Fair Representation versus Effective
Government
My fear with a more proportional system is that it
tends to make government less effective. Our current system is
already somewhat ineffective due to internal conflicts! To balance
all of the needs of the people with what is the long term good is
very difficult. While everyone having a better voice in government
is a wonderful goal, not at the price of a workable government.
Governments are there to make the decisions we do not have the time
or knowledge to take on or that conflict with our own self
interest. Governments should work for the whole community (not a
small group) and have a long term view. All government decisions
hurt and help someone. A new bus route means someone has access to
transit and someone else has their home devalued by a noisy bus
idling outside at 6.00am in the morning. More services mean more
taxes or more debt or cutting something else. At some level more
taxes and debt drive away businesses (or make them less profitable)
and people, thereby reducing income and therefore generating less
taxes. Fewer services mean a less desirable place to live, more
crime, illness, etc and less people to pay taxes. Tough choices.
Government is there to make the hard decisions that require
research and discussion and then the ability to implement them. If
a government can not make a decision or does not have the power to
implement the decision, then it does no good! Look at Italy. They
have a leader who bribed a judge on a bribery charge and then, once
elected, passed a law to give himself immunity to the charges. Is
this an effective government? Stripers, fringe parties and
religions nuts get seats. While they are a part of the community,
do they need to have a seat to be heard? Their vote is too small in
government to change anything. Having them heard through the press
as associations, though voting groups and other means seems to work
now. Homosexuals, unions, greens, and other groups seem to be able
to get laws enacted to protect their rights and represent their
groups. The process is slow, but would it be faster or fairer in a
government representing more extreme views. Would gays or natives
or some other group really have more say with one of 75 or 250
seats?
We need an effective government more than a more representative
government.
I suggest you take the other forms of government and look at
scenarios. With this system who would have how many
seats. If they had to decide on a budget, gay marriage,
drunk driving laws, abortion, etc. Could they reach a decision?
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