DIRECT DEMOCRACY

San Bernardino Sun
August 20, 2015

Time to turn our government around

Re: “Can California cut gasoline usage in half in 15 years? Probably not” (Aug. 12)

California government punishing the populace

Look what’s happening to Californians: The California political elite in Sacramento and elsewhere are leading activists, and indoctrinated voters to punishing businesses and the populace with insane laws, which will surely result in a self-imposed collapse of our economy, our security and our society.

Highlighted by the costly miseducation of our students, strangling our energy resources, electricity, transportation, personal and business income with onerous regulations -- deceitful voter-approved Propositions, including a stupid bullet train – Californians are literally under siege by a destructive ideology.

Alas, taken together, Assembly Bill 32 cap and trade, Proposition 30, extreme taxation and now Senate Bill 350 cutting gas use by 50 percent, coupled with AB 109 and Prop. 47 criminal releases and sanctuary cities, and opening prison and jail gates, releasing criminals to prey on the people in the middle of an unjust war against the police, our first line of defense, is bad government that needs to be replaced by limited government and real democracy….

Indeed, at a time when California’s authoritarian government is trying to eliminate voters’ constitutional rights to initiative, referendum and recall, it’s time to turn government around.

Daniel B. Jeffs
Apple Valley

Riverside Press Enterprise
July 13, 2015

Greece betrayed Democracy

Since the birth of Democracy in 5th Century BC, Athens by Pericles, Greece has betrayed democracy by using it to establish a self-destructive society strangled by self-imposed socialism. Indeed, the Greek people became too reliant on government providing them with all the benefits of living without responsibility, and rejecting government austerity.

Clearly, in the centuries since the success of Pericles direct democracy, it has been demonized as being the tyranny of the majority and the people voting themselves largess. However, a socialist-style society is vulnerable to be consumed by Communism, wherein a dictatorship government owns everything, including the people, who have no rights, no property, and become slaves of the state.

Alas, the world knows that through many years of tyrannical monarchies, the dictatorial socialism/fascism such as Germany and Italy -- and the scourge of Communist Russia, China, North Korea and Cuba -- are the mortal enemies of freedom.

Indeed, America became the hope of the world by separating from a monarchy with a revolutionary war and establishing a unique constitutional republic of representative democracy and all the freedoms that came with it -- for as long as we could hold on to it. And we have, against and all enemies, foreign and domestic. Yet, even here, the tyranny of the minority and the evils of socialism have grown and persist with indoctrination, government growth and the abuse of power.

Surely, with the additional threat of terrorism against us, we have reached critical crossroads and must recover and survive. The only way to do that is to truthfully inform the people and establish a direct representative democracy, wherein professional government managers – not politicians – are elected. They must be confirmed each year, and must truthfully inform the voters. Voters would decide all matters of taxation and public policy. We can do that with a 28th Amendment to the Constitution.

Greece lost its roots of democracy and failed. America cannot to the same.

Daniel B. Jeffs
Apple Valley

Wall Street Journal
January 21, 2013

Time to re-examine ourselves

At a time when our society has reached an all-time divisive high stemming from the cultural revolution, it is surely time to stop and re-examine ourselves. Particularly, when -- over the last few decades -- we have become a high tech superficial society of social aggression, political terrorism, economic repression, selfish interests and extremes.

Indeed, when our unique democratic constitutional republic has been distorted, circumvented and compromised by liberal indoctrination, dumbed-down education, relentlessly destructive government growth, laws, regulations and dependency -- replete with litigious predators and parasites, the unnecessary expansion of the psychology industry, intensely revolutionized technology and communications, and the corrosive nothingness of the entertainment industry -- the absolute necessity of personal responsibility and freedom is losing.

Clearly, we are living in an anxiety society exacerbated by visceral, self-destructive politics and a world mortally damaged and threatened by unrelenting Islamic terrorism. Too many of us escape into the cyber space fantasyland in the denial of reality and consequences, while being enveloped by the undue influence of meddlers, peddlers, self-serving pitches, and government abuse of power.

Unfortunately, an overall recovery of American life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and exceptionalism will not happen without -- painful social, political and economic experiences -- the restoration of family stability, work ethic, honesty and integrity. Fortunately, there is time to re-examine ourselves. And we must, before it's too late.

Fortunately -- in terms of overcoming our greatest threat of overwhelming government -- advances in technology could provide us direct representative democracy by means of voting networks wherein we elect well-compensated nonpartisan professional government managers -- subject to annual confirmation -- instead of professional politicians. All elections would be held over the voting networks. Voters would be truthfully informed and could communicate with their representatives. All matters of taxation, spending and public policy would be decided by the voters. A 28th Amendment to the Constitution establishing the system of direct democracy voting networks for all states would do nicely.

USA TODAY
December 15, 2012

Re: Online balloting could attract millions to the polls
USA TODAY - Dec. 14

Online registration and voting is long overdue

Considering the advances in computer technology, there is no reason why voters should not have secure voting networks in every state facilitating voter registration and voting in all local, state and federal elections.

indeed, the true will of the people is seldom expressed, particularly when only about half of eligible voters are registered, and about half of registered voters vote, making most elections decided by about 25 percent of voters.

In addition to registration and voting, the voting networks should provide communications between voters and their elected representatives wherein voters are truthfully informed and able to express their views on issues to their representatives.

More democracy makes for more voter participation and better government. It's as simple as that.

San Diego Union-Tribune
November 12, 2012

Letters: U.S. political landscape

Appoint managers to run government

Clearly, the 2008 election and 2012 re-election of Democrat President Obama and his manipulative regressive/progressive agenda -- opposed by the of-and-on compromising conservatism of Republicans -- shines a glaring light on the reason why America has been in steady decline.

Indeed, after nearly a century of the two-party system of political factions -- and creeping socialism infecting our traditional conservative culture -- our nation has turned into a superficial entitlement society of selfish interests, social aggression, political terrorism and extremes.

Surely, the government-caused unaffordable housing, financial and employment crash, government growth, taxes and insurmountable debt is making it painfully clear that the -- nowhere-to-be-found in the Constitution -- two-party system is counter-productive to our liberty, security, freedom and prosperity.

Therefore, a novel idea for a solution might be found in the establishment of nonpartisan direct representative democracy by means of secure voting networks, wherein truthfully informed voters elect well-compensated professional government managers -- subject to annual confirmation -- instead of professional politicians. And the voters would decide all matters of taxation and public policy -- of course implemented by the 28th Amendment to the Constitution.

Alas, without fundamental change, we can certainly expect not so happy Thanksgivings, not so merry Christmas's, unhappy New Years and substantial losses of jobs, freedom and prosperity.

Daniel B. Jeffs
Carlsbad

Apple Valley Review
(Daily Press)
March 20, 2012
Opinion

MY TURN

The future of America and the 2012 election
By Dan Jeffs
Apple Valley Review

People's civic ignorance of American history up to the present, is an indictment of parents' irresponsibility and the misfeasance of the public education system.

Public ignorance is how dishonest social, legal, political, academic, media and economic brokers prey on society for personal gain, influence and power.

The 2012 presidential elections will be the most important elections of our lives. It will be a choice between President Obama and congressional Democrats continued transforming of America from a Republican constitutional free market, individual freedoms and limited government society, to an unconstitutional socialist society of government expansion and the consolidation of power in Washington.

'Wag the dog' politics will be our undoing if we don't wise up to the self-corrupting two-party system, the quid-pro-quo of campaign financing, and the betrayal of professional politicians pushing their un-American ideology and personal power ahead of our Constitution and the best interests of the people.

I believe the only way to save ourselves and our freedom is to amend the Constitution establishing nonpartisan direct representative democracy with secure voting networks connected to voters' homes. Elected representatives would be highly qualified, well-compensated, nonpartisan professional government managers instead of professional politicians. Representatives would be subject to annual confirmation to remain in office.

All elections would be conducted over the voting networks. Voters would be able to communicate with each other and with their representatives. And the voters would decide all matters of taxation and public policy. Plus, the voters would have the right of national initiatives, referendums and recall, and to amend the Constitution. State's rights and the people's existing rights and protections contained in the Constitution would not be affected.

Apple Valley resident Dan Jeffs is a retired San Bernardino County Sheriff's detective, author and former member of the San Bernardino County Grand Jury. He may be reached through his website, http://www.realdemocracy.com