Comments on: Against faith in government http://techliberation.com/2009/10/27/against-faith-in-government/ Keeping politicians' hands off the Net & everything else related to technology Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:30:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: laptop battery http://techliberation.com/2009/10/27/against-faith-in-government/comment-page-1/#comment-65727 laptop battery Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:50:31 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=22990#comment-65727 Hope to be better. Better means more features. Hope to be better. Better means more features.

]]> By: laptop battery http://techliberation.com/2009/10/27/against-faith-in-government/comment-page-1/#comment-63657 laptop battery Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:50:31 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=22990#comment-63657 Hope to be better. Better means more features. Hope to be better. Better means more features.

]]> By: MikeRT http://techliberation.com/2009/10/27/against-faith-in-government/comment-page-1/#comment-63218 MikeRT Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:24:33 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=22990#comment-63218 <blockquote>Tools like <a href="http://MAPLight.org" rel="nofollow">MAPLight.org</a> show that there is a strong correlation between campaign contributions and legislative votes. Some of these may indeed be corrupt bargains, and some may not.</blockquote><br><br>They could avoid this by being, as the Bible says, "blameless." Do not associate with the corrupt, do no risk appearing to be associated with them. No politician that I know of lost an election by refusing to talk to a lobbyist, let alone taking campaign money or freebies from them.

Tools like MAPLight.org show that there is a strong correlation between campaign contributions and legislative votes. Some of these may indeed be corrupt bargains, and some may not.

They could avoid this by being, as the Bible says, “blameless.” Do not associate with the corrupt, do no risk appearing to be associated with them. No politician that I know of lost an election by refusing to talk to a lobbyist, let alone taking campaign money or freebies from them.

]]> By: Adam Thierer http://techliberation.com/2009/10/27/against-faith-in-government/comment-page-1/#comment-63199 Adam Thierer Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:58:23 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=22990#comment-63199 Outstanding piece, Jerry. And not only are correct that Lessig's proposed public financing regime would do little to end undue special interest influence, but such a system would also burden taxpayers with a massively unjust electoral system that forces people to support people and causes they find offensive. Ethically speaking, I look at taxpayer-financed election proposals the same way I do military conscription: We are being forced to serve others or their silly causes when we want no part of them. Outstanding piece, Jerry. And not only are correct that Lessig's proposed public financing regime would do little to end undue special interest influence, but such a system would also burden taxpayers with a massively unjust electoral system that forces people to support people and causes they find offensive. Ethically speaking, I look at taxpayer-financed election proposals the same way I do military conscription: We are being forced to serve others or their silly causes when we want no part of them.

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