Yeah, a total non-starter. It would be useful, however, if there were some mechanism by which renters would be made more aware of how voting for tax increases really does affect them, too, even if not directly or immediately. Many, maybe most, are savvy enough to know that, but I'm sure there's a large contingent -- particularly our "young creative" friends -- who don't make the connection between rising taxes and the rent increases their landlords keep asking for every year or two. They probably just think the landlord is simply a greedy ba*tard . . .

Hey, why stop there. Let's repeal the 13th amendment and a couple of others and restrict voting to Free White Males.

This is sarcasm for those of you who need to know that, but that doesn't mean it won't be proposed in the future.

Twenty years ago, I worked with an individual who was, shall we say, so stupid that he tripped on the carpet pattern when he got up in the morning. Right at the beginning of the first Persian Gulf War, he declared to everyone that all we needed to do to bypass the high price of gas was to ride horses into work. After all, he'd seen a picture of a horse once, and everybody used to ride horses in the past, so why not go back to that? When I asked about feed, stabling, and care that limited horse ownership in the past to the reasonably wealthy, he blew all that off as not being relevant. He did the same with the question of how he was going to manage his 80-mile round-trip trek to and from work when he and everyone else were equestrians.

Anyway, he had this same argument, and he followed up with how this was why he supported a return of the Confederacy. See, if we teddible Yankees hadn't taken away his ability to own slaves, then he'd be a rich plantation owner. If he was a rich plantation owner, then of course he had a right to a larger vote than those of us proletariats. QED. The fact that he was particularly vocal about his among black employees was one of the reasons why, when he finally did something stupid enough to get him fired on the spot, we all cheered like loons.

"Phillips is advocating a policy of voter disenfranchisement that has its roots in the 18th century"

Where in his words does one get that?

He wasn't advocating any such thing.
He was simply conversing on an historical notion and remarking how in a particular context it made some sense.

This reminds me of the stunt that tried to stick tea party candidates as advocating a 30% sales tax.

I like this idea. That and you cannot vote in any local election until you have lived in Oregon for a minimum of 10 years.

While I understand his point, uhuh, no way, not going to happen. What we do need is an informed voter base and everyone turning out to do their civic duty to vote. Since we can't seem to attain that level of education/participation I hope and pray every election the ignorant just dont vote.

How about property tax levies only voted on by the people who pay them, the property owners? Voting on something that doesn't affect you seems to lack standing.

Of course this idiot would like this as it would limit voting to the wealthy in many areas. Basically he's advocating that if you can't afford a house you shouldn't be able to vote. Well there's millions of honest, tax paying individuals who can't afford homes where they live. I'm starting to get angry again and my post is going to derail....must stop now.

Oh, and here is a story that foretells how things work once these Radical Conservatives get in power. Good Luck Orgegonians

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/12/03/business/AP-OR-Timber-Counties-Shrinking-Revenue.html?hp

I'll support that, along with only parents of kids in school get to vote for school funding issues, only retired public employees get to vote on issues that affect PERS, etc.

It only works if your voting power is proportional to the amount of property you own.

One of my favorite books is Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein. (Please do not judge the book by the truly awful movie derived from parts of the plot.) In that futuristic society, the only people allowed to vote are those who have served in the military (everybody is eligible to volunteer; if you are too disabled to serve, they find you another position). The thinking behind that law is that those people who are willing to die for their country are the ones who truly have their nation's best interests at heart and most deeply understand the concept of citizenship.

How about property tax levies only voted on by the people who pay them, the property owners?

At the 30,000 foot level it makes sense that you shouldn't be able to tax activities that do not affect you directly. Requiring people to have some skin in the game would probably lead to more fair tax policy.

Putting something like that in place is another story.

On a side note, anybody that gives himself a title like "President of Tea Party Nation" is probably delusional. The strength of the tea party movement is that it is mostly local and decentralized. There is no specific figurehead, and I expect that its days will be numbered if one ever emerges.

"...along with only parents of kids in school get to vote for school funding issues, only retired public employees get to vote on issues that affect PERS, etc."

I'd support the first provided that any taxes for schools only apply to those same voters. We already have the second, as all Legislators and Judges are in PERS so they always go with their own self interest.

Never have had a fire or need for a cop. Can I vote against their pensions?

Bad radio station, Jack, but then the KXL AM FOX affiliate might have messed up your thinking in radio regards.

RBN.com (Republic Broadcasting Network), this is what you want.

In the old days I used to arrange my entire week's schedule around waiting for my favorite show to come on on a certain day at a certain time for 30 minutes. Like a lot of TV viewers.

But in the old old days I did the same thing for a radio program ... 'Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of man? The Shadow knows.' A lot of people never did that because they weren't born when radio was all the broadcasting there was.

Of course, in these modern times we have the intertubes. All info all the time. And I wait all week for my favorite show to come on for 60 minutes on RBN.com.

(That idiot Judson Phillips and the entire asinine T.Party splinter group of losers going on about “spastic” “nuts” “hysteria” in self-recognition of character and singular style: “they lie.”
See, that snot-flinging can go both ways. But from the rightwing fascist goons it's all they got; you can't take them seriously, laugh in their faces, razz bury their circling few radio callers ... 2 words: Sarah Palin HAHAHA HA HA, whoa, hee heeHAAAAHA HA HA HA-HA, HO, HA ... HAAAAAAH-HAAAHA HA HA haaaah, whohee, HA. HA. Whoa, that's a good one. HA.)

"only parents of kids in school get to vote for school funding issues, only retired public employees get to vote on issues that affect PERS"

Slight correction:

People who pay for school funding issues vote on them. We don't have people outside a school district vote on other school districts.

As far as, only retired public employees get to vote on issues that affect PERS. I'd say all the people that have to pay for PERS get to vote on it, which would be taxpayers.

"Never have had a fire or need for a cop. Can I vote against their pensions?"

Sure, 2 years ago Randy put a bond measure that passed to plug the hole in PFDR. Look at your property tax bill.

Tensk -
that last post almost passed the threshold of coherency.

Judson Phillips is a fool, so all our military personnel, firemen, policemen and elderly who don’t own property can’t vote?

How about all people who have filed bankruptcy can’t vote (like Judson Phillips), or those you fail to answer questions about our country history can’t run for public office (like Sarah Palin or Christine O’donnell), how about that, please.