8:01 movement ramps up

[Chom Noamsky]

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/no-second-chances-ndp-members-call-for-dix-s-resignation-1.1291405

[Eric�]

Chom Noamsky wrote...
>
> http://bc.ctvnews.ca/no-second-chances-ndp-members-call-for-dix-s-resignation-1.1291405

I wonder if these people ever had the idea enter their heads that maybe people are
just sick and tired of politicians period? Same with the pundits and the usual
idiots in the media attacking the electorate for not voting. Did that thought ever
cross their minds?

After all, the BC Liberals won with a whopping 21.8 percent support from eligible
voters.

What bothers me is that the decline in many jurisdictions seems stalled at around
50%. Why is this? What would happen if only 40% turned out to vote?

[Chom Noamsky]

I imagine it's because younger people don't have an app to vote with
their iPhones.

[Eric�]

Chom Noamsky wrote...

Maybe there should be one; who knows. It's tough to blame the young 'uns when BC
has one of the highest median age populations in Canada, though. Alberta got about
the same result last election with one of the lowest.

[M.I.Wakefield]

"Ericￜ" wrote in message
news:MPG.2c0729cbc...@news.eternal-september.org...

Ask someone from L.A. ... 19% of them showed up to elect a mayor on Tuesday.

The last Federal election with over 70% turnout was in 1988 ... the four
elections this millennium have averaged 61.4%.

There are some things that might help turnout ... elections held on
Saturdays and Sundays ... fines for not presenting yourself at the poll.

Then again, maybe it does all come down to believing that the vote matters:
it was the Free Trade election in 1988 that had 75.3% turnout, and the
Falkland Islands had a referendum this spring with 92% turnout.

[Eric�]

M.I.Wakefield wrote...

>
> "Ericￜ" wrote in message
> news:MPG.2c0729cbc...@news.eternal-september.org...
>
> > Chom Noamsky wrote...
> > >
> > > http://bc.ctvnews.ca/no-second-chances-ndp-members-call-for-dix-s-resignation-1.1291405
> >
> > I wonder if these people ever had the idea enter their heads that maybe
> > people are
> > just sick and tired of politicians period? Same with the pundits and the
> > usual
> > idiots in the media attacking the electorate for not voting. Did that
> > thought ever
> > cross their minds?
> >
> > After all, the BC Liberals won with a whopping 21.8 percent support from
> > eligible
> > voters.
> >
> > What bothers me is that the decline in many jurisdictions seems stalled at
> > around
> > 50%. Why is this? What would happen if only 40% turned out to vote?
>
> Ask someone from L.A. ... 19% of them showed up to elect a mayor on Tuesday.

"Let's stop this '19 percent turnout' meme right now"
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2013/05/lets_stop_this_19_percent.php

It's 24%, dammit!

> The last Federal election with over 70% turnout was in 1988 ... the four
> elections this millennium have averaged 61.4%.
>
> There are some things that might help turnout ... elections held on
> Saturdays and Sundays ... fines for not presenting yourself at the poll.

I used to object to that idea; now not so much. As long as voters are allowed to
reject their ballots and have that counted, why not? A box for NOTA would be good.
Bottom line is that people need to be engaged with the people wanting enormous power
over their lives - even if it's only once every few years.

But how far can you go in enforcing the responsibilities of voters when the people
standing for election have absolutely none?

> Then again, maybe it does all come down to believing that the vote matters:
> it was the Free Trade election in 1988 that had 75.3% turnout, and the
> Falkland Islands had a referendum this spring with 92% turnout.

I think that's the crux of it. There's often a machine with an agenda that
frequently has little or nothing to do with what the electorate wants. The puppets
out front pretend to pose different options for voters, but in reality, it doesn't
matter who people vote for - the outcome will be the same. Americans are
discovering that now with their current administration.

[Barry Bruyea]

In municipal elections, the 40% or less was reached long ago, which is
one of the reasons that level of government is becoming more useless
and incompetent everyday and more expensive for taxpayers as the
Sunshine list gets longer every year, way over the inflation rate.

[M.I.Wakefield]

"Ericￜ" wrote in message

news:MPG.2c073fe4b...@news.eternal-september.org...

> M.I.Wakefield wrote...
> >
> > "Ericￜ" wrote in message
> > news:MPG.2c0729cbc...@news.eternal-september.org...

> > > What bothers me is that the decline in many jurisdictions seems
> > > stalled at
> > > around
> > > 50%. Why is this? What would happen if only 40% turned out to vote?
> >
> > Ask someone from L.A. ... 19% of them showed up to elect a mayor on
> > Tuesday.
>
> "Let's stop this '19 percent turnout' meme right now"
> http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2013/05/lets_stop_this_19_percent.php
>
> It's 24%, dammit!

Time magazine is spreading the 19% number ... I saw one weird explanation
for low turnout: because of the odd geography, people may be unsure whether
or not they actually live in the city of L.A.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LA_County_Incorporated_Areas_Los_Angeles_highlighted.svg

> > The last Federal election with over 70% turnout was in 1988 ... the four
> > elections this millennium have averaged 61.4%.
> >
> > There are some things that might help turnout ... elections held on
> > Saturdays and Sundays ... fines for not presenting yourself at the poll.
>
> I used to object to that idea; now not so much. As long as voters are
> allowed to
> reject their ballots and have that counted, why not? A box for NOTA would
> be good.

I had other ideas ... but disabling cable TV and/or all PC operating systems
until you enter the code you get at the polls would just be too troublesome.

> Bottom line is that people need to be engaged with the people wanting
> enormous power
> over their lives - even if it's only once every few years.

People have become too disconnected from their representatives: more MPs,
smaller ridings, much smaller salaries, less time in Ottawa.

After moving a couple of years ago, I have no idea who my MP is ... but I do
keep getting householders from the MP for the next riding over.

> But how far can you go in enforcing the responsibilities of voters when
> the people
> standing for election have absolutely none?
>
> > Then again, maybe it does all come down to believing that the vote
> > matters:
> > it was the Free Trade election in 1988 that had 75.3% turnout, and the
> > Falkland Islands had a referendum this spring with 92% turnout.
>
> I think that's the crux of it. There's often a machine with an agenda
> that
> frequently has little or nothing to do with what the electorate wants.
> The puppets
> out front pretend to pose different options for voters, but in reality, it
> doesn't
> matter who people vote for - the outcome will be the same. Americans are
> discovering that now with their current administration.

We've had a couple of decades of managers as PMs, and good management is a
good thing, but when was the last time a party ran on a "big idea"?

Oh yeah ... Stephane Dion ... Green Shift ... never mind.

[M.I.Wakefield]

"Ericￜ" wrote in message

news:MPG.2c073fe4b...@news.eternal-september.org...

> M.I.Wakefield wrote...

> > There are some things that might help turnout ... elections held on
> > Saturdays and Sundays ... fines for not presenting yourself at the poll.
>
> I used to object to that idea; now not so much. As long as voters are
> allowed to
> reject their ballots and have that counted, why not? A box for NOTA would
> be good.

And if "None of the Above" wins, a by-election with the first slate of
candidates excluded.