Billionaires Are Busy Subverting California's Once-Great System of Direct Democracy

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Roy Ulrich

Billionaires Are Busy Subverting California's Once-Great System of Direct Democracy
The public has lost all control of the initiative process in the Golden State.

October 22, 2012 |


A few months ago, I attended a large political gathering where a gentleman was handing out flyers which read, “Abolish the Congress and replace it with direct citizen voting by phone or television.”

A few days later, a newly-arrived transplant to Southern California wrote a letter to The Los Angeles Times . He said he was mystified by California’s method of writing and enacting laws by ballot initiative. He wondered what happened to the concept of laws being written by elected legislators.

The flyer and the letter represent polar opposite views about direct versus representative democracy.

The major complaint I hear about the initiative process is that it is dominated by those very interests it was originally designed to overcome. For one thing, proponents write them as a wish list. Unlike the legislative process, which involves hearings, debates and compromise, drafters of initiatives often write extreme measures representing their own agenda in the hopes of boosting profits, raising their own political profile, or for simple ego gratification. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/billionaires-are-busy-subverting-californias-once-great-system-direct-democracy

[temporary311]

1. Didn't this "great system"

allow a slight majority of voters to take away the civil rights of a minority? That was a perfect example of the "Tyranny of the Majority," I'm not really a fan of this particular system.

[gcomeau]

2. Once Great???" That system was *always* a disaster waiting to happen.

Attempting direct democracy in a state with over 37 million people in it is moronic. The general population will pay enough attention to a few high profile initiatives that most of the votes cast on it may be halfway well informed... but most of them? Whoever has the deepest pockets for ad buys will rule the public perception.

Direct democracy is great in principle... if you're trying to govern a small town. Like, 50 people in it small.

On a state or nation level it simply breaks down. The logistics of it don't work.

[cognoscere]

3. It's not just California. N/T

[Initech]

4. Excuse me while I go get my pitchforks and torches.