Subversion of Democracy

"All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy."
–Al Smith

A country that strives for government of the people, for the people, and by the people must maintain the strongest safeguards of democratic process. Unfortunately we are seeing increased erosion of democracy.

The following is a recent example.

The legislature was not satisfied to allow voters to choose reasonable members of the State School Board or to vote to retain or reject seated board members. Instead they called for a Governor-appointed committee to provide three to five candidates from which the Governor chooses two nominees to appear on the ballot.

This year the committee chose not to include the seated member of the board, who would need to be reelected to the board, and named instead three other individuals to present to the Governor. One in particular is clearly unqualified for the position. So, it seems, the committee has either saved the Governor the trouble of choosing nominees, since only two of the three would be reasonable choices, or they have given the Governor the option of choosing the new board member himself. He need only place his choice and the unqualified nominee on the ballot.

There are calls for voiding the decision of the committee, based on the use of secret ballots in the process. I wish them well in their efforts.

When I was growing up, we scoffed at the Soviet habit of holding elections but allowing only candidates chosen by one party to appear on the ballot. They called it "democracy" --and it looks disturbingly similar to many aspects of Utah politics.