3 ms·

If votes are secret then voters have nothing to base their vote on except campaigning. The solution is simply to ban lobbying.

Spivak 4y ago
You will not be able to successfully ban “trying to convince a legislator if something.” Writing my congressperson is lobbying. Hell testifying at my statehouse in an official capacity during hearings about proposed legislation is lobbying. I did it once and was even paid for it because it’s a lot to ask for someone to take off work, write a statement, edit it, get dressed up to speak, and then get grilled by people who, to put it mildly, kinda hate you and want to use you to score cheap political points. Dgmr, I agree that it’s a huge problem but banning lobbying will just be used as a tool to hang some politican they can’t oust any other way.
rrwo 4y ago
It isn't lobbying, it's uncontrolled campaign contributions. When spending money is equated with speech, and corporations are given the same free speech rights as people, and you allow anonymous shell corporations... You end up with a corrupted government.
epakai 4y ago
There's plenty. Legislators can introduce, co-sign, and otherwise endorse particular bills or amendments. Floor arguments can be public, and the news can actually collate and report on that. If you want representatives to represent then they have to have the same freedom to vote their conscience as the rest of us. Perhaps there are even certain types of votes that should be visible at the individual level, but I can't think of them right now. If you ban more direct lobbying there will always be indirect routes to reward desired behavior. As long as buyers can see returns they'll keep investing. We don't have to make it easy for them to see. We don't have to let political machines force party line votes.

3 ms·

If votes are secret then voters have nothing to base their vote on except campaigning. The solution is simply to ban lobbying.

by bobbylarrybobby 4y ago

Spivak 4y ago
You will not be able to successfully ban “trying to convince a legislator if something.” Writing my congressperson is lobbying. Hell testifying at my statehouse in an official capacity during hearings about proposed legislation is lobbying. I did it once and was even paid for it because it’s a lot to ask for someone to take off work, write a statement, edit it, get dressed up to speak, and then get grilled by people who, to put it mildly, kinda hate you and want to use you to score cheap political points. Dgmr, I agree that it’s a huge problem but banning lobbying will just be used as a tool to hang some politican they can’t oust any other way.
rrwo 4y ago
It isn't lobbying, it's uncontrolled campaign contributions. When spending money is equated with speech, and corporations are given the same free speech rights as people, and you allow anonymous shell corporations... You end up with a corrupted government.
epakai 4y ago
There's plenty. Legislators can introduce, co-sign, and otherwise endorse particular bills or amendments. Floor arguments can be public, and the news can actually collate and report on that. If you want representatives to represent then they have to have the same freedom to vote their conscience as the rest of us. Perhaps there are even certain types of votes that should be visible at the individual level, but I can't think of them right now. If you ban more direct lobbying there will always be indirect routes to reward desired behavior. As long as buyers can see returns they'll keep investing. We don't have to make it easy for them to see. We don't have to let political machines force party line votes.