Democracy Restoration Act, S. 2017

[therealUT]

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) has introduced a bill, S. 2017, the Democracy Restoration Act that would restore voting rights to individuals after they have served their time and have been released from incarceration. This legislation is ultimately designed to reduce recidivism rates and help reintegrate ex-prisoners back into society. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

Press | Newsroom | Ben Cardin - United States Senator for Maryland

It is about time someone in Congress is proposing this sort of legislation.

 

[bamawriter]

So, the ability to vote will keep ex-cons from reoffending? I'm not totally opposed to this bill, but that logic is beyond stupid. The sponsors should just admit that they want to bolster the Democrat numbers.

 

[utvolpj]

since most are probably drug offenders they would probably be better off voting libertarian

 

[vols4sure]

Ha ha - "If only I was allowed to vote, I would not have been a repeat felon."

Like bamawriter I don't really disagree with allowing them to obtain voting privileges, but there logic is beyond stupid.

 

[Lexvol]

since most are probably drug offenders they would probably be better off voting libertarian

Lack of candidates is the only real problem with that...in national/senate/house elections anyway.

 

[therealUT]

So, the ability to vote will keep ex-cons from reoffending? I'm not totally opposed to this bill, but that logic is beyond stupid. The sponsors should just admit that they want to bolster the Democrat numbers.

I do not agree with the logic; however, I do feel that ex-cons have every bit as much of a right to vote as the rest of the population.

 

[utvolpj]

Lack of candidates is the only real problem with that...in national/senate/house elections anyway.

true but there is likely to be an option in the next Pres election. It's a positive start

if people took the time I think they would find they agree with that stance more than the major parties

 

[Lexvol]

I do not agree with the logic; however, I do feel that ex-cons have every bit as much of a right to vote as the rest of the population.

Granting the right is worth debate. In reality...most ex cons will never care enough to find their way to a voting station anyway. Those that do care or have taken on some sort of political "activism" will likely cancel each other out. I don't think this is a boon for the democratic party.

 

[Gramps]

So, the ability to vote will keep ex-cons from reoffending? I'm not totally opposed to this bill, but that logic is beyond stupid. The sponsors should just admit that they want to bolster the Democrat numbers.

I agree the logic of this bill is beyond stupid.


What is your source that passing this bill will bolster the Dem numbers ?
What percent of felons are Dems ?
What percent of felons are GOP?
What percent of felons that could care less?

 

[therealUT]

The fix for America:

1. Abolish any semblance of a popular vote for POTUS and for Senators.
2. Radically increase the number of US Representatives, so that the citizen is actually represented (while radically decreasing salary and benefits for said reps).
3. Abolish the minimum wage.
4. Abolish corporate income tax.
5. Abolish capital gains tax.
6. Restore flogging for all criminal offenses in which one would plan to put said offender back among the population.
7. Abolish prisons as they now operate; prison should only be for those offenders who will never again see the light of day.
8. Restore the original powers of the jury so that the jury not only decides matters of fact but also decides whether they actually think said event counts as criminal.

 

[Lexvol]

The fix for America:

1. Abolish any semblance of a popular vote for POTUS and for Senators.
2. Radically increase the number of US Representatives, so that the citizen is actually represented (while radically decreasing salary and benefits for said reps).
3. Abolish the minimum wage.
4. Abolish corporate income tax.
5. Abolish capital gains tax.
6. Restore flogging for all criminal offenses in which one would plan to put said offender back among the population.
7. Abolish prisons as they now operate; prison should only be for those offenders who will never again see the light of day.
8. Restore the original powers of the jury so that the jury not only decides matters of fact but also decides whether they actually think said event counts as criminal.

I'd settle for a flat tax, term limits, and legalizing pot. Would also consider some sort of civil punishment (f0r both the attorney and the plaintiff)for frivolous lawuits.

Jails are overused, but I haven't put much thought into how to begin to fix it.

 

[dreVol]

The fix for America:

1. Abolish any semblance of a popular vote for POTUS and for Senators.
2. Radically increase the number of US Representatives, so that the citizen is actually represented (while radically decreasing salary and benefits for said reps).
3. Abolish the minimum wage.
4. Abolish corporate income tax.
5. Abolish capital gains tax.
6. Restore flogging for all criminal offenses in which one would plan to put said offender back among the population.
7. Abolish prisons as they now operate; prison should only be for those offenders who will never again see the light of day.
8. Restore the original powers of the jury so that the jury not only decides matters of fact but also decides whether they actually think said event counts as criminal.

I'd add 2a. Congress should no longer be full time.

I'm curious about point 8. Any literature online you can point me to?

 

[therealUT]

I'd settle for a flat tax, term limits, and legalizing pot. Would also consider some sort of civil punishment (f0r both the attorney and the plaintiff)for frivolous lawuits.

As much as individuals rail against individual tax-rates and tax-brackets, such economic devices have little influence on the actual economy compared to minimum wage laws and corporate income taxes. You lower corporate income taxes and the minimum wage and you invite production. Production directly creates jobs and indirectly creates supporting service industries; thus more jobs (some will argue that technological innovations take the jobs away from persons, anyway; yet, the same corporations are still relying on manual labor production all over the world...so, there is a disconnect somewhere.)

As for legalizing pot; why not just legalize it all? Western history testifies to widespread use of opiates and cocaine with little to no outbreaks of massive violence directly caused by such use.

As for term limits, I am completely opposed. If, for instance, we had an outstanding POTUS why would you want to limit him/her to just eight years in office? Same with Senators and Representatives. I understand that the system can be abused and that it is difficult to unseat a long-time incumbent; however, there are ways to decrease their strangle-hold without limiting the choices of those that put them in said position.

Jails are overused, but I haven't put much thought into how to begin to fix it.

Two great reads:

Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault
In Defense of Flogging by Peter Moskos

The history of prisons is a history of high-recidivism rates and the cultural institution of criminal activity.

 

[n_huffhines]

I'd settle for a flat tax, term limits, and legalizing pot. Would also consider some sort of civil punishment (f0r both the attorney and the plaintiff)for frivolous lawuits.

Jails are overused, but I haven't put much thought into how to begin to fix it.

End the war on drugs. We'll be shutting down prisons left and right.

 

[Lexvol]

As much as individuals rail against individual tax-rates and tax-brackets, such economic devices have little influence on the actual economy compared to minimum wage laws and corporate income taxes. You lower corporate income taxes and the minimum wage and you invite production. Production directly creates jobs and indirectly creates supporting service industries; thus more jobs (some will argue that technological innovations take the jobs away from persons, anyway; yet, the same corporations are still relying on manual labor production all over the world...so, there is a disconnect somewhere.)

As for legalizing pot; why not just legalize it all? Western history testifies to widespread use of opiates and cocaine with little to no outbreaks of massive violence directly caused by such use.

As for term limits, I am completely opposed. If, for instance, we had an outstanding POTUS why would you want to limit him/her to just eight years in office? Same with Senators and Representatives. I understand that the system can be abused and that it is difficult to unseat a long-time incumbent; however, there are ways to decrease their strangle-hold without limiting the choices of those that put them in said position.



Two great reads:

Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault
In Defense of Flogging by Peter Moskos

The history of prisons is a history of high-recidivism rates and the cultural institution of criminal activity.

Thanks for the reading suggestions.

In regards to term limits, I'll stick to George Washington's example.

I don't disagree with the minimum wage argument, but legislatively it is not going to happen until power is decentralized, and distributed from the beltway out.

The flat tax takes all the moral judgement out of the legislation's hands, and will serve to remove the ability to purchase votes using class warfare.

Legalizing all drugs would be fine with me.

 

[therealUT]

I'd add 2a. Congress should no longer be full time.

I'm curious about point 8. Any literature online you can point me to?

Not online; I either read that the following (I remember being pretty blown away by it):

America's Constitution: A Biography by Akhil Reed Amar, pages 238-242:

According to Chief Justice Jay's 1794 instructions to the jury,

Gentlemen, you have a right to take upon yourselves to judge of both the law as well as the fact in controversy. On this, and on every other occasion, however, we have no doubt, you will pay the respect, which is due to the opinion of the court: For, as on the one hand, it is presumed, that juries are the best judges of facts; it is, on the other hand, presumable, that the court are the best judges of law. But still both objects are lawfully within your power of decision. p.238-239

Amar, of course, goes in to more detail, over the course of those five pages, about how this came about and how it ended.

 

[YorkVol]

I'm liking this list. Regarding term limits, if we put the legislature on part time and paid them just enough to live during their term, then most would naturally end up going back to private life just to make ends meet. I'm good with that.

In addition to having a legislative season, I would have a campaign season and would limit all election activity to that period. Anyone caught doing campaign activities outside of that time would be run out of town on a rail (which I would also bring back as a viable form of punishment).

 

[lawgator1]

Democrats propose such legislation to increase the number of lower class and minority voters, who tend to vote Democratic. Just as the Republicans propose legislation to combat imaginary fraud with id requirements and shorter periods of time for early voting to reduce the number of such voters.

 

[bamawriter]

Democrats propose such legislation to increase the number of lower class and minority voters, who tend to vote Democratic. Just as the Republicans propose legislation to combat imaginary fraud with id requirements and shorter periods of time for early voting to reduce the number of such voters.

Votes are disqualified every single year because the individuals in question should never have been allowed to vote. It would save time and money to prevent them from voting on the front end.

 

[therealUT]

Votes are disqualified every single year because the individuals in question should never have been allowed to vote. It would save time and money to prevent them from voting on the front end.

It would save even more time to prevent them from voting, period.

Senators should be appointed ambassadors from the state.

The POTUS should be elected by the Electoral College and their should be no popular vote mechanism directly involved.

 

[gsvol]

It is about time someone in Congress is proposing this sort of legislation.

He might try taking the dead voters off the rolls in Missouri.

The NUMBER ONE problem with the democratic process in America is voting fraud, 99.9% of which is committed by the democrat party.

As for the rights of convicted felons go, they can have all their rights restored after they serve their sentences ans live ten years without reverting to criminal behavior, I think that is fair enough.

 

[KiffinKiller]

sigh

 

[MG1968]

wonder if we'll see legislation that proposes to restore gun-ownership rights to convicted felons

 

[lawgator1]

wonder if we'll see legislation that proposes to restore gun-ownership rights to convicted felons

Unlikely since the GOP can't very well have black people legally owning firearms.

 

[utvolpj]

Unlikely since the GOP can't very well have black people legally owning firearms.

extremely racist to assume a felon would be black. Take off your hood