Why have state legislative assembly members based on neighborhoods?

[Boojatta]

Why not elect members to be officially associated with a given function of government or a given kind of law? For example, one function of government is to manage the formal education system and one kind of law is about roads and motor vehicles.

If voting in a state assembly on a particular issue were done only by representatives whose areas of responsibility include that issue, then it would be possible to make legislative progress on some matter of state level responsibility without needing to get authorization from a majority in a state assembly.

It would be sufficient that voting members of the general public who take an interest in some function of government or kind of law have elected members to handle that function of government or kind of law and that whatever kind of majority of those elected members that is required in a given vote within the assembly is actually achieved in the assembly.

[MineralMan]

1. I think they should be chosen by public, unarmed combat.

When only enough people needed to fill the positions are still standing, they win. The rest get hauled off in large ambulances.

By charging admission to these "elections" and holding them in large stadia, you could even pay some of the state's bills.

[Lasher]

2. No, chicken bones is the civilized way to go.

The Reader of the Bones wouldn't have to be subject to the electoral process since everybody knows them bones don't lie.

[Boojatta]

7. In your experience, do political campaigns focus primarily on policy issues?

Do you think that if a stranger appears to be generally trustworthy, then the stranger's judgments about specific policy issues are likely to meet with your approval?

Do you judge the status quo of law in your state to be so excellent that potential changes shouldn't occur unless they receive approval from people who aren't even interested in the potential changes, but who are worried about the possibility of negative media coverage, and the resulting public backlash from people who haven't even bothered to check the actual record of legislative proceedings, but who simply assume that a journalist's allegations, extrapolations, opinions, metaphors, and attitudes are worth repeating?

[Lasher]

16. No, political campaigns are inefficient.

Majority rule is such a bother. If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator.

[Boojatta]

17. Starting at the Original Post, how do you arrive at the topic of dictatorship?

What connection do you see between the Original Post and the topic of dictatorship?

[Lasher]

18. Oops, maybe I posted my reply in the wrong place.

Maybe I didn't.

[Boojatta]

19. Okay, perhaps you can explain the connection between the Original Post and chicken bones.

After you explain that, you can explain the connection between Post #7 in this thread and dictatorship.

[Lasher]

20. Why do you ask that?

:shrug:

[cali]

3. no thank you.

I want one rep I can go to with issues.

[Boojatta]

4. Does the one rep you can go to give indications of listening and understanding?

[cali]

5. yes. she's wonderful.

Lucy is doing a great job.

[LuvNewcastle]

6. In my state we already have a Superintendent

of Education and a Commissioner of roads, bridges, etc. In the legislature, the representatives and senators are divided up into committees, so they are able to gain some expertise in different areas. I think the system works pretty well even though there are a few things I would change about it.

[Boojatta]

8. What would you change?

[LuvNewcastle]

10. First of all, I'd like to get rid of mayors

in towns that have city managers. Also, I'd like to see at-large councilmen eliminated in towns that have mayors. There's a lot of duplication of services out there and we could save a lot of money if we got rid of some positions. Another thing: local education superintendents. We have several in my county of about 250,000 people. I think we could get by with one.

On the state level, I would like to see us have a unicameral legislature and eliminate some other posts, like Lt. Governor. That's just a few ideas which I think would streamline our government.

[Boojatta]

9. How much authority does the Superintendent of Education in your state have?

For example, does the the Superintendent of Education have authority to require that schools give each student two grades in each course, one grade for absence of misconceptions, and another grade for completeness of knowledge?

After all, there's reason to be concerned about a student who will become a doctor if the student has misconceptions about medical or pre-medical course content. Similarly, there's reason to be concerned about a student who will become a teacher if the student has misconceptions about subject areas the student will be in future teaching. Incompleteness of knowledge is a less serious concern, especially since we are talking about a student, and a student is still in the process of learning, and it tends to be easier to remedy incompleteness of knowledge than to remedy misconceptions.

[LuvNewcastle]

12. I think the state superintendent could

put such a plan in place if he/she wanted to. I don't know how long he'd keep his job if he chose to do that, though. That is a very interesting way to look at education and it would be nice if we had a system that could grade misconception and completeness.

[Boojatta]

14. "I don't know how long he'd keep his job if he chose to do that, though."

Are you suggesting that any significant change to the status quo of the formal education system in your state would require approval from a majority of the state level politicians in your state?

That is a very interesting way to look at education and it would be nice if we had a system that could grade misconception and completeness.

You might be interested in one of these threads:

Gaps in knowledge versus Misconceptions

Two marks for each course

If you have any comments, then I encourage you to post in at least one of those threads. Threads in GD are quickly archived, but threads in the Education forum survive long enough to give threads a chance to develop.

[LuvNewcastle]

15. Yes, that superintendent would have a rough time

indeed. He would hear it from the politicians, the parents, and even many of the teachers. This state abhors change, which is one reason I plan to leave as soon as I'm able. Thanks for the links! :)

[4lbs]

11. We already have that, they are called city councils.

City councils vote on legislative issues that affect just that city, as long as the only funds being used are the city's.

However, if you want to use a great deal of state funds to fix something in the city, or multiple cities, then the state assembly votes to approve that.

[Boojatta]

13. "We already have that"

For what functions of government or areas of law have you voted for a city council member? Please don't tell me that your only opportunity was to vote for a candidate who was running for a seat that is not associated with a function of government or an area of law, but that is simply associated with your neighborhood.

[4lbs]

21. The city council of my city decided a year ago to cut down on the days the city's public library was

open. The city budget crisis dictated such measures.

Before, the library was open 6 days a week. It dropped to 5 days. Now, it's only open 4 days a week.

The city council was the one that, about 6 years ago, decided to go with a new company for weekly garbage pickup for the entire city of 200,000.

The city council was the one that voted 8 years ago to approve funding to build a new, larger, more modern, police station. It was built across the street from the previous station, in what used to be a strip mall that was in existence for about 30 years. So, the local businesses in that mall had to be moved elsewhere first. Hearings were held and local residents and business owners were allowed to voice their opinions before it was approved unanimously. An agreement was reached with the businesses in the strip mall for proper relocation elsewhere.

My city's council is up for election every two years. Each year, we vote for two of them. There are 4 altogether, along with the mayor.

[Boojatta]

22. "Each year, we vote for two of them. There are 4 altogether"

Is there a dictator who appoints the two you cannot vote for?

[4lbs]

23. Uh, no, they are staggered, like the voting for Senators.

We have 4 city council seats, #1 through #4.

Seats #1 and #3 are voted on by the city populace, say in 2009, 2011, 2013, etc.

Seats #2 and #4 are voted on by the city populace in 2010, 2012, 2014, etc.

As I said, each seat comes up for re-election every two years.