As California's economy continues to struggle, a bipartisan group of business leaders and former politicians is looking to overhaul the Golden State's tax system on the 2012 ballot.  The group bills itself as the Think Long Committee, a union of business and political leaders that the LA Times says is joining forces to place a $10-billion tax increase on the November 2012 ballot.  Those involved are described in the Times' recent piece:

Why are there more independent voters today than perhaps ever before? Is it because people are fed up with the party first and the nation second mentality of incumbents?
Bill Miller, Missourian Editor 

As Occupy Wall Street demonstrations across the nation have started encountering resistance from city authorities, recent data from the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP) firm indicates that voters are less fond of the Occupy movement today compared to last month.

What is the conference?

The Independent Voter Project legislative exchange conference is an annual event that began in the 1980s. The goal of the conference is to bring together policy makers, policy experts, and business leaders to have the open and honest conversations.

In the United States, the political system is a very marginal affair. There are two parties, so-called, but they’re really factions of the same party, the Business Party.
Noam Chomsky (via katharoi)

We Asked, You Answered! is the first of a series of weekly polls. We want to hear from you! What does the term independent voter mean to you?

The results are in! And among the diverse set of answers we received, it seems one thing’s for sure: independent voters cannot be labeled. Some lean to the left, some to the right, but either way, independent voters are a group of independently minded, diverse, politically active citizens. Here’s what some people had to say: 

What is the conference?

The Independent Voter Project legislative exchange conference is an annual event that began in the 1980s. The goal of the conference is to bring together policy makers, policy experts, and business leaders to have the open and honest conversations.  These conversations are increasingly difficult to have around the capitol culture that rewards partisanship and punishes compromise.