By John Baer
Published February 26th 2006 in Philadelphia Daily News
I'm feeling depressed.
Partly because it's still February and I'm not on some sunny island; mostly because my state, nation and democracy seem particularly stagnant and pathetic.
Start with the leader of the free world worrying about gay marriages.
Are you kidding?
Even if there were no actual issues - the war and its aftermath, the economy and joblessness, health-care costs and the uninsured, urgent needs in urban education - spending one minute on this "issue" is a national embarrassment.
The president wants to amend the Constitution of the United States to "fully protect marriage."
From what? Makeovers?
Can there be a thinking person who sees this as anything other than a blatant sop to Bush's base? Can anyone anywhere call this leadership of "one nation"?
Is this being "a uniter, not a divider"?
Maybe someone should show him the section of his inaugural address in which he said, "And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity."
Did he mean unless and until it's useful to split the nation for diversionary reasons in an election year?
Then there's Pennsylvania. A new Keystone Poll shows that for the first time in nearly a decade, more people see the state on the "wrong track" than headed in the "right direction."
Maybe that's because Gov. Rendell said he'd deliver property-tax cuts, economic development and expanded gambling last year, then said he'd deliver such change by the end of this month.
That would be Sunday. Maybe someone should show him a calendar.
Change?
Pennsylvanians for Effective Government, a nonpartisan, pro-business group, notes that 96 percent of incumbent state lawmakers are seeking re-election. (And I suspect will find it.)
In the Senate, it appears only two members face primary challenges, and nearly a quarter, 24 percent, face no opposition even in the fall.
In the House it's worse. Nearly half, 45 percent, of those seeking re-election appear to have no opposition in primary or general elections.
This is what might safely be called affirmation of the status quo.
Not that it would matter.
Political participation isn't exactly a happening thing.
In Pennsylvania, "the cradle of democracy," the percentage of the voting-age population that actually votes in presidential elections has plummeted from a high of 70.3 percent in 1960 to 53.7 percent in 2000.
That, according to the Center for Voting and Democracy, puts us 25th in nation. Not so bad? Arkansas is fourth.
Worse, the United States - which certainly views itself as the world's greatest democracy - might want to reconsider bragging rights.
According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the United States places 140th among 163 democracies studied for voter turnout last decade.
The average U.S. rate was 44.9 percent, well behind the likes of France, Germany, Italy and (ready?) Russia.
Want change? Accountability? The deadline to register for the next election is March 29.
Hey, it's a start.
Partly because it's still February and I'm not on some sunny island; mostly because my state, nation and democracy seem particularly stagnant and pathetic.
Start with the leader of the free world worrying about gay marriages.
Are you kidding?
Even if there were no actual issues - the war and its aftermath, the economy and joblessness, health-care costs and the uninsured, urgent needs in urban education - spending one minute on this "issue" is a national embarrassment.
The president wants to amend the Constitution of the United States to "fully protect marriage."
From what? Makeovers?
Can there be a thinking person who sees this as anything other than a blatant sop to Bush's base? Can anyone anywhere call this leadership of "one nation"?
Is this being "a uniter, not a divider"?
Maybe someone should show him the section of his inaugural address in which he said, "And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity."
Did he mean unless and until it's useful to split the nation for diversionary reasons in an election year?
Then there's Pennsylvania. A new Keystone Poll shows that for the first time in nearly a decade, more people see the state on the "wrong track" than headed in the "right direction."
Maybe that's because Gov. Rendell said he'd deliver property-tax cuts, economic development and expanded gambling last year, then said he'd deliver such change by the end of this month.
That would be Sunday. Maybe someone should show him a calendar.
Change?
Pennsylvanians for Effective Government, a nonpartisan, pro-business group, notes that 96 percent of incumbent state lawmakers are seeking re-election. (And I suspect will find it.)
In the Senate, it appears only two members face primary challenges, and nearly a quarter, 24 percent, face no opposition even in the fall.
In the House it's worse. Nearly half, 45 percent, of those seeking re-election appear to have no opposition in primary or general elections.
This is what might safely be called affirmation of the status quo.
Not that it would matter.
Political participation isn't exactly a happening thing.
In Pennsylvania, "the cradle of democracy," the percentage of the voting-age population that actually votes in presidential elections has plummeted from a high of 70.3 percent in 1960 to 53.7 percent in 2000.
That, according to the Center for Voting and Democracy, puts us 25th in nation. Not so bad? Arkansas is fourth.
Worse, the United States - which certainly views itself as the world's greatest democracy - might want to reconsider bragging rights.
According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the United States places 140th among 163 democracies studied for voter turnout last decade.
The average U.S. rate was 44.9 percent, well behind the likes of France, Germany, Italy and (ready?) Russia.
Want change? Accountability? The deadline to register for the next election is March 29.
Hey, it's a start.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.