[Vision2020] Letter to the Editor: Super-Majority Rules Level the Playing Field
Dale Courtney
dmcourtn@moscow.com
Tue, 27 Jan 2004 09:22:14 -0800
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Super-Majority Rules Level the Playing Field
Two hundred years ago, Scottish historian Alexander Tytler observed: =
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only =
exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from =
the public treasury."
Now comes Patrick McGann (LMT, 1/25/04) complaining about the =
super-majority rule for the passage of school levies and rooting for its =
overturn in the Washington Legislature.
The other side of the story is that a super-majority rule is necessary =
to level the playing field in elections where school employees have the =
opportunity to "vote themselves money from the public treasury."
Let's use the situation here in Moscow as an example. Presently, the =
Moscow School District has at least 450 people drawing money from the =
District. Almost all of these are paid well above-market compensation. =
Counting family members, this means there are always at least 900 self =
interested, highly motivated, automatic votes in favor of high school =
spending. With only 2500 to 5000 voters showing up for elections, any =
levy automatically has 36 to 72% of a majority ready to vote in favor =
because of pure economic, self interest. As much as these people posture =
otherwise, this has nothing to do with education. Thus, a level playing =
field for elections would require a super-majority of 59% to 68% simply =
to assure that a majority of non-self-interested voters were in favor of =
the levy.
Add to that the self-interested motivation and ability of the =
teachers' union and others to pour money into influencing a levy =
election, and one can make a pretty good case that the present =
super-majority is already much too low for a level paying field in =
school levy elections.
Let's go for an 80% super-majority. That would be real democracy,
and Alexander Tytler would be pleased.
Jack Wenders
Moscow
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<DIV>Super-Majority Rules Level the Playing=20
Field<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>Two hundred years ago, =
Scottish=20
historian Alexander Tytler observed: "A democracy cannot exist as a =
permanent=20
form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that =
they can=20
vote themselves money from the public =
treasury."<BR><X-TAB> =20
</X-TAB>Now comes Patrick McGann (LMT, 1/25/04) complaining about the=20
super-majority rule for the passage of school levies and rooting for its =
overturn in the Washington Legislature.<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>The =
other side=20
of the story is that a super-majority rule is necessary to level the =
playing=20
field in elections where school employees have the opportunity to "vote=20
themselves money from the public treasury."<BR><X-TAB></X-TAB>Let's use =
the=20
situation here in Moscow as an example. Presently, the Moscow School =
District=20
has at least 450 people drawing money from the District. Almost all of =
these are=20
paid well above-market compensation. Counting family members, this means =
there=20
are always at least 900 self interested, highly motivated, automatic =
votes in=20
favor of high school spending. With only 2500 to 5000 voters showing up =
for=20
elections, any levy automatically has 36 to 72% of a majority ready to =
vote in=20
favor because of pure economic, self interest. As much as these people =
posture=20
otherwise, this has nothing to do with education. Thus, a level playing =
field=20
for elections would require a super-majority of 59% to 68% simply to =
assure that=20
a majority of non-self-interested voters were in favor of the=20
levy.<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>Add to that the self-interested =
motivation and=20
ability of the teachers' union and others to pour money into influencing =
a levy=20
election, and one can make a pretty good case that the present =
super-majority is=20
already much too low for a level paying field in school levy=20
elections.<BR><X-TAB></X-TAB>Let's go for an 80% super-majority. That =
would be=20
real democracy,<BR>and Alexander Tytler would be pleased.<BR><BR>Jack=20
Wenders<BR>Moscow</DIV></BODY></HTML>
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