Ralph Nader endorses our Vote.org project!

One symptom of America's increasing inequality is the "star system." Normally, it would be almost impossible for a nobody like me to meet someone like Ralph Nader, America's foremost citizen advocate for over 40 years. I've tried several times over the last year to contact him via his nonprofit Public Citizen. No dice.

Yesterday, because of a Colorado snow/slush blizzard, only 50 attended a talk Ralph gave at CU-Boulder, about Single-Payer Health Care. So I was able to talk to him several times at the small reception following. He was enthusiastic about former Senator Mike Gravel's project for better and national ballot initiatives, which I promote at Vote.org And he recognized that "Vote at Vote.org" was way easier to spread than "Vote at ni4d.us"(Gravel's site) and promised to do so!

Having national ballot initiatives will make Congress more humble, as they've done with Switzerland's Parliament since 1848. When they don't represent us, we'll just make law ourselves. This will lessen the star system -and you can bet The People will reduce income inequality too!

Ralph asked about Mike, who's had a hard time since his glory days, when he single-handedly filibustered until the Vietnam draft was ended, reading the Pentagon Papers into the national record. Mike was targeted for defeat by the military/industrial complex and has been out of office since 1981. I told him Mike's considering moving to Switzerland or Korea to promote the National Initiative, since the media ignores or marginalizes him here, even though he sacrificed his retirement to run for President.

Ralph does have a sense of humor, and curiosity. He wanted to know about my Panasonic Lumix LX3, which is supposed to be the best-quality compact digital camera, and does a decent job of video, as you can see if you click the "HD" for high-definition.

You can see here how the media can make a "nobody" out of a popular entertainer who was voted "Best Activist" by Boulderites. You can see why I've devoted 20 years to this project here.

YOU can help bring government BY the people to the U.S., help restore my reputation, and re-balance inequality some by linking here or sharing this story on social networks:

My Congressman Jared Polis to introduce bill for NATIONAL ballot initiatives!

My longtime friend and new Congressman Jared Polis did more than anyone to turn Colorado from Republican to Democrat. He did this not just by funding Dem campaigns, but by sponsoring two ballot initiatives that brought out Dem voters: Amendment 23 raised K-12 school funding and Amendment 41 forbids lobbyists from giving legislators "gifts." He also helped with Amendment 37, the nation's first renewable energy mandate for electric utilities, and others.

Yesterday, Jared explained on Boulder-Denver KGNU why he will introduce a bill for NATIONAL ballot initiatives. You can listen by starting the video above.

Jared will be one of the youngest Congress members and perhaps the wealthiest and most philanthropic. In spite of his brilliance, he appreciates what Will Rogers said: "You know everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects...It ain't so much the things we don't know that get us into trouble. It's the things we know that just ain't so." (Think of the financial "wizards"!) So he listens to everyone, and wants the NATION to utilize the "Wisdom of Crowds" (title of a best-seller) via ballot initiatives.

Jared is the first male elected to Congress as openly gay. In spite of recent anti-gay ballot initiatives, he sees that initiatives get issues "on the table" for consideration, which relentlessly drives away ignorance. See Newsweek poll shows surge of support for gay marriage. Or this analyis showing gay marriage opponents "losing ground at a rate of slightly less than 2 points per year."

The media mostly dwell on problematic ballot initiatives, presumably to please the politicians they want access to. Politicians, those who buy their votes and the lobbyists between oppose initiatives. Here's a wrapup of 2008 results from Kristina Wilfore of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center

Jared doesn't really think Congress will empower voters ;) Congress has refused to share legislative power since 1907 when Rep. Elmer Fulton introduced Resolution 44. But Jared hopes to start a conversation. Meanwhile...

Famed former Senator Mike Gravel offers the National Initiative for Democracy, the most evolved project for better and national ballot initiatives. Just as citizens had to ratify the Constitution at the Conventions because the 13 Legislatures refused to share THEIR power, now registered U.S. voters can now vote to ratify the National Initiative. Please tell your friends: "Vote at Vote.org to take the 'mock' out of democracy!"
Neither Rep. Elmer Fulton nor Sen. Mike Gravel nor even Rep. Jared Polis can make this happen. YOU have to. Please! Vote!

"The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government." -George Washington

World Democracy Forum in Switzerland, where people rule

There's very interesting series of articles on "direct" democracy here from journalist Joe Matthews, author of The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger And the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy. Joe is generally critical of direct democracy, but he seemed impressed by how it works in Switzerland, where they've had national ballot initiatives since 1891, and where the problems seem to have been ironed out. You can see my comments on most of his stories.

The U.S. desperately needs the people to "check and balance" a Congress which so dramatically misrepresents us, from NAFTA to the bailout, with perpetual war and debt, domestic spying, torture and so much more between. I've devoted over 7000 hours over the last 20 years so that we will have a vote on this stuff, hopefully soon. I've been promoting former Sen. Mike Gravel's National Initiative project since 2000, which you can now vote to ratify at Vote.org, much as citizens, not the 13 legislatures, ratified the Constitution at the conventions.