 Danial B. Jeffs, founder The Direct Democracy Center |
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Danial B. Jeffs, founder The Direct Democracy Center |
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Dan Jeffs has worked in the criminal justice system for many years. He is a fiercely independent voter, and the author of America's Crisis: Democracy and Education and three novels. Dan's passion for real democracy grew out of running for public office and writing his first novel, Black Robes on White Horses, which is disturbing account of the Supreme Court gaining absolute power in the country. His search for a solution for too much government and not enough democracy resulted in founding the Direct Democracy Center.
WE NEED NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TIME -- TO RE-EXAMINE OURSELVES
THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION'S LEGACY
David Holman's letter
Daily Press - October 12, 2003
EMPLOYEE STRIKES RELATE TO HEALTH CARE COSTS
THE BETRAYAL OF EDUCATION IN AMERICA
WHAT ENERGY POLICY?
FIX TAXATION AND GOVERNMENT SO THEY WORK FOR US
Re: A Case of Hit and Myth: The Thanksgiving tale November 27, 2003
THE MEDIA CENSORS IMPORTANT LETTERS THAT DON'T FIT ITS CULTURE
IGNORING THE MAJORITY
THE CONSEQUENCES OF ILL-PERCEIVED BOYS
WE NEED NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS
Published in the Los Angeles Times - April 14, 2004
(voter initiative nearing qualification for the November ballot)
I am in complete agreement with the nonpartisan ballot measure that would allow California voters to pick any candidate in a primary election. In fact, I would support a stronger measure that would make state government and all elections nonpartisan.
The two-party system has proven to be a social, political and economic failure, costing Californians too much and holding us hostage for too long. It's time for common sense in government instead of senseless, partisan power struggles at our expense.
Considering what's been going on in Washington, maybe it's time to amend the Constitution and break the two-party grip on our federal government. Indeed, it is clearly past time for voters to assume the front row seat in making public policy.
Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
DDC
Re: A Case of Hit and Myth: The Thanksgiving tale is fact gilded with a ton of useful fantasy
by: Margaret Finnegan - November 27, 2003
Los Angeles Times
UNGRATEFUL THANKSGIVING REVISIONIST
It's deeply disturbing that it comes as no surprise to read yet another politically correct revisionist's offering from those who are determined to demonize America, and to destroy our traditions -- Thanksgiving in this case. Indeed, it is simply a shame that there are shallow and presumptuous frauds who selectively interpret our history without making allowances for the life and times of the Pilgrims, the Indians, and other early Americans and those who fought to make America's freedoms possible.
Still, without a shred of understanding that no one can know what really happened throughout history unless they were there and experienced it, Margaret Finnegan and others of her ilk and arrogance condescend to judging and reconstructing historical events, people and their environment as if it were happening now.
Worse, Finnegan teaches creative writing at Cal State University Los Angeles, wherein, like so many others in the education establishment who espouse moral relativism, she is undoubtedly contributing to the warping of young minds. Alas, it appears that the author fits the unfortunate mold of the miserably ungrateful. And her creative writing appears to be little more than destructive commentary about Thanksgiving to promote an underlying political agenda.
DDC
FIX TAXATION AND GOVERNMENT SO THEY WORK FOR US
November 23, 2003
The state vehicle tax is an economy-sensitive monster that it rears its ugly head when we least expect it. Instead of accepting the tax as a necessary evil, we should understand that when the tax was first levied (many years ago), it was intended for roads. Since then, Sacramento has re-assigned the taxes to fund local emergency services such as law enforcement and fire departments. That's why it's a hot-button issue. But it's highway robbery when taxes are imposed for one reason and used for something else.
California government has grown so large and inept -- because of unreasonable taxation, empire-building, excessive spending, usurping the power of local governments and stealing our property taxes -- that when the state mismanages our money, we and our local governments suffer the most. However, there are ways to reduce taxes and to fix taxation so it works for us, instead of against us.
For example, the state should only receive enough sales and income taxes to fund lawmaking, the courts and prison systems, and a reserve fund for emergencies. Local governments and local control are much more accountable to the people and should receive all property taxes and other reasonable taxes for education, law enforcement, emergency services and other services deemed necessary. There should be standardized vehicle registration fees to fund the Department of Motor Vehicles and Highway Patrol. And gasoline taxes should be tailored to fund roads.
While on the subject of big, inept government, accountability and reducing taxes, the federal government should be limited to what the Constitution intended instead of the grossly inefficient and expensive bureaucracy it has become. Passing the fair consumption tax proposal struggling in Congress would be a giant step in the right direction.
DDC
WHAT ENERGY POLICY?
November 22, 2003
Like most important issues decided by the Washington suits who claim to represent our best interests, the partisan debate over the federal energy bill is tantamount to a childish group of shallow minds arguing over a game of marbles. Without going into complications created by irrelevant parts of the bill, the fact is, we must have an energy policy that ensures energy stability, security, reliability, and consumer-friendly supply and demand. But that won't happen. Instead, glaring EPA mistakes such as MTBE and ethanol gasoline additives -- that do more harm than good -- dominate the discussion when they should have been eliminated years ago. Unfortunately, exacerbated by selfish interests and the onset of the 2004 election season, the outcome is almost certain. The people lose. And that must change, along with the elected who won't.
DDC
THE BETRAYAL OF EDUCATION IN AMERICA
November 20, 2003
Enough is enough, when it comes to denying a failed education system in crisis. There is a critical need to adopt proven core education programs in our schools. Indeed, curriculums that work, coupled with high standards for teaching, are absolutely necessary to overcome and resolve the disgraceful problems caused by decades of experimentation that robbed generations of students of their education and left them functionally illiterate.
However, it must understood education decay created systemic problems in a deeply flawed system wherein many parents and teachers -- who came from those generations of students betrayed by the progressive education establishment -- are unable to teach their children and students. Even today, curriculums in teacher's colleges are relegated to "how" to teach, not "what" to teach, simply because teachers are under-educated and not required to know "what" they teach.
Nevertheless, it has become painfully clear that after traditional education curriculums were rejected and taken over by the new establishment, the education system was reduced to ruins by radicals, revisionists, political correctness, thought police and the high cost of unabated failures of good intentions. The results of those exercises in futility have left parents and teachers in the dark, educators with instinctual resistance to change, and students mired in factories of ignorance and warehouses of violence -- which is simply unacceptable. Education must be fixed or there will be no future for our children.
DDC
EMPLOYEE STRIKES RELATE TO HEALTH CARE COSTS
October 15, 2003
Employee union strikes against major supermarket chains and the Los Angeles MTA bus system are primarily the result of health care costs soaring out of control and the inability of workers and employers to pay for adequate health insurance. This is nothing new. It's been going on for years, unabated.
Why? Simply because government and the courts have been unable or unwilling to stem the rising tide of fraud, waste and abuse in the health care and medical malpractice industries. Combined, the predators and parasites have caused health care costs to escalate because of insurance fraud and abuse, unreasonable malpractice lawsuits and jury awards, fraud and abuse in the worker's compensation system, fraud, waste and abuse of the Medicare and Medicaid systems, and profiteering by the pharmaceutical industry.
Government's failure to act is unacceptable. Passing the buck to employers and employees is unacceptable. Universal health care is unacceptable. Self control and self policing in the health care and medical malpractice industries is nonexistent. Cracking down -- really cracking down -- on the offenders is the only acceptable solution to affordable health care.
DDC
Re: David Holman's letter
Daily Press - October 12, 2003
Note: Mayor David Holman, along with two Apple Valley town council members, was recalled from office with the largest voter turnout and margin of votes for presuming that the only democracy that existing in our town rested solely with them. They were recalled because they wrongly attempted to force density housing upon a town wherein 1/2 acre residential lot sizes was a rural way of life and the reason why people moved to Apple Valley.
DEMOCRACY AT WORK
I was pleasantly surprised by former Apple Valley Mayor, David Holman's letter supporting real democracy. It's good to know that one of our own took his experience with democracy to heart and learned from it. Needless to say, Gray Davis and company have no intention of doing the same.
During the recall of California Governor Gray Davis, he said that it was undemocratic to overturn his 2002 re-election. The mantra was quickly taken up by the media and career politicians throughout the country. Then they attacked the recall process in California by saying that the recall was wrong and the process should either be made more difficult or simply eliminated. The voters proved them wrong. But the electorate has more work to do.
Clearly, the recall rules need to be changed. However, rather than weaken the process, it should be strengthened to restrict the person being recalled from taking any official action during the recall, other than emergencies, particularly if the official being recalled is the governor. The same rule should apply to any outgoing governor after a general election.
Moreover, the California Constitution needs to be amended to maintain more control over the Legislature's intentional last minute, overwhelming, stack of special interest and pork-filled bills that can hardly be properly scrutinized by the governor or taxpayers, and which automatically become law if the governor doesn't sign or veto them. Davis already signed 884 bills into law before the deadline, and it's unknown how much more damage is going to be done.
Surely, the activities of the Legislature and the Governor should be limited during the months leading up to an election or budget deadline. The California Legislature is just as responsible for the energy crisis and the enormous budget deficit as Governor Davis. As Lt. Governor Bustamante admitted -- referring to California government -- during the major recall candidate debate, "We spent too much." Therefore, like Davis, the violators in the Assembly and Senate should be strongly considered for recall.
Daniel B. Jeffs
Apple Valley, CA
THE MEDIA CENSORS IMPORTANT LETTERS THAT DON'T FIT ITS CULTURE
January 4, 2004
I have been fortunate to have a number of letters published in major newspapers and news magazines -- such as USA TODAY, The New York Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, Time Magazine and US News & World Report -- regarding a variety of social, political and economic issues or events.
However, to get my letters published I have had to restrict my comments to current media sensations, acceptable tie-ins to news reports, editorials or commentary, and to limit my criticism to that which fits the media's ideology. Indeed, when it comes to the importance of pointing out the damage extreme feminism has done to relationships, families, men, women and children; or commenting on the divisiveness, hate and discontent perpetuated by the selfish interests of racial activists and the diversity culture; or condemning the academic establishment for robbing generations of students of their education; or criticizing the media culture, which suffers from the unintended consequences of cloaking itself in bias; or advocating the need for less government and more democracy -- such letters and the needed balance of views and dialogue from people outside the culture's parochial parameters are deemed politically incorrect, heavily edited, censored and/or simply ignored.
Unfortunately, with few exceptions, television news media are worse, even more condescending and detached from reality, and they don't or won't share people's feedback unless it fits into their way of thinking (C-Span not included). Any doubts were dispelled when I witnessed New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd's snide and awkward comparisons of President Bush and Tom Brokaw at the National Press Club's 2003 Fourth Estate Award dinner for the NBC Nightly News anchor (held 11-19-03 and subsequently aired on C-Span). Dowd's veiled attempt at humor seemingly entertained the media elite in attendance, but she was typically arrogant and about as subtle and satirical as political train-wrecks, Al Franken and Michael Moore.
Most people are informed about what's supposedly going on around them by what they read, see and hear from the major news media. Yet it's troubling to know how reticent the media is about impartial objectivity. And it's troubling to know that many important issues and events are intentionally under-reported or unaddressed, and that most people are unapprised of vital information. It's even more troubling that freedom of the press is a constitutional guarantee, and the media vigorously defends that right, yet they (often unwittingly) censor the very people they are supposed to watch out for and defend. I guess CBS whistleblower (author of Bias: How the Media Distort the News) Bernard Goldberg is correct, and that's highly disturbing.
Certainly, glaring examples of bias and censorship have been manifested by media's partisan coverage of the war against terrorism since the September 11, 2001 attack on America and, currently, the war in Iraq. Indeed, it's frightening to observe how the media have consistently attacked President Bush and his administration with anti-war themes, negative reporting and undermining the morale of the military and the confidence of the people, while failing to report and or to call former president Clinton and his administration to account for his lack of action against terrorism leading to the attack on America. Surely, our security and our future -- and the betrayal of democracy, education and the core of America's culture -- is the heavy price society is already paying...
Oops! Now, my letters will probably be blacklisted.
Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
The Direct Democracy Center
IGNORING THE MAJORITY
December 28, 2003
Media critics' worthy efforts at explaining the media's predicament in our increasingly polarized society of extremes leave the most important issue largely unaddressed. There is much more to the highly disturbing trend than the increasingly opinionated blab-fests and speculation seminars which have infested the news media. Simply put, the majority of Americans occupy the center of the social, political and economic spectrum, and they are being ignored. Indeed, they feel betrayed.
C-Span notwithstanding, the media's easy (some would say lazy) concentration on sensationalism, fear journalism, and political ideologues from the left and right, dominate the news scene and national dialogue. That's what makes the majority suspicious and that's why they don't trust much of what they're exposed to by the media. Even with 24/7 news coverage, the increased influence of the Fox News Channel, and the liberal news networks who now emulate their format, the whole story and many important the facts go begging.
Even more troubling are the core realities behind the mistrust and confusion. Distorted facts, revised history, divisiveness and intense opinion have reduced our education system from the necessities of learning to indoctrination by the left, including schools of journalism. And that fact certainly matters to the uncertain future of the majority and everyone else this fragile society, replete with extremes, and a dangerous age of terrorism.
Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
Re: USA Today's debate: Boys' and girls' learning differences. "Boys' academic slide calls for accelerated attention"
THE CONSEQUENCES OF ILL-PERCEIVED BOYS
December 22, 2003
It is encouraging to know that serious attention is focused on the drastic decline in education for boys. However, the main reasons for academic erosion went curiously unaddressed by USA TODAY'S editorial and Dr. Shaywitz's studied contribution.
Several years ago, there was an analytical conclusion that it was girls, not boys, who were being slighted by the education system, wherein boys received the attention, girls were ignored and not treated equally. Unfortunately, the study avoided the fact that girls do well in school because they mature earlier than boys, or that girls usually do better in school than boys, or that boys catch up later. Now the ill-perceived problem is reversed. And there are manufactured, underlying hazards for boys. But sadly, there are few willing to spell it out.
Simply put, the (not unintended) consequences of feminists' demonization of boys is the reason why young males are not doing very well in school or anywhere else. Moreover, treating boys with ignorance and drugs to control their behavior, coupled with the female majority of teachers relating mostly to girls in the classroom, is the result of female teachers being educated to believe girls are good, boys are inherently bad, and that females are superior to males.
What is going on in schools is tragic, socially and academically. In addition, consider how vividly and negatively males are depicted in the revisions of history and in books, movies, television programming and commercials. If the disparities are not corrected soon, the results could be disastrous. Society is already paying heavily for social extremes and the failures of good intentions.
Daniel B. Jeffs, founder