Comment posted to Most citizens are allowing a few voters to make decisions
eieio
The editors of the Olympia want to get more people to vote, especially in local elections. Ok, editors, let's see some follow-up on your own exhortations.
- Create a page or part of a page on pending legislation in your print edition.
- Make it easy to find. Always put it on the same page, and format the page exactly the same way, clearly blocked out to list major pending legislation at the federal, state, city (Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater), and county levels. If there isn't something to list at some level, say so, don't just entirely omit information on, say, Tumwater. Otherwise we don't know why it's not there.
- Provide the official name and number of each bill. List briefly the intended effects and identify supporters and opponents of the bill, along with web links to find supporting and opposing materials from each side, and opinion and analysis from informed third parties.
- Identify lobbyists for and against the legislation. How much did they spend on lobbying? Whose campaign did they contribute to, and how much?
- List the bills in the order in which they're expected to come up for a vote, highlighting bills that are up for a vote that week.
- This should be run at least once each week. Always run it on the same day(s). Don't run it say, every Monday and then sometimes on Thursdays if there have been significant changes. People need to know that if they want that information, they can find it in the Thursday paper, or whenever.
- Prominently feature a page on your website with all this information, including live links to the formal text of the bill, and to supporting arguments and information from each side and from third parties.
- On the website, make it possible to have a discussion thread on each bill. Moderate these threads closely, according to clearly stated guidelines, e.g. substantial comments only, no personal attacks or insults against other people posting in that thread or against public figures, no allegations of nazi, communist, or fascist sympathies or similar, etc.
Editors, if you want more people to become engaged in the political process, you would do well to step up to your own challenge.
- Create a page or part of a page on pending legislation in your print edition.
- Make it easy to find. Always put it on the same page, and format the page exactly the same way, clearly blocked out to list major pending legislation at the federal, state, city (Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater), and county levels. If there isn't something to list at some level, say so, don't just entirely omit information on, say, Tumwater. Otherwise we don't know why it's not there.
- Provide the official name and number of each bill. List briefly the intended effects and identify supporters and opponents of the bill, along with web links to find supporting and opposing materials from each side, and opinion and analysis from informed third parties.
- Identify lobbyists for and against the legislation. How much did they spend on lobbying? Whose campaign did they contribute to, and how much?
- List the bills in the order in which they're expected to come up for a vote, highlighting bills that are up for a vote that week.
- This should be run at least once each week. Always run it on the same day(s). Don't run it say, every Monday and then sometimes on Thursdays if there have been significant changes. People need to know that if they want that information, they can find it in the Thursday paper, or whenever.
- Prominently feature a page on your website with all this information, including live links to the formal text of the bill, and to supporting arguments and information from each side and from third parties.
- On the website, make it possible to have a discussion thread on each bill. Moderate these threads closely, according to clearly stated guidelines, e.g. substantial comments only, no personal attacks or insults against other people posting in that thread or against public figures, no allegations of nazi, communist, or fascist sympathies or similar, etc.
Editors, if you want more people to become engaged in the political process, you would do well to step up to your own challenge.
Read more: http://www.theolympian.com/2011/09/14/1799166/most-citizens-are-allowing-a-few.html#disqus_thread#ixzz1XxmuHRUR
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4 comments:
Great post by eieio.
Unfortunately, I don't think The Olympian cares THAT much.
No, of course not! That is, unless the TNT does the work, and then the Zero will piggy-back on it.
Both of your comments echo what I was thinking while reading this fabulous idea:
1) it would require someone who really cared,
and
2) it would require someone who cared enough to do the work to make it happen.
Not the level of excellence we've come to expect, is it?
Hmmmm, when we speak of the Zero, I'm not sure I can agree that there has been an expected level of excellence....
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