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There's a saying in political circles that goes something like this: "Laws are like sausages - it is best not to see them being made."
The legislative process can be ugly at times. But so can direct democracy through the citizen-driving initiatives and referenda.
Such is the case this year with two sets of conflicting propositions on the November general election ballot.
Supporters of direct democracy - initiative, referendum and recall - like to go on about "The People." But the official role of the people in California's initiative process is limited.
The people give their signatures to paid petition circulators. And they vote on measures. That's it.
One consensus that emerged from the recent 2010 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy in San Francisco was this: the people should and could have a bigger role throughout the process.
“Do you trust the people?”
We had barely been seated at the restaurant when my guest fired off his query. I had asked him to lunch after a state capitol event, where he was advocating that Minnesota should trade its bicameral legislature for a unicameral, and I had been pitching the idea of establishing statewide initiative and referendum.
He was a little skeptical of initiative and referendum. I was completely certain that without the initiative his idea would never see the light of day.
By Jim Morford
As summer is officially underway we find ourselves as a nation about half-way through the process by which political parties select the candidates who will carry their banner into the fall General Election.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Bentley has a campaign ad that ends with this phrase: “Alabama needs a doctor.”
Our government needs to be cured of its ills, but it doesn’t need a doctor.
The medication to cure many, if not most, of the ills of our government is called “Initiative and Referendum.”
For some time now, Mike Gravel, a former Democratic Senator representing Alaska, has been advocating the National Initiative for Democracy (NI4D). It was, in fact, the main focus of his 2008 campaign for the U.S. presidency.
On April 30, Mike Gravel – who was a contender for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination in 2008 – took part in an interview on the online news show The Young Turks. Much of the interview focused on a television show Gravel is working to produce called “I Like Mike.” According to Gravel, it will be a satire with the premise that he has been elected president and the direct democracy which he advocates for has been implemented.
The long and divisive fight over U.S. health care reform exposed basic weaknesses in the processes of governance. As is so often true in American politics these days, politicians and lobbyists kept complex subjects to themselves, pushing expert discussion and systematic public debate to the sidelines. Although the final legislation expands coverage, and I favor it for that reason, it falls far short of the changes we need to lower costs and improve health outcomes.
It was 11 am and Evo Morales had turned a football stadium into a giant classroom, marshaling an array of props: paper plates, plastic cups, disposable raincoats, handcrafted gourds, wooden plates and multicolored ponchos. All came into play to make his main point: to fight climate change, "we need to recover the values of the indigenous people."
I usually don’t argue semantics, but in this case, it makes all the difference.
Alpine School District in Utah has recently witnessed a heated debate about a word in the district’s mission statement. The statement includes the phrase “Educating all students to ensure the future of our democracy.”
Concerned parents worry about the use of the word “democracy” in the mission statement. These parents rightly argue that our nation is not a democracy, but, rather, a republic.
Secession activist Kirkpatrick Sale will speak on "bioregional liberty and the proper care of the land" at Firestorm Café in downtown Asheville and at UNCA on Friday, April 9.
The talk at Firestorm — billed as "Secession is in the Air" — begins at 5 p.m. Sale will continue the conversation at UNCA as part of student-sponsored Greenfest activities, speaking on "Bioregionalism: Your Home As Your Country," at 7 p.m. in the Alumni Hall at the Highsmith University Union.
Critque of 2012: Libertarians
My thoughts
by Jay Wendt
(centrist)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
(Last updated: 04/05/10 7:03pm)
As I approach the final month of my undergraduate career at MSU, like so many others, I am reminded of the things since my freshman year. The experiences I have gone through will no doubt impact the rest of my life — whether positive or negative.
Is it time for America to become a true democracy? Government by representation is failing the American people.
Our representatives are not listening to the people they represent. If you write your representative, you receive no reply or a generic reply written by an aide with no content.
If we eliminate our representatives, Americans can save billions of dollars, if not trillions, that are being spent on private jets, pork barrel projects and special interest deals.
Published: Monday, March 1, 2010
Updated: Monday, March 1, 2010
Former Alaska senator and 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Mike Gravel spoke Monday night at Pruis to promote the National Initiative for Democracy and his upcoming comedy TV show.
Gravel’s main focus was the importance of national ballot initiatives to ensure that governmental power goes to the citizens instead of politicians or corporate interests.
Disgusted with the news, yet?
Heard enough about the sex-capades of politicians and celebrities?
Mad about bankers, credit card companies, bailouts and the stimulus yet?
Government debt got you down?
You are not alone.
According to a new Rasmussen poll, 75 percent of all Americans are angry about current government policies.
The Rebel Yell / Opinion / When Democratization fails to benefit society
In reply to Barry Light's letter "Dems Not Delivering" (Jan. 16), I'd like to remind Mr. Light and everyone else that the Ninth and 10th Amendments to the Constitution reserve ultimate power to the people - not to our politicians. That means we are not powerless against the minority elite who think they run things.
I read about how outraged President Obama was with the Supreme Court ruling that allowed corporate money into the election campaigns without limits. I too am outraged. This country, for decades has been run by special interests for special interests, the public be damned. That includes Barack Obama’s Administration and the current Congress.