I wish to submit the idea that the people of BC vote for party
members, but also for how their tax dollars ought to be spent.
When we vote for a party, we vote for people who will spend our
tax dollars in the best way possible. We vote for parties that have
a philosophy that supposedly translates into the spending patterns
we want. Thus, revenue disbursements are intimately linked with
voting.
I propose that, in addition to voting for a person/party, people
take the time to distribute spending among, say, ten key areas.
They must assign a number to each area, and the total must add up
to ten. e.g. military, education, health, debt reduction, roads,
research, child care, welfare, foreign aid, contingency, etc.
This is the ultimate compromise. Everybody gets to be "King for
a day", and the totals are averaged. The result will be a
population-generated distribution pattern for expenditures. Whoever
is voted in will have to create a budget that matches the people's
choice. In subsequent elections, the previous distribution can be
shown, and people can adjust it as they wish, considering whether
or not to increase or decrease a certain budget category, according
to the results of the previous term.
This will ensure a greater degree of voter involvement, and
cultivate a sense of empowerment. It will also keep politicians
accountable, and shift the focus away from personalities, power and
control, towards informing the people, and acting upon their
preferences.Groups can gather in pre-election times, to discuss how
they should distribute funds. Politicians can campaign in a new
way, by showing pie charts, and encouraging voters to shift
spending in desired directions. They can show how they succeeded in
implementing the wishes of the people. The power will shift
dramatically towards the people, where it belongs. The politicians
will become secondary, public servants, as they should be.