Steele on Electoral Reform - Part 4: Voting for Issues

“Voters in all jurisdictions -the nation, states, counties, localities, school boards, water districts, etc.- shall all have the right to propose and vote on legislation, including amendments to constitutions, charters, etc., in parallel with representatives. Improvements over existing initiative processes should be included, such as the ones incorporated in the National Initiative for Democracy and now in use in Oregon.

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While tax reform might end earmarks and loopholes, the fact is that Congress and the White House cannot be trusted -- regardless of which side of the two-party tyranny is in power (one bird, two wings, no difference) -- to balance the budget or even authorize and appropriate funds based on reality, truth, and the public need.

At an absolute minimum, it is clear that the financing of anything that is national in scope needs a National Ballot Initiative, and a public vote. Wars and new entitlements should be voted on by the public.

As I write this the number of proposals for taxpayer-funded stadiums and other "nice to have" amenities for the 1% continue to emerge. I should be astonished, but as we learn from Deerhunting with Jesus, the 1% is not just in Wall Street and isolated pockets of Washington, D.C. -- 1% thieves of the public treasury and 1% betrayers of the public trust are "in charge" of planning and tax breaks and pollution waivers in every city and town and county and municipality across the country. Anywhere the public can be cheated, there is a thief waiting to abuse their public office.

The Global Class War is over. The 1% won by legalizing their atrocities and ignoring all laws they found inconvenient. The government, guilty of "Control Fraud" across the board, let them get away with looting both the public and the public treasury, over and over again. Clearly, what is left of the public treasury -- and the assumed right to borrow a trillion dollars a year "in our name" - cannot be delegated.

Griftopia: A Story of Bankers, Politicians, and the Most Audacious Power Grab in American History

Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It

The Global Class War: How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future - and What It Will Take to Win It Back

Learn More

Previous: Part 3: Voting for People

Next: Part 5: Debates

Full Series:

Introduction of a New Series

Part 1: Process

Part 2: Ballot Access

Part 3: Voting for The People

Part 4: Voting for Issues