BCS, American Idol, and Connecticut Referendum: Truth in Voting

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is a system used by the College Bowl owners to determine which teams should play in which college bowl. Before BCS the Rose Bowl was considered at one time to be the final determination of which team is the national champion.Under old rules the sports writers, coaches , and others made this decision using real data and secretive subjectivity to categorize teams and make the matchups. BCS added a "computer algorithm" to add more logic (and mystery) to this process to legitimize the outcomes. With "sports junkie" activity now in Congress and preferences expressed by the President himself, it seems that a congesssional inquiry may reveal how much "truth" there is in all this and why a "bracketology based" extensive playoff season is needed.

While sports fans debate the merits of all this, one can only imagine how this may affect the grades of players in college who are supposed to be studying. With a prolonged season they may never go to class. It is also questionable if the existing system or any improvements would satisfy the most rabid fans, but nobody asked them. Sports elites make all the rules and apply their "black box" formula to choose the champion. No voice for fans who pay for all this and add to the enjoyment of watching the game.
American Idol is a very popular variety show and entertains millions of viewers worldwide. Ambitious, dreamy contestants come from all over and go through a series of selection filters in the audition process months before the airing of the live TV program.This practice eliminates many "artists" from the list before the shows multi night airings with procedures designed to bring the best short list to the TV program.Over a few weeks these finalists are weened weekly until the final show when the winner is selected.
The process, as depicted, allows viewers to vote with their cell phones by calling a unique number for each contestant to express their choice. The purist may question how each vote or cell call is treated when multiple calls from the same cell or phone number are made.It is also bewildering how the computer/phone handling system may track such a large volume and tabulate the results without losing a call (vote), to say nothing of suspicions regarding the audit trail of this complex. The true skeptic wonders where the fraud begins and ends. There are ways to block calls made from the same cell or phone number after the first call placing the the single allocated vote. THere are firms that can certify the accuracy and integrity of such a system to assure the most suspicious, like myself.
But , hey, this is show biz and entertainment. Not one man one vote.Not a democracy.
A Voter Referendum process for Connecticut would allow the voting public to "up or down" a proposed law or change to an existing law as is common practice in many states.Voter registration lists are used to authenticate only those allowed to vote. The process is clearly defined, accurate and can be tracked to insure integrity.One man, one vote, for all. We don't need to invent or purchase anything to make this happen.
There is no better way to get the input of all to determine the will of the people and their wishes to make Connecticut a better place to live. No elites, no filters, no questions of integrity, all data and information is transparent and is considered by all to make the decision.We don't need elites to decide what we need and dictate that through arrogant laws.
In the 2009 legislative session when a Voter Referendum bill was proposed, no public hearing was held and the bill died. This 2010 session has seen extensive discretionary debate over Sunday sales of liquor that could have been applied towards this important topic.
Hey, you could call your legislator and tell him what you want. Will he listen?

For additional comments on this topic please view my blog history;
1. April 1, 2009, Who Speaks for Connecticut?
2. March 21, 2009, Voice of Anonymity
3. March 24, 2009, Term is Up!

Question the Candidates, Vote by their Answers

In the upcoming election saga you may want to take the time to pose a series of questions that require simple yes or no answers from the candidates.Open ended questions are never really answered and if you leave any opening for discussion or interpretation you basically play into the hands of those gifted to be glib or non-committal in their response. Do yourself and others justice with a single direct question that merely requires a simple yes or no.
If you are really clever you may construct some series that demonstrates inconsistency or illogical thinking on the part of the candidate. A contradiction can easily occur to an earlier response if there is doubt on the part of the candidate or he can't remember what he said only minutes ago. Or, on a more positive note, you can see just how far a candidate may go on an issue or what may be considered negotiable by the candidate as a compromise with others is needed. Once in office the deal making becomes more obscure and lost in the party politics but at least you can see how they may respond to a particular issue that is dear to you.
You are not asking them to defend a position, because you want to know now their promise, their committment, and how they will vote. You are in cpntrol of the question and they must convince you to vote for them.
Below are some of my favorites that represent crusades I have written about on this blog site.
1. Would you sponsor or support legislation to establish term limits for elected and appointed officials?
2. Would you sponsor or support a direct referendum option for Connecticut to allow its citizens a democratic approach to initiate or change legislation via a direct voter initiative?
3. Would you sponsor or support legislation to amend the State of Connecticut Constitution to redefine the so called "budget cap" wording to fix the misunderstandings now in contention?
4. Would you sponsor or support legislation to provide the State's accounting information as a Freedom of Information service to the public? Such a service must offer the State's check register to identify payee, date, amount, and purchase order reference that also correlates to the originating agency. Trust me, this is a treasure trove!
5. Would you sponsor or support legislation to eliminate or cap the overtime "excess" that is often applied to the last 3 years of employment for calculation of pension?

Be bold and go forth where politicians fear to tread!

Appeals and Petitions

In the November 2008 Connecticut election the voters authorized a Constitutional amendment proposed by the legislature to allow 17 year olds to vote in State primaries if they turn 18 by the next election, November 2, 2010. This means that all 17 year olds should register NOW to vote.This will enable you to vote in (one or more depending upon party rules} primaries to be held in 2010. You can then also vote in the general election.
In the mean time, to exercise your new found freedom to vote why not become politically active by starting a petition to change the State's Constitution? My one day school wide (400 kids) civil sit down boycott of the high school cafeteria eliminated the daily repetitional use of raisins and peanut butter from the federal foods program. We did not have choice of menu as is the case today and a daily dose over an extended period of culinary creations for the same price was just too much to bear. Who would have known you could make so many things from these two ingrediants? One day and one detention later the menu was fixed.To this day I often wonder if I suffered long term effects and whatever happened to all those raisins and peanut butter? My mother would say the hungry children in China got the surplus.
In this petition you can cite the need for laws that you think are worthy with such examples as:
1. Choice of online education option for courses you need or would like to take and get credit in your local district.
2. The ability to play a sport or join an after school group in another district because your school does not have such a program.
3. The ability to take a course elsewhere for credit assuming transportation is available and scheduling permits.
4. More vacation. shorter days, no homework,... NO NO NO!!!!!!!!

Your petition would cite the need for a voter initiative in Connecticut for citizens to have direct democracy. Proposing legislation for consideration under guidelines to insure its legality and its up or down vote in a statewide referendum allows all voters to participate in government.The roots of our country started in Connecticut with the first Constitution (read the history) and this voter referendum puts the power in the hands of the people, directly.
Grab your history teacher, student activists, school newspaper and others to get this going. The petition needs authenticated signatures which can be accomplished with the local town registrar of voters. The target date is Ground Hog Day. Will he see the shining city of light on the hill as so described by Ronald Regan where the rest of the world looks to our beacon of hope for definition of freedom or will he see the darkness and shadow of the Berlin Wall that kept freedom out and the people in to be ruled under tyrants?

The Common Good, Justice, and Reason

You have come to this blog site because you are interested in Connecticut politics. Lots of possible discussions on topics that are worthy of attention.You may agree or disagree but at least you are researching and thinking to become more informed as a voter and responsible citizen.
A website has emerged in September 2009 that reminds us of our American heritage and justification for our country's values as so eloquently described in the Declaration of Independance.The website content is not lengthy, but provides a discussion of natural philosophy and the relevance to contemporary political activity and theory of government in recent times as practiced in the United States. Martin Luther King's civil disobediance is also recognized as an underlying change agent that has been applied to achieve social justice and the will of the people.
The Manhattan Declaration document is likely to become a rallying point in the near future and next election. Visit www.manhattandeclaration.org

Time to Petition the Connecticut Legislature

In the Connecticut 2009 session of the Legislature there were numerous attempts by the towns and cities (local government) to seek property tax relief and moratoriums on mandates to balance their budgets.With little debate and less fanfare local government officials were dismissed, sometimes with little sympathy. The delay of the budget ultimately cost towns additional fees for borrowing while the budget was in impasse.
All of this rancor and lack of collaboration to give the voters at least a voice at the table in the form of those closest to them, local government. Still no action but rather a shift in reminding everyone of who is really in charge, the legislature, as if there were any doubt.The timing of the tea parties and the town hall meetings around the country also serve as an indicator of what is going on in case you forgot.They know best. They have the elitist knowledge to do the right thing. They prevail. You are not heard.
Towns are small. They are represented by the Legislature but town boundaries per house district and overlaps with other towns often conflict and contradict the local wishes of each town and its unique identity. Out of touch with towns, legislators render them useless in actually influencing state priorities. Increased burdens with few options allowed by legislators make the towns as an overall force for change irrelevant.
After many years of probate court mischief the powers in Hartford finally took action to solve the local court system problems.The budget problems nudged the State to take action.Some time later the towns ultimately created a consensus among themselves and agreed upon a formula without a mandate.Proof of town to town cooperation, perhaps under threat of mandate to come from Hartford, but an agreement none the less. Most importasntly, an example of towns cooperation with each other to fix the system, maintain service levels, and provide a cost effective solution for each town.
Based upon this success it would seem that the power of legislation initiated by towns as a statewide referendum could address a variety of issues including:
1. Establishing common interest infrastructural changes to represent fair and equitable educational disbursements
2. Addressing mandates that are not necessary for all towns of all sizes
3. Provisioning towns with shared or individualized resources to address selected mandates
4. Providing statewide bonding access by towns to the state's borrowing authority

In short, allowing towns to use legislation to address common local needs without the interferences of a statewide agenda exercised and imprinted by the legislature could be a useful tool. Especially in those cases when appeals to the legislature go unheeded and their ears go deaf.
The local town political party committes (Independants are welcome also) could start a petition drive to gather signatures soliciting voter interest in seeking a constitutional change to allow "voter initiative" and statewide referendums. Where local officials often use this technique,budget approvals for example, it is a rare occurance on a statewide basis.
With local political parties involvement such a campaign could then aggregate the local signed petitions certified by the local voter registrar for presentation to the legislature.It is not a given that the statewide political leadership would endorse such a project due to the threat to its power, but that is the whole point.
Nobody is listening to the local voters. The petition only proposes to the legislature that such a constitutional change is needed. With the outcry of the people appealing for grass roots democracy how could the legislature not listen? The revolution has just begun!

Referendum for Referendums

In Connecticut the legislature has the power to to initiate an amendment to the Constitution without consulting the public but requiring public ratification.It was done in November 1992 to define a budgetary spending cap methodology to limit legislative spending. This has not proven to be adequate to constrain or limit spending and seems to have lost its purpose considering Connecticut's current 2009 budgetary dilemma. The amendment as stands, lacks clarity,definitions, realistic procedures, and allows manipulation to the point of rendering the amendment useless and ineffective.
The fraud continues as in November 2009 the citizens are facing a saga of budgetary crisis when the legislature did not make the hard decisions and rolled them to a future day during the 2009 session and passed a budget with gimmicks and borrowing. Nobody could agree on the "Revenue Forecast" was often cited as an excuse and required by the spending cap constitutional amendment. Knowing full well that this was not a "balanced budget" means the legislature is guilty of intentionally violating the spending cap so ill-defined by them in the constitution. They are immune from prosecution, but will face voter wrath in November 2010.
If they cannot or will not do what is necessary it is essential for the people to speak, take control, and do the right thing. With legislative authority and a favorable popular vote in November 2010 the constitution can be re-amended to provide a much needed set of parameters, definitions, priorities and boundaries to finally cap the budget and insure a more meaningful spending limit. When such a referendum is placed before the voters in 2010 everyone has a chance to fill the definition void and make concrete decisions about what is best for Connecticut.Consider this an "appeal referendum" now for the legislature to allow a voter referendum so the citizens can clean up this mess and move the state towards fiscal responsibility.This action should be a test for candidates seeking office who should not get a vote if they do not support voter referendums.
Under the current constitution adopted in 1965 and amended 30 times since, it is a 2 step process to make amendments:
1. Both houses of the legislature must first pass a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment by a 3/4 majority in each chamber
2.The resolution is submitted to the popular vote for ratification in the next election
This "appeal referendum" is a request by the voters to have the legislature do the right thing and fix their definitions and processes to avoid these budget impasses in the future.
A more bold approach would have the legislature hear the voice of the people and propose an additional amendment. A voter referendum or "voter initiative" as an additional capacity to voters when a similar crisis occurs would provide the direct voter involvment often used in other states to resolve the impass on what the public really wants. Where a spending cap definition is the target today, future crisis could also involve direct voter reconciliation on issues not so complex or when a contentious indecision occurs.One party majority power is not the right answer all the time. This gives the voter power to resolve conflicts and have a true democratic voice and reflection of all values not bounded by parties or brokering.
The legislature should act NOW to propose this amendment so we may vote on it in November 2010. If they don't, they do not deserve our support with a revolution to follow..