28, 2007 12:28 AM
mp3 music to download
Excerpt: It can often times become wearisome to split up the superior great dane rescue data from the inadequate.
Weblog: mp3 music to download
Tracked: December 28, 2007 02:24 AM
new york cheap hotel
Excerpt: As cyberspace continues to pile up adoption agency photolisting webpages, we'll strive to recommend them to you.
Weblog: new york cheap hotel
Tracked: December 28, 2007 02:15 PM
naruto movie 3 download
Excerpt: Once you finally conceive this, you'll be able to research more readily.
Weblog: naruto movie 3 download
Tracked: December 28, 2007 09:02 PM
Phentermine no prescription cod.
Excerpt: Buy phentermine cod. Phentermine pharmacy cod shipping. Phentermine cod delivery.
Weblog: Phentermine pharmacies accepting cod.
Tracked: January 29, 2008 06:36 AM