NOTA – None of the above

An electoral solution for government reform

These goof balls are our best and brightest? Another Election Day, but it seems worse this year (written in 2010 before I officially started this blog).  There are none running to get us excited. To say that we can choose from the lesser of two or more evils does not seem to accurately describe this year’s elections. In one local race, I know both candidates. It’s a choice between the devil I know and the devil I know. In fact, it is this race that prompted me to begin this article.

I am angry at the future I see for my children based on the actions of so-called adults looking to govern our nation. In SC we’ve had:

1.      Our governor admits an affair after first reporting he was going to hike alone on the Appalachian Trail.

2.      A political outsider running for US Senate that suggested that an action figure of him might kick start our failing economy.

3.      A Congressman that shouted, “You’re a liar!” to our president during his State of the Union.

4.      A lieutenant governor that could neither drive nor fly.

5.      A state treasurer was sentenced to prison cocaine possession.

6.      The state agriculture commissioner go to jail for ties to a cockfighting ring.

7.      Lt. Governor resigns after pleading guilty to mis-use of election funds.

South Carolina is not alone. Almost every state has an elected embarrassment or two (or more). From fiscal mismanagement, questionable ethics, affairs, and some prison time, we seem to have a dearth of quality, elected officials and candidates. Where are those who understand that when you are a public servant, you are the one to serve the people? The people are not there to serve you.

Being elected does not make someone instantly wise, just, or right; it just makes you a representative of a constituency. Also, you are not to represent just those who voted for you but everyone in your district.

I’ve heard people say, “Kick the bums out!” What if we just elect NONE OF THE ABOVE?

I heard of the idea of NOTA decades ago, but I think it’s time has come. Our nation is a democratic nation and we are ensured of republican (meaning representative) state governments by our US Constitution (Article 4, Section 4). We are not ensured of good government.  It is up to us to elect good representatives to get good government.

This begs the question: “How do we get good candidates?” or “What are our options if no one good runs?”

If you elect the lesser of two evils, then something evil is elected. Why should we have to settle for something so important in our daily lives? Businesses don’t have to hire the lesser of two evils. Why should we have to HIRE the lesser of two evils? Why do we have to hold our nose with one hand as we vote with the other hand?

This is why we need NOTA on the ballot. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/None_of_the_above  for more information). Spain and Bangladesh have this option. Should we take a back seat to these countries?

The idea is simple: for every elected office on a ballot,” None of the Above” would be a choice. Then if NOTA “wins” more votes than the other candidates, the election for that office is held again. NONE OF THOSE CANDIDATES CAN RUN. Parties will have to re-nominate.  Maybe that way more seats will be contested and better candidates will come forward.

So if Smith runs against Jones and NOTA wins, the election is re-held and other candidates must run. Smith and Jones cannot run. Can you imagine a sole candidate for an office being beaten by NOTA? Surely not many things could be more embarrassing.

Why he or she may never run for any office again! How could having lousy candidates not run be a bad thing?

It’s often said that anyone that want to be elected to office should be disqualified from running for that reason. We need patriots on both sides – left and right – who set aside short-term gains for long-term real solutions.

Some may say that this will be more expensive due to the cost of having more elections. I counter that having better candidates will cost us less in the long run. They will be more responsive to our will and spend only what is needed, keep government salaries in line, etc.  Maybe instead of paying for cost overruns, they will penalize companies for not delivering on time or meeting quality standards. Maybe they will be more inclined to represent all constituents and not just those partisans who elected them. Maybe they will be more inclined to see that companies treat employees and customers better and are better stewards of resources because we can vote and corporations cannot.

As a practical matter, NOTA will rarely be invoked: much like recall and initiative. But it will be a democratic solution to government reform.

The Palmetto Bug throws out this challenge to both major parties and all the other parties: Have the courage to put NOTA in primaries and push for NOTA in every election. The party that adopts this platform will truly be the party of reform.

Transparency, yes. Accountability, yes. Ethical behavior, yes.

NOTA, heck yes! Power back to “WE, the people.”

The Palmetto Bug

HOPE

 Faith, hope and charity . . .  (I Corinthians 13:13)

Now maybe there is some hope. After my last dark post, there comes this from an email from my uncle, a former missionary. It does give us not only some guidelines on how to agree to disagree but hope. Hope that people with divergent beliefs on religion, government, etc. can find ways to live together.

Tolerance does not mean agreement. If it did, there would be no need for the word toleration. We can believe strongly without believing forcefully. We can tolerate.

CHRISTIAN WITNESS IN THE PLURALISTIC CONTEXT OF INDIA:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONDUCT

From a press release of the World Council of Churches. March 20, 2012

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news.html

RECOMMENDATIONS

We the participants of the Bangalore consultation offer these recommendations for consideration and action by all Christians in India.

1. apply the guidelines set out in this document in light of the needs and concerns of your own context and in the same ecumenical spirit of this document. Always be aware of the need for self-reflection and analysis of your witness and your lives.

2. build relationships of respect and trust with people of all religions, in particular at institutional levels between churches and other religious communities, engaging in on-going interreligious dialogue as part of their Christian commitment. In certain contexts, where years of tension and conflict have created deep suspicions and breaches of trust between and among communities, interreligious dialogue can provide new opportunities for resolving conflicts, restoring justice, healing of memories, reconciliation and peace-building.

3. encourage Christians to strengthen their own Christian identity and faith commitment to Jesus while deepening their knowledge and understanding of different religions, and to do so taking into account the perspectives of the adherents of those religions. Christians should avoid misrepresenting the beliefs and practices of people of different religions.

4. cooperate with other faith communities and participate in civil society movements that engage in advocacy towards justice and the common good and, wherever possible, stand together in solidarity with all minority groups, especially religious minorities, and all who are in situations of conflict.

5. call on governments to ensure that freedom of religion is properly and comprehensively respected, recognizing that in many states religious institutions and persons are inhibited from exercising their mission.

6. pray for their neighbours (sic) and their well-being, recognizing that prayer is integral to who we are and what we do, as well as to Christ’s mission.

What does this have to do with the Palmetto Bug?

Some of these ideas are mentioned in my first posting. The guidelines above mirror some of my guidelines. Some of us have the same goals.

Some of the Palmetto Bug’s goals are:

1.      To promote civil discourse and discussion on things we disagree. Only if we are civil and respectful of each other, can we find ways to compromise and get things done on the state and federal level.

2.      To promote ideas for real government reform in the 21^st century in South Carolina and the US. Because if we reform government, we can reform our state.

3.      To promote toleration in a state that is frankly not known for toleration

There are other goals, but these are germane to the discussion at hand.

Dum spiro seiro. This is the official motto of the State of South Carolina. It means, “While I breathe, I hope.”

I breathe, therefore I hope.

The Palmetto Bug

One more list . . .

Sad, oh so sad.

One of my favorite things that Craig Ferguson says on his late-night show is, "It's a great day for America!" Our current governor has state employees answering the phone, "It's a great day in South Carolina!"

It's a lie today. Not a great day in South Carolina. We are at the bottom of another list and this is bad.

And I'm sad, oh so sad.

Here is the story.

Study: SC at high risk of corruption

Posted: Mar 19, 2012 7:04 PM EDTUpdated: Mar 19, 2012 7:07 PM EDT

By Aaron Barker, Digital Content Manager - email

 

The flag of South Carolina flies below the American flag atop the state capitol.

GREENVILLE, SC (AP/FOX Carolina) -

A study found that South Carolina is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to potential for corruption.

The report from the Center for Public Integrity gave the Palmetto State an "F" and ranked the state sixth overall for corruption risk.

Researchers pointed to problems like government secrecy, weak ethics enforcement, little disclosure of lawmakers' finances and low accountability in the legislative and executive branches.

The study also cited media reports about Gov. Nikki Haley's office deleting emails from the governor and her staff.

South Carolina failed in nine of the 14 categories, including public access to information.

The report was based on an 18-month investigation.

Now more than ever, good people need to find ways to agree in our state. We need to find ways to get from the bottom of theses bad lists and become a state to be envied.

It will not happen overnight. But it can happen if we can overcome the paternalism, elitism, negativism, racism, and other isms that get in the way of making this state a decent place to live and to want our children to live.

But until then,

Sad, oh so sad. 

The Palmetto Bug

South Carolina: A profile

Lists of lists and South Carolina’s place on the list.

Compiled in March 2012

The following are compiled facts about South Carolina. There are some other than basic “encyclopedia” type facts in this list. I am offering without comment.  There are some lists and rankings I think will be controversial. Citations are provided when I can so you can verify and challenge. I do think that any ranking has inherent biases but some truths can be gleaned by comparison in relative, if not, absolute ways.

Consider this a starting point. I may refer to this page in the future.

SC Dash is another decent site that I can cite. ; ) (I am not as proud as they that South Carolina is a “right-to-work” state. This for a later post.)

Government

Executive Branch

Governor

Governor’s Cabinet

·         Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services

·         Commerce

·         Corrections

·         Employment and Workforce

·         Health and Human Services

·         Insurance

·         Juvenile Justice

·         Labor, Licensing, and Regulation

·         DMV

·         Parks, Recreation and Tourism

·         Probation, Parole, and Pardons

·         Public Safety

·         Revenue

·         Social Services

·         Transportation

·         SLED

Lt. Governor

Constitutional Officers (executive officers elected by voters. Not cabinet members)

·         Sec of State

·         Treasurer

·         Attorney General

·         Comptroller General

·         State Superintendant of Education

·         Commissioner of Agriculture

·         Adjutant General

Legislature

Named the General Assembly

·         House: 124 2 year terms.

·         Senate: 46 4 year terms (approximately one for each county but not exactly)

Judicial

·         Supreme Court,

·         Court of Appeal,

·         Trial Courts (16 Circuit Courts – General Sessions for Criminal, Common Pleas for Civil) and various other courts summary, etc.

South Carolina (encyclopedia type facts, not really questionable or controversial.) According to Wikipedia and links:

·         8^th to join the United States by adopting the Constitution.

·         South Carolina is 40^th in the nation in area

·         24^th in population with 4,679,230 people

·         19^th in population density 155.4 inhabitants per square mile

·         14^th in population growth

·         10^th in unemployment

·         31^st in federal taxes collected

·         40^th in state taxes collected

·         10^th in poverty rate (15% - national avg. 12.6%)

·         27^th in GDP

·         48^th in GDP per capita

·         29^th in number of billionaires with 3

·         33^rd in vehicles per capita

·         25^th in carbon dioxide emissions

·         42^nd in life expectancy

·         Has 10-15 earthquakes a year below magnitude 3

According to the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies, South Carolina's foreign-born population grew faster than any other state between 2000 and 2005.

In March 2008, "The American State Litter Scorecard," presented at the American Society for Public Administration conference, rated South Carolina a nationally "Worst" state for removing litter from public properties such as highways. The state has an extremely high fatality rate from litter/debris-related vehicle accidents, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.[34]

Education Statistics

Will not be covered here.

·         This is not a subject that can be easily generalized.

·         As education topics are discussed, appropriate statistics and studies will be cited.

Business Statistics

Ranked 37 overall  in Top States for Business. http://www.cnbc.com/id/41666602 

·         14^th  in the cost of doing business. 

·         6^th   in workforce (worker training and lack of unions). 

·         42^nd    quality of life (local attractions, the crime rate, health care, as well as air and water quality). 

·         49^th  diverse economy, with access to the biggest players in a variety of industries. We looked at basic indicators of economic health and growth. For the first time in 2011, we measured each state’s fiscal health by looking at projected budget gaps (or surpluses) for the coming fiscal year. We also gave credit to states based on the number of major corporations located there.  

·         19^th  infrastructure and transportation.

·         26^th  technology. 

·         46^th  education. 

·         29^th  business friendliness (Regulation and litigation are the bane of business. Sure, some of each is inevitable. But we graded the states on the perceived “friendliness” of their legal and regulatory frameworks to business.  

·         35^th  access to capital

·         28^th  cost of living. housing to food and energy, wages go further when the cost of living is low.

Income Statistics

Below is from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/rankings.html  many numbers are from 2007 and 2008.

·         40^th in median income $43,625. 9^th in poverty level. At 15.9%

·         17^th in energy consumption per capita

·         10^th in home ownership

·         1 in mobile home ownership rate at 17.9%

·         4^th in traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles

·         41^st in average annual pay at 35,393

·         32^nd in average teacher pay at 43, 891

From Best and Worst Run States

http://247wallst.com/2011/11/28/best-and-worst-run-states-in-america-an-analysis-of-all-50/6/

45. South Carolina

> State debt per capita: $3,379 (24th highest)

> Pct. without health insurance: 17.5% (13th highest)

> Pct. below poverty line: 17.1% (8th highest)

> Unemployment: 11% (4th highest)

Fiscally speaking, South Carolina is relatively sound. It takes in the 27th most in revenue per capita and spends the 24th most in total expenditures per capita. Its state debt per capita is slightly below average. However, the state has the eighth highest poverty rate and the fourth highest unemployment rate. It also has the fifth highest rate of violent crime, with 597.7 crime committed per 100,000 people. This is actually an improvement from last year when the state’s violent crime rate was 731 per 100,000 — the worst in the country.

http://nlihc.org/  

South Carolina takes 74 hours work at minimum wage to pay for a fair market value 2 bedroom apartment.

Again, I offer the above as a start to discussion. Certain facts are beyond debate. Others are more contestable and debatable.

My summary is this: South Carolina is a small, low population, poor state in the US. It is a business friendly state.

The Palmetto Bug

Why is this blog called the Palmetto Bug?

Technically it's a roach, the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana.  According to the article on Wikipedia, due to human activity, the palmetto bug is found around the world and is the largest of the common cockroaches.

The Palmetto Bug has been called the State Bird of South Carolina.

I am a native of South Carolina born in Baptist Hospital in Columbia, the state's capital. I have lived in Columbia, Darlington, back to Columbia, Greenville, Charleston, and now Piedmont. In being taught the history of South Carolina, I was led to believe I should be proud of our Palmetto State.

Looking at my state's history, some of it is not quite pleasant. Looking at our present, some makes me sad.

I will not dwell on those things that make me sad. You have a list, also. While there may be some overlap, there will be differences. Some things may be specific to our state. Some may have a national reach.

I want change. I want it for me, my wife, and my children. I want it for my granddaughter and any other grandchildren.

I am not likely to be elected to office. Even if I were a legislator, governor, president; I would be one person among many. This is my chosen method to promote change. The changes I will suggest will be general and specific, philosophical and concrete. I will begin with the more general and philosophical.

Though I strongly believe in working within the system (that is, in this case government), I have a great respect for those who in the past have worked outside the system to "bug" it to change. This includes: Jesus Christ, Martin Luther, MLK, Ghandi, W.E.B Dubois, Lech Walesa, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglas, the Grimke Sisters, Alice Paul, and more.

I hope to be a Palmetto Bug.