tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post2934995181182311078..comments2024-03-22T16:02:08.213-05:00Comments on The Wheel: Brain FartsMark Stegerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-42854416375314249012013-02-08T08:16:41.979-06:002013-02-08T08:16:41.979-06:00Reminder: Unsigned comments are subject to deletio...Reminder: Unsigned comments are subject to deletion. First names, initials or other incomplete identification is not sufficient, nor is using an online account identified by an alias.Mark Stegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-26608144220881272012013-02-08T08:05:04.227-06:002013-02-08T08:05:04.227-06:00Made up nonsense definitely needs to be let go and...Made up nonsense definitely needs to be let go and unmined!Sassy Texanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00498774040581968874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-33091358469263167902013-02-07T23:09:55.433-06:002013-02-07T23:09:55.433-06:00Bill, you struck a rich vein with that reply, one ...Bill, you struck a rich vein with that reply, one that I'll let go unmined. :-)Mark Stegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-46568164040117967192013-02-07T17:59:03.350-06:002013-02-07T17:59:03.350-06:00Now, Alan North wants to increase the use of the r...<br />Now, Alan North wants to increase the use of the referendum in Richardson, too. He's introduced a petition drive to take away the City Council's power to elect the mayor and give that power directly to voters. Who can be against letting the voters decide?<br /><br />John Doe gave a tart response to what another reader called North's "pandering to his Tea Party base":<br /><br />"We already have a say in these salaries. It's called getting off your lazy butt and voting for the councilmembers who elect the mayor. North should have run for Council if he was so concerned - but wait, he did, only he never showed up!"<br /><br />Representative democracy, where voters elect representatives to study issues and render reasoned judgment, is generally better than pure democracy, where details like the mayor's duties are put directly to the voters, few of whom have any understanding what a mayor even does. Proof of the inferiority of direct election is the fact that 2/3rds of the residents who signed the petition for the Charter change to directly elect the mayor had never voted in a municipal election in Richardson. Say no more. ;-)<br /><br /><br />Both arguments make perfect sense...clearly, the people who couldn't elect the mayor that they wanted finally decided to change the rules of the game to see if that helps...<br /><br />Billmccalpinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02768191960822864278noreply@blogger.com