In article , Morris Dovey wrote:
On 12/30/2009 8:11 AM, Swingman wrote:

Best thing we could do to would be to go back to the original concept
of only property owners being able to vote ... but damn would that
**** off the politicians and lobbyist.

"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but
the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to
exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to
take it from them but to inform their discretion."
....Thomas Jefferson

Sorry, Swing, but I'm with Jefferson on this one - I'm more inclined to
believe that the best thing we can do is to take all steps necessary to
ensure a well-educated and well-informed electorate.

I think those steps should include ensuring that the ill-educated and
uninformed do not participate in the election process _at all_. Those
conditions are, after all, fairly readily cured -- and with education
compulsory through the age of sixteen, and publicly funded, there's little
excuse for not acquiring at least a minimal understanding of how our economic
and political systems work.

Note "_at all_" in the above: an even more important consideration than
preventing those who are ignorant of our economic and political systems from
voting is preventing them from holding office!