9-5-11: blame the voters?

Pampered Cow in the Times Union.

Flash flood watch across the river.

Catskill Radio during the flood featured in New York Times.

CEOs making 60, 80 million a year.

Fire parade.

Tweet: "Just stopped in great craft workshop in Rhinebeck called Wing & Clover. Wish I could take Paper Cutting class!"



Dysfuctional voters.

I love Neil deGrasse Tyson and I listened to his complete lectures in the car (TERRIFIC) driving back and forth to the city but I say the problem is not the voters nor the politicians but the system. But I also heard this lecture series on the process of arguing about the constitution. I was impressed with many of the arguments of the anti-Federalists. And this debate shows a tremendous interest in the process: Should Supreme Court judges serve for life? No. Should there be a way to call the president to account, perhaps before congress? Yes. Should states elect at least some of the members of the House as at large delegates who do not represent a specific district? Probably.

Stuff like that... matters to the functioning of a democratic republic. The constitution, written in 1790, is a great event in the history of the human race, a huge step forward in people living in community, addressing people as they are not as we wish they were. But it was written a long time ago and the experience of 100s of countries and 100s of years suggest a few tweaks might help... among other changes not requiring constitutional amendments.