re: Seattle issues ‘Democracy Vouchers’ to voters

I just read about this through the Seattle times.

LINK /

The writer spins it through rose colored glasses as being a great way to get people to be more actively engaged in the city wide democratic (governing style not political party) process, which it very well may do. However it is still spending someone else's money. The fact that you don't have to be a registered voter to even qualify is insane to me.

"Wayne Barnett, executive director of the elections commission, said one aim of the program is to get more people involved in the electoral process. People who contribute to campaigns are later on more likely to volunteer and more likely to vote, Barnett said."

People are engaged when it's their own money. Someone else's money will not engage them nearly as much as the politicians "hope".