First of all, this was hilarious, Arno: > From: Arno A. Karner > > As a smoker, I'm wondering how do I negociate a consent decre with EPA, > PCA, City. A total ban would be very harsh. If I promis to reduce my > emissions can I continue providing my second hand smoke to people who > volentarly occupy the same air space as I do.
> [Original Message] > From: Alan Baker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sorry to weigh in late but I'll admit I haven't been keeping up. > I consider the St. Paul Farmer's Market a bit of an oasis This made me wonder what an "oasis" from free speech, or an "oasis" from democracy, would look like. Naah, this administration tried to make a Constitutional "oasis" of Guantanamo and that didn't work, either. I hear what people are saying, though, and having your life harrassed by the privilege of democratic government and freedom of speech for this amount of time every election year gets as old as a Minnesota winter. Counterproductive,too. The only realistic relief I can imagine for the political aggravation people are complaining about here is to follow the example of newer democracies like Australia and SHORTEN THE CAMPAIGN SEASON. A month is plenty. Cheaper, faster, people focus their attention for a month, make an adult decision and it's over. No need to live with the candidates for a year like unwanted brothers-in-law to see how comfortable we grow with their presence. No time for an extended personality contest--let all these dedicated toadies and canvassers serve us by ferreting out all the pertinent information well in advance and then lay it on us when WE need it. But then, newer democracies have tested a lot of good ideas like Instant Runoff Voting and Proportional Representation and we've never seen the need to abandon our tried and true Electoral College. We're still fighting the battle for universal suffrage in Florida. Sorry about the irony but democratic government is 225 years old and there have been valid improvements whose time has come, by the sound of the complaints in this forum. - Guy Western the West Side _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
