News

• In the mail: Measure 2: A rare chance to cut your own taxes
• MANDAN, N.D. — Recently, Measure 2 officially was certified for the Nov. 4 ballot. Voters will have a historic opportunity to vote on guaranteed tax relief, thanks to the work of 65 North Dakotans who helped put Measure 2 on the ballot.   Every month, we hear new estimates of just how big the surplus will be. The latest number by the Office of Management and Budget pegs the projected surplus just less than $1.3 billion, with more than $450 million of that excess revenue occurring outside of the oil-tax windfall the state has enjoyed. Read the Rest...


• Despite breadth, Reform Michigan Government Now! ballot proposal isn’t too difficult to comprehend
• It would have been a great experiment in direct democracy. At the turn of the century, there was a politician by the name of William Jennings Bryan. He was called the Great Commoner because he claimed to represent that era's person on the street --Êor in those days, it was just as likely to be the person on the farm. Read the Rest...


• The best Ariz. democracy money can buy
• Arizona has the best democracy that money can buy. Or, it has the worst democracy that money can buy. It depends on how much money you have. Read the Rest...


• Success at LinuxWorld
• OVC can run elections with free software and inexpensive hardware. We can do it now for elections that don't require federal and/or state certification. This fact was demonstrated earlier this month in a very public way. Thanks again to everyone that helped make this happen. We were extremely busy up until the last minute before the event. We were still buying hardware at 9:00 pm before the polls opened 10:00 am the next morning. Read the Rest...


• The Palin Pick, and Alaska’s Direct Democracy
• Get ready, America, for a lesson in one of our country's strangest states. What makes Alaska so different? It's not just the cold and the empty landscape. Alaska is the only state in the union to have had direct democracy since its founding. The other 23 states with the ballot initiative adopted it long after they became states. Read the Rest...


• Can America Change the Mindset to War?
• Fighting terrorism will not be easy in this age of ours when the superpowers and their allies have all the necessary ammos to justify their terrorization of unarmed civilians while the have-nots have very little to lose through their mindless suicidal acts of vengeance or retribution. Read the Rest...


• Quinn: Climate of friction in Assembly obstructs taxpayer rights
• When he talks about his track record of striking nerves in Springfield, Pat Quinn comes off as more than slightly amused. Illinois’ lieutenant governor of five years, Quinn has become increasingly vocal in calling out the General Assembly, the Cook County Board and his own boss, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, for what he perceives as intrusions into taxpayer rights. Most recently he took issue with the Assembly’s plan to give themselves pay raises as Cook County taxes steadily creep upward. Read the Rest...


• Upholding Democracy Against Judges
• This November, Americans will of course select a new president. But some of the most pressing issues of our time will not be decided in that race. Rather, they will be decided at the state level with ballot initiatives. Read the Rest...


• GREENYA: Righteous anger From Alaska to Washington
• You have to admire a man who can stay mad for almost four decades. No matter how dedicated and fired up most of us may be initially, we cop out, wear out or burn out long before that. Not former Democratic Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska, again this year, long-long-shot presidential candidate. Mr. Gravel gets mad, usually for good reason, and then, eschewing the conventional wisdom, never gets over it. You gotta like the guy, and thanks to his able co-author, Joe Lauria, you gotta like his book. Read the Rest...


• Our President Should Support More Direct Democracy
• Representative government fails when corrupt politicians mostly serve corporate and other special interests. Then it is crucial for citizens to have direct democracy opportunities. This means having the right to place initiatives or referenda on ballots that can make new laws, amend constitutions, recall elected officials, or control taxes and government spending. Read the Rest...