Voting Rights

The only way to fix things is to stop feeding the beast.
That won't happen.

 

Maybe if you fed them more atomic number 82...

 

Nah too much work. We should be like the Russians, and feed them element 84 in their afternoon tea.

 

Yeah, but that is dismissed as "white flight", or some other race related explanation. It is St Louis, afterall.

 

How many millions of people would have to move to California in order to vote the state out of its current shit hole status.

 

There are reasons they left, and there are reasons they're not coming back. I can't change the past, but I can propose ideas that might improve the situation in the future. Allowing those people that do not live there (yet), but have a vested interest in the area via owning or working at a business, to have a voice in the community would be the best way to improve the community as a whole.

 

Once you've killed the goose it's tough to find another.

 

Improving the community as a whole would also start by absorbing all these little fiefdoms that neighborhoods have become in St Louis County. And consolidate the St Louis County tax base to improve everyone. But, that's not going to happen. Too many people are vested in running their little city, lining their pockets with local revenue. St Louis County also recalls St Louis City becoming it's own county, and refusing to share revenue with STL County. Because the city was doing great business at the time. Now that it's the other way around, The County doesn't want to be dragged down by the failing City. This doesn't even touch how much of the workforce has crossed the river into St Charles county to live in the past 10+ years. So they're even further out of City, and STL County pocket.

I don't know if your idea of non-local folks influencing things just because they do business there, will fly. With all the hubub about "external influenecers" in elections already, your idea could be lumped in with that panic. Rightly or wrongly. It'd be a delicate negotiation to get it started.

 

I wish we could go to if you don't pay taxes you don't get to vote. Never happen though as we are taught the Republic is a democracy and have been for a long while. Shoot I will even get someone claiming they are equivalent LOL.

 

Who doesn't pay a tax in some form or fashion though? Everyone pays a sales tax at some point - gas, clothing, or something else. Unless you're homeless, and they're probably not voting much anyway.

 

Since it's been a while since I've been in school, I seem to remember that back in the day only land owners could vote, and that's horse shit. There should only be 3 criteria to meet in order to vote, 18 years of age, Proof of US citizen, not a felon.

 

Never seen a person use an EBT card then reach into their pocket for change to pay for the sales tax.

 

You use EBT for gas and/or clothing?

Your example is entirely too narrow. Everyone pays a tax at some point, some way. Yes, some pay less than others, and some abuse what they get, but not everyone, and no one avoids paying all tax.

 

OK, let's go with property or income tax for argument's sake.

 

Property tax applies to homeowners and real estate investment owners only. They don't even have to live in the state or the country.

Income tax doesn't exist in every state, so anyone who rents (and may even have a high income/pay a high rate of sales tax or other tax). Sure, you could say "federal" income tax, but then you have to contend with people who live outside the country who pay no federal income tax, and then you have the whole problem that voter registration is done locally, not federally.

 

Just so I'm not only being argumentative. I'd advocate for voting to be scored, based on one's understanding of the issues and candidates. You pass a quiz or civics test or some knowledge-based task related to government or the election, your vote counts. If you have no idea what candidates stand for, or don't understand the issue, your vote should be thrown in the garbage. You don't have to have money to be a good citizen, but acting in good faith would restore some legitimacy to things.

 

When Amazon can determine when I am on my computer and what ads to show when I check my email and Facebook is working on software to predict where I will be in the near future based on friends' activities, the "challenges" you mention seem to be less than child's play.

 

The problem is that this entire thing is based on some $ figure, not one's desire for a better outcome. There are some real quantifiable morons voting, and this bases things purely on whether or not they put a dollar in a bucket somewhere.

 

IIRC the literacy tests were ruled to be discriminatory. I don't think you would have much success implementing anything any of us has suggested, but a competency test would definitely be out since even possessing an ID is portrayed as a hardship by some.

 

Yeah, I mostly agree. But as with everything that involves human nature, "skin in the game" is critical to avoiding mob rule.

To me, this is most clearly demonstrated in the national parks system. Advocacy groups ask for donations and for letters to my congressman. Park officials complain about lack of funding and overcrowding. Then, they just give away the resource to foreign tourists who have a shit ton of money, as demonstrated by their ability to fly here. Meanwhile, the people who do fund these places just wait in line.