I say no to any tests or qualifications to vote other than one must be here legally. No tax requirement or test to qualify. ------------------------ Keith Smith --- On Sun, 8/30/09, James Lee Bell wrote: > From: James Lee Bell > Subject: Re: Politics/Ethics: Operation PinWale - Obama Administration Seeks Emergency Control of the Internet > To: "Main PLUG discussion list" > Date: Sunday, August 30, 2009, 9:39 PM > Jason Spatafore wrote: > > Until the representatives are removed...we will > constantly struggle with > > this so-called Democracy. Technology has finally > caught up to where it > > can be used for a direct Democratic country with lower > costs than > > running elections every two years. Now is the time to > start > > implementing. > I rarely get involved in these discussions, preferring to > lurk, but this > is a very intriguing concept that *might* actually be > feasible and > achievable. All we have to do is figure out how to > accomplish absolutely > unhackable authentication without violating every right to > privacy we > hold dear.  Anybody want to hack that up by next > Thursday? :-) > > > And yes, my first vote is to eliminate paper ballots > and bar people > > without access to computers from elections. Sorry, a > computer is > > available almost everywhere you go. It's time to grow > with the times and > > move on. > I have to say I find this specific means-testing > inappropriate just > considering simple demographics. Have we even broken the > 50% threshold > of our eligible-to-vote citizens that could have access > beyond dial-up? > Hey, you want to computerize (*securely*) the collection of > votes in > such a way that folks in "flyover country (/sarcasm)" get > to use the > mechanism without owning the device and infrastructure, and > without the > yearly trip to Bethlehem, I'm right there with you. Give it > 25 years, > and maybe every citizen will have some level of computing > device to > participate. Until then... > > Just to take a philosophical hitch that'll probably > generate a reaction > to put me back in lurk mode, I absolutely think there > should be a simple > means test to earn voting rights: for the government entity > in which you > are about to vote (fed, state, city), have you paid taxes > to that entity > in x% of your eligible voting life (18+)? (asbestos > underwear engaged :-)). > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail > settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss