Political Action: 1/12/06 Palo Alto CA Considers REAL Election Reform

[autorank]

Palo Alto's Human Relations Commission has a meeting January 12, 2006 and will consider the Voters Confidence Resolution. See this message for details. (Council Conference Room, Palo Alto Civic Center, 7:00 p.m. Thursday 1/12)

This is the real deal. Palo Alto is a major, high tech hub of influence. If you're there, please attend.

Here's real election reform, GuvWurld's Voter Confidence Resolution:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

Because inconclusive results, by definition, mean that the true outcome of an election cannot be known, there is no basis for confidence in the results reported from U.S. federal elections; and

Be it also resolved:

The following is a comprehensive election reform platform likely to ensure conclusive election results and create a basis for confidence in U.S. federal elections:

1) voting processes owned and operated entirely in the public domain, and
2) clean money laws to keep all corporate funds out of campaign financing, and
3) a voter verified paper ballot for every vote cast and additional uniform standards determined by a non-partisan nationally recognized commission, and
4) declaring election day a national holiday, and
5) counting all votes publicly and locally in the presence of citizen witnesses and credentialed members of the media, and
6) equal time provisions to be restored by the media along with a measurable increase in local, public control of the airwaves, and
7) presidential debates containing a minimum of three candidates, run by a non-partisan commission comprised of representatives of publicly owned media outlets, and
8) preferential voting and proportional representation to replace the winner-take-all system for federal elections;

Be it further resolved:

When elections are conducted under conditions that prevent conclusive outcomes, the Consent of the Governed is not being sought. Absent this self-evident source of legitimacy, such Consent is not to be assumed or taken for granted.

[GuvWurld]

1. K&R

[freedomfries]

2. kick & rec

[GuvWurld]

3. !

[slay]

4. kick

n/t

[niallmac]

5. Our bought and paid in full congress cannot come up with

this kind of legislation. Good for Palo Alto.

[GuvWurld]

6. The thing about local resolutions is...

they don't have the weight of law and they're not necessarily binding. But they are a way to make very carefully worded statements reflecting the will of a community.

With the Voter Confidence Resolution (VCR) there is a specific strategy in play that is ultimately aimed at challenging the assumption that the government still has the Consent of the Governed. We start by pointing out that the Consent is not even sought.

What the VCR really seeks to do is shape national dialog around the frame "Has the Consent of the Governed been withdrawn, YET?" The more we ask this question, and the more communities that adopt the VCR, the closer we come to the answer inevitably switching from NO, to YES, the Consent of the Governed HAS been withdrawn. This is the place we need to get to.

See Blueprint For Peaceful Revolution for the bigger picture vision behind this plan, and see Guide to the Voter Confidence Resolution for abbreviated talking points and strategy overview.

[PATRICK]

7. Except in this case

is this "far out"? Socialistic? Unrealistic? One thing it isn't, it isn't in the DNC book as it should be from top to bottom of our legislative agenda. We have the people, we have the votes, protect the votes, side with the people. This is just a variation of a survival mantra that should be playing in their brains instead of the white noise planted there by corporate money and the Noise machine talking points.

And where those "inside" people lecturing us to be patient with HAVA, that eventually they would sort it all out? Instead it easily morphed into a virulent attack dog to impose real legislative devolution of the voting process by coercion, blackmail and disingenuous hand in greasy hand march of ignorance and greed. Ney, the crook, legislated deformation not reformation, power not principle. The Democratic party had better start grabbing something like this from its grass roots. After all, they keep telling they are waiting for the people to lead. Well, this is as good example to follow as any and it should go into every place where a Dem vote still counts and assault places where it doesn't.

[GuvWurld]

8. It's not about the Dems, its about We The People

It's also not necessarily about how many places pass the resolution. It is about our collective ability to shatter the assumption of Consent.

The VCR provides a vehicle for declaring non-recognition of this illegitimate government. Cities and Counties that adopt this resolution should be looking to go beyond just this rhetorical statement. They need to start engaging in actual acts of municipal civil disobedience. We've seen a little of this recently with Counties refusing to buy voting machines by the HAVA deadline. Also Utah prioritizing local education law over No Child Left Behind. This is a start.

In general, the message from We The People needs to be directed at local government and it needs to say, hey, you are hurting us by letting the federal government tell you what to do. Stop listening to them and stick up for your community. And with the VCR, we can start by defining our own reasonable outline of a secure election system.

So you see, the real aim of the VCR is to change the national dialog. We need to frame the discussion around what collection of conditions need to be implemented to ensure conclusive election outcomes, and create a basis for confidence. Also, the question needs to be repeated infinitely: Has the Consent of the Governed been withdrawn, YET? Ultimately it won't matter what exact number of communities adopt the resolution. If there are enough people cementing this frame we can catalyze peaceful revolution.

[PATRICK]

10. Of course

I am reminded of the populist wave at the end of the nineteenth century which was taken up by fed up ex-Republicans, weakly co-opted by Bryan and the Dems, buried by Hannah, revived after the Great Depression + War Democrats. After all that it is here we go again- and we can't afford a more spectacular sad rerun. We have to at the same time make specific demands of so-called people's representatives and especially a party whose head needs to be knocked against a wall before we are all put up against it.

But by all means, this local effort must be done in the abdication of civic responsibility by too many in the so-called "elected" leadership.

[GuvWurld]

9. !