rolandpericles

Eye could knot agree Moore. Joust the other day, eye said two Hortense, "Hortense, eye halve bin preying four reign, butt the sky is as sunny as ever." She said, "Roland, why don't ewe joust shut up?" Distractedly, Roland Pericles

Adam, Thank you. I saw the program and I was not disappointed. I didn't fully understand Lessig's idea of a citizen funded campaign, but if it is as Gillespie said, where his tax dollars will fund a candidate he would not vote for, I am with Gillespie. However, Lessig has his finger on a problem that is not yet clear to most people: the lack of the citizen's confidence in America's institutions. This is a very serious issue. I lived under a regime for over 30 years (in Brazil) where the people did not have respect for the government institutions. But the institutions maintained their position by the police and the armed forces. At times it was a free-for-all. It was far easier to get things done by bribery than it was by justice. If you were out of bribery funds, you were out of luck. Well, not really. You were only out of luck if you got caught since nobody obeyed many of the laws. Brazil has not turned into an armed uprising because Brazilians are wonderful people. But being wonderful people is not a very good political principle. Disrespect for government institutions has turned really ugly in other countries. I believe it would here, too. American heroes are really violent when they need to be. It is interesting to note that both Gillespie and Lessig agreed on the corruption problem, and even the essential nature of the problem. They just didn't agree on the solution. As to my view, I would not mind one restriction against corporations for campaign financing. In my formulation, a corporation that is a government supplier under contract would not be eligible to make campaign donations. And I would make it a felony for another company to front for such a company. That would blow a lot of BS out of the water. Conflict of interest is a legitimate concern. As to the issue of campaign financing being one of the reasons for the current poor reputation of Congress, I think Lessig is off the mark. It may be a minor reason, but certainly not all that important. The "business as usual" porkbarrel form of passing laws has done far more PR damage than any election practice, except, maybe Acorn's monkey-shines. Michael Michael: My pleasure. Your campaign idea is similar to a law that I had drafted almost thirty years ago Essentially, there would be no limits, but the "contributions" would have to be filed with the respective jurisdictional entities, e.g., town, city, county, state, federal board(s) of elections. I designed the legal scheme in the obverse, by banning any corporation and or individual who made "contributions" from contracts or employment, in any capacity, by any level of the government, during their term(s) of office. I would extend it to family and friends, but that part might not stand up to legal review. Additionally, as to the felony part, any elected official who is convicted of graft, bribery, influence pedaling, etc. would receive a minimum sentence of life imprisonment. I have a major problem with the death penalty except for treason and child molestation. One strike and you are out. As you note this aspect has this Republic dangling by a thread. I have to admit that there is a rage building in me and I see it with a lot of substantial folks and it is growing exponentially. I have always taken your Brazilian narratives very seriously. I agree that Americans are quite dangerous in this area. We are cowboys at heart. I have absolutely no trust in government at any level. I have served in it at different levels and ways. It is a failed scheme. Those chickens that Fidel and the Reverend "Wrong but who wants to be" Wright said were coming home to roost are going to be quite savage. I am very sad for my beloved country. Adam Eye my self hate influence pedaling. Won day knot long a go, eye was peddling my bicycle over two the Burke Lee campus too get a cup of coffee at the student coffee shop when watt two my wandering I should a peer butt a common pedaler sitting behind a table on Telegraph Avenue trying too cell influence two passing students. Eye was sew shocked eye all most wrecked my bike. Sum thing kneads two bee dun. Distractedly, Roland Pericles