[extropy-chat] Ethics - Brought to You by the Bush Brothers

[Spike]

> Olga Bourlin
> Subject: [extropy-chat] Ethics - Brought to You by the Bush Brothers
>  
> Ooooh, this distresses me:
> 
> "...Ms. Hood, handpicked by Governor Bush to succeed the 
> notorious Katherine Harris as secretary of state, was forced to admit
that the 
> felons list was a mess. She said the problems were unintentional...

Partially believable.  Some states allow felons to vote
after they have served their sentences.  What if the
felons serve their time, then move to Florida?  What if
the felon is in the federal witness protection program?
What if the felons are convicted and serve in Florida, 
then move to another state?  The way the law 
is written is contradictory and confusing.

> What clearly was intentional
> was the desire of Ms. Hood and Governor Bush to keep the list
secret...

Are post-release felons entitled to privacy?  Being an 
openness advocate, I would suggest the contrary, however
an argument could be made either way.  I can certainly see why
the felons would want to cover their tracks.

> It was disclosed only as a result of lawsuits filed under Florida's
admirable
> sunshine law."
> 
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/23/opinion/23herbert.html

Olga

This is shaping up to a replay of 2000.  I wouldn't be surprised
if pretty much all the same states went to the same parties,
and once again Florida, with the deciding wad of electoral college
delegates, is once again was too close to call.  Weeks of 
bitter acrimony could follow, with disputed undervotes and
overvotes, ambiguous write-ins, etc.  I saw a poll showing
Florida voters at 48% W, 46% whats-his-name, 3% Ralph, and 3%
all others combined (including still undecided), with a +/-2% 
uncertainty factor.  Here we go again.  {8-|  I notice the IFX 
ideas futures exchange has been selling republicans for 51 cents 
and democrats for 50 cents for the past 4 months with scarcely 
any change.

As a dynamic optimist, I see some good that comes of all this:
it makes people realize that it really does matter if one
bothers to vote.  {8-]

spike