The event, Public Pension Tsunami: Closer to the Shore?, is a discussion presented by Pacific Research Institute.

It will be held at the City Club of San Francisco and will be moderated by Brian Calle Editor-in-chief, Calwatchdog.com and PRI Senior Fellow.

“When I heard that Christina’s pension tour is now in California, the 13th state on her tour, I was excited to collaborate with her about this pervasive economic crisis”, stated Calle.

“Attending this important discussion about the top budget issue facing governments across the Nation, will cap my tour here,” stated Tobin.

“I am honored to join with leading reformers in a non-partisan effort. The goal of Free and Equal is to help foster a unified front,  and to build Nationwide awareness for these dynamite organizations”, added Tobin.

Tobin has been touring the United States, city-by-city and county-by-county, releasing government employee pension numbers, highlighting  the problems of special interest money in the electoral process.

Event details:

Public Pension Tsunami: Closer to the Shore?
Thursday, May 17, 2012 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The City Club of San Francisco
155 Sansome Street
San Francisco

Luncheon Cost: $30 per person

For more information please contact Cindy Chin at cchin@pacificresearch.org or (415) 955-6110.

Top Two, is a plan that, when adopted by an election district, allows only the top two vote getters in a general primary to advance and effectively would eliminate third party candidates from the general election, delivering a tremendous blow to this country’s election process.

“Stop Top Two,” founded by “Free and Equal” in 2010 to fight California’s Proposition 14 from implementing a Top Two system in the state, has been expanded and now aims to stop the adoption of Top Two elections nationally. California’s Proposition 14 passed with the help of corporate money, but only by a slim margin. While Free and Equal’s work to bring down Proposition 14 garnered a significant amount of opposition to the Top Two system in California, it did not stop the idea from popping up in other states including Arizona and Washington.

Recently, the Libertarian and Democratic Parties of Washington State challenged its Top Two system. Free and Equal, which works to foster a fair election process in which independents outside the two-party system can participate in the electoral process, plans to file an amicus brief in that case and encourages the court to reaffirm the Constitutionally protected right of any citizen to stand for office.

Top Two systems, although they can technically differ based on language, are notorious for implicitly shutting out third parties by implementing hefty ballot registration requirements, fostering a hostile mainstream media and promoting massive spending early on in the primary race. These tactics undeniably put third parties at a disadvantage due to the ethical nature of their fundraising which does not include massive corporate bankrolling such as is the tactic of the major parties.

Despite the advantages the ruling parties have already built for themselves, they push to implement Top Two election systems in states nationwide to ensure that a pesky third party can never disturb their one party, two faction rule ever again. Imagine – being given the option of only two pre-screened candidates on Election Day – and worse, by law! Can you say, Oligopoly?

Advocates of Top Two argue that any candidate could run in the first round of voting – the general primary – only after which would the field be reduced to the top two candidates. Nonetheless, they fail to acknowledge the fact that relegating third party candidates to the first round will deprive voters of the important role third parties have played in general election cycles by injecting fresh ideas into debates and ultimately playing a part in deciding elections.

“The only difference between the Republican and Democratic Parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the ground when corporations knock on their door,” Ralph Nader said.

Free and Equal Elections and third parties ask you, the voters, to stand for integrity and to stand against Top Two systems nationwide, or else we could soon see ourselves with a closed system by which we vote for “Republicrat Inc.”

Example: until recent public outrage prompted a change in legislation, it was legal for members of Congress to trade stocks, based on insider information. Poor Martha Stewart—if only she’d been a Congressman!

Americans of all political ideologies agree that our politicians have stopped being public servants. Rather, they act as if We the People are theirs!

Bob Dylan is finally correct: “But the times, they are a changin’.”

The New York Times said a new “Super PAC” is making incumbents “nervous.” Nervous?

How about outright scared? Campaign for Primary Accountability, with its role in the shocking defeat of career politician Jean Schmidt in the Ohio Republican primary, is on the move.

Congressional elections are not working,” said Eric O’Keefe, chairman of the Campaign for Primary Accountability. “Public approval of Congress is below ten percent, but 90% of incumbents are easily reelected. The only way to hold incumbents accountable is primary elections.”

O’Keefe said he is pleased with the early results the organization has had in showing the citizens how to confront Congress’ bipartisan ruling elite.

Campaign for Primary Accountability is already playing a vital role in leveling the playing field between the people and the halls of power.

Previously announced was Sheriff Richard Mack of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association.

The event will be in Chicago, where Mayor Rahm Emmanuel has been pressuring the State legislature to adopt draconian anti-gun legislation. Larry Pratt, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America, will also speak, to explain how the anti-gun lobby has held Illinois as the last state banning concealed carry.

Mr. Pratt said of the proposed legislation, “Of course Chicago’s gun control experiment is a failure. Chicago has a murder a day, doesn’t it? At Free and Equal’s summer event, I will lay the groundwork for Chicagoans to reclaim their 2nd amendment rights. An armed society, is a polite society. Criminals shouldn’t be the only ones with guns!”

Christina Tobin, founder and chair of ‘The Free and Equal Elections Foundation,’ explained that the event will have many leaders from across the political spectrum speaking.

“This event will be exciting! Singer-songwriter Jordan Page (well-known in the Liberty movement), will kick-off the event with the performance of a new song written exclusively for Free & Equal Elections.”

“All attending will share one belief– that laws shouldn’t be made by a tiny group of connected, largely unelected people for the majority of Americans,” said Ms. Tobin.

“The first step toward reforming politics is fighting for free and equal elections, that is, a level playing field for the candidates, and we are all coming together to work for that,” she concluded.

Ho hum, why bother to vote – it always turns out Establishment 1, voters nill. But, what if this time there was something new in American politics?

What if there was a group that came up with a different approach for us all? A group with a serious plan to help third party candidates have a true chance to win? Wouldn’t that be cool?

Surprise! Such a group now exists. It’s called Americans Elect.

A not-for-profit, funded exclusively by individual contributions – sorry, no candidate funding allowed – ‘Americans Elect’ will conduct the first-ever, directly democratic presidential nomination process by holding a “virtual” primary season online.

This unique nomination process aims to bypass the traditional process of the major parties where the financial and political backing of party insiders often means as much as popular support.

By bypassing entrenched party politics, Americans Elect expects to foster working unity between the Left, Right, and everyone in between, against narrow special interests in Washington. The presidential nominee of Americans Elect must pledge to nominate a Vice President of a different party affiliation than their own, a move which could create a powerful, broadly appealing ticket.

For instance, it might feature Ron Paul and Ralph Nader, piercing through their differences to highlight their shared stand against the Washington establishment.

Whether or not the Americans Elect ticket wins in November, the victories they have won for third party ballot access alone will foster free and equal elections in the future.

Should we dismiss this as mere political maneuvering? Minority constituencies typically favor Democrats, so perhaps the Administration seeks to retain their easy access to the polls.

But that really is a distraction from the greater point.

Namely, would ‘voter i.d.’ foster fair, free, and equal elections? Or not?

Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News and election law expert, notes that such would risk disenfranchising those who don’t possess identification, such as elderly and urban populations, many of whom don’t possess driver’s licenses.

Fraud prevented by voter ID laws is rare.

According to Winger, “Voter fraud usually concerns absentee ballot fraud. Also, there are instances when people who are not yet citizens, vote. But an ordinary photo-ID does not say if one is a citizen, so photo-ID laws don’t help with that problem either.”

Christina Tobin, president of ‘Free and Equal,’ summed the situation well: “The real problem is the two-party system. They politicize and distract from the issue. You can BET that whatever either party proposes, it will be designed to work in their favor, not in our citizenry’s favor. True electoral reform is the solution.”

Free and Equal will host an election reform conference in Chicago dedicated to providing a forum for grassroots activists disenfranchised from the two party system to discuss common goals and strategies for electoral reform.

Since sheriffs and peace officers swear oaths directly to The Constitution, as the overreach of the federal government expands, they face a conflict of duty and conscience in enforcing new federal dictates. In response to these difficulties, some sheriffs and peace officers have formed the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association.

Headed by former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack, a current Congressional candidate in Texas’ 21st district, the association aims to create support among government officials struggling to preserve their oath to the Constitution against growing federal pressure.

In 1997, Sheriff Mack and Sheriff Jay Printz of Montana challenged and defeated provisions of the Brady Act, which forced local law enforcement to conduct federally mandated background checks on gun applicants. With the introduction of laws legalizing indefinite military detention, an endless destructive drug war, and even crackdowns on farmers who sell milk, the need for principled law enforcement is more pressing than ever.

“What we need right now is a peaceful movement uniting both the left and the right against of the erosion of our Constitutionally guaranteed liberties.” said Sheriff Mack. “As part of this effort, sheriffs and peace officers sworn to uphold the Constitution can, should, and will be the dedicated defenders of the people’s rights.  When law enforcement sets a high standard by critically examining the constitutionality of their own actions, there is an essential protection against the abuse of power.”

Law enforcement today is increasingly forced to make tough Constitutional and ethical judgments. We citizens should support those local officers who courageously stand up for liberty.

Christina Tobin, founder and chair of ‘The Free and Equal Elections Foundation’ attended CSPOA’s annual convention January 30th in Las Vegas, and will attend their April 3rd fundraiser in Buena Park, CA. The Foundation enthusiastically supports Constitutional awareness among law enforcement officers as part of the fight to provide locally elected alternatives to federal control.

Sheriff Mack will speak at an upcoming ‘Free and Equal’ event this summer in Chicago.

For more information, go to www.freeandequal.org.

Our drug laws are supposed to combat destructive drug dependency, yet in Portugal that goal was actually achieved by legalizing all drugs. The rest of the world is discovering that problems which may arise from drug abuse may be successfully approached as treatable medical and therapeutic issues, instead of criminal cases.

Yet even as many healing properties have been discovered in marijuana, arguments for legalization have been ignored. Our federal government effectively erases state laws protecting their medicinal usage,denying treatment to and even imprisoning those dying of terminal illnesses.

But there is hope. By using the power of the ballot box, Americans can fight the two-party syndicate responsible for the absurdity of imprisoning people for the victimless “crime” of attending to their own health. From across the political spectrum, people are supporting state and local movements for the legalization of marijuana.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, a campaign supported financially by the Marijuana Policy Project, is promoting a ballot initiative in Colorado that would, as the campaign name suggests, regulate marijuana usage in the state in a manner similar to alcohol.  If successful, Colorado’s initiative would send a strong message nationwide that the American people say no to our costly, counterproductive War on Drugs.

“The people of Colorado have the opportunity this year to end the irrational system of marijuana prohibition in their state,” said Steve Fox, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project. “And should they do so, which we expect they will, they will send a strong signal to the rest of the nation that the days of the federal government imposing marijuana prohibition on all 50 states need to come to an end. Both parties in Washington have overseen a spending orgy on the war on marijuana for the past four decades. After dumping hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into a black hole, it is time for a new approach — to say the least.”

Only about ten percent actually approve of Congress!

Is it surprising that the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street, have risen as major movements?

Despite massive numbers of people forming and joining OWS and the Tea Parties, and their wide popularity, the Establishment has ignored them. It has pretended that the grassroots was but an irritant. Insulated by massive money contributions from corporations and unions, the Establishment could afford to do so– until now.

But despite rivers of money, even Establishment candidates cannot simply bludgeon the electorate.

They still need support from citizens to win elections. Mitt Romney for example, the candidate of large monied interests, has faced great difficulty gaining grassroots support, which has typically favored less financially connected candidates, like Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. Significant support of alternate candidates increasingly represents a challenge to the Establishment. For decades, support by large donors equated to political power. Today however, the electorate on both sides of the aisle is awakening to, and sickened by, the old system of rule by the connected few.

Since it can no longer ignore such modern movements, the Establishment is trying to co-opt them, by using its financial power and two-party organizational strength, to deploy false institutions that claim to speak for the movements. This has already occurred within the Tea Party, even prompting co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots’ Mark Meckler to resign in February.

The same ‘take over at the top’ undercurrent is occurring in the infrastructure of Occupy Wall Street. Elites who presided over the Bush and Obama administrations, now work to divide and drain current grassroots activism.

The co-opting of real voter choices, can be ended. The two-party system has overridden the grassroots for too long.

Americans deserve a clean election system. Growing voices from true movements such as the Tea Party, OWS, and others that are rising, will rapidly erode the pre-decided Establishment elections.

Yours in Freedom,

Christina Tobin

NOTE: Free and Equal Elections Foundation will hold a Chicago event this Summer, to unite electoral reform leaders from across the political spectrum.

But has this policy, the diplomatic equivalent of shooting first and asking questions later, really resulted in the lessening of violent Islamic extremism in the Middle East? In 2003, President Bush claimed that American forces were helping the Afghanis “secure their country, rebuild their society, and educate all their children.” Over a decade later,can we still claim to believe in this nation building by force in the Middle East, or have we further unleashed the forces of religious factionalism by endless, boundless wars? Though the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan went well in their early stages, it soon became clear that the plan for the reconstruction of those nations ignored the complex political arrangements lost in the simplified presentation of a single enemy in the case for war.

Now the same false premise of a monolithic enemy is again being sold in the case against Iran. The media always simply presents a monolithic Islamic regime headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But the supreme religious leader Ayatollah Khamenei actively fights for power with the secular administration of Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad is himself the target of aggressive censorship by Iran’s supreme religious leaders, who openly regard him as a political rival.

Ignoring Iran’s internal political conflicts allows the assumption that Iran wouldn’t shy from its assured destruction should it use nuclear weapons, and would embark on an apocalyptic mission to annihilate Israel, regardless of any retaliation from the West. This simplified narrative of impending cataclysm ignores the voices of those who have studied the complex motives of the Iranian regime, who don’t see Iran as suicidal. General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently stated in an interview that he believes Iran to be a rational actor.

Indeed, though it seems like a distant memory, prior to President Bush’s identification of Iran as part of the “axis of evil”, Iranians held a vigil in memory of victims of the 9/11, and even offered support to the US in its mission to track down Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. As one further investigates the history and political situation of Iran, the simple narrative of the single-minded apocalyptic Iranian threat dissolves like the political fairy tale it has always been.

Pakistan, for example, has existed as a nuclear-armed state with a similar internal conflict between radical Islamic and secular forces for over a decade, without them embarking on a first strike. To facilitate peace in these nations, America should approach them without the presumption of their malice, which would tip the delicate balance of power toward the liberalized elements of the society.

America cannot continue fighting wars based on mere suspicions which no hard facts have confirmed. Widespread internal discontent with oppressive rulers in the Middle East is itself the best weapon against the plots of a narrow, non-representative interest of radical religious leaders. Yet Republicans and Democrats have been edging us toward war with Iran since 2001, only increasing the power and influence of the violent radical Muslim minority in that country by our threats.

Your Bill of Rights has been stripped by Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), signed into law January 1, 2012.

The small section is easy to miss when reading through the 565 page Bill, but it’s potent.

It authorizes the use of military force and indefinite detention without trial against anyone, including United States citizens, if suspected of “hostilities” against the US.

Is this a declaration of war against the citizens of the United States? It IS a direct violation of due process, afforded under the Bill of Rights.

Post-9/11, Congress panicked and authorized stunning new government instruments including the Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act, which encroach upon privacy, civil liberties, and basic human dignity. The State is now further strengthened by Section 1021.

From police harassment of peaceful Occupy Rochester protesters to the proposed introduction of national identification cards, the reach of Government to diminish the liberties of Americans keeps growing, and growing FAST.

We surrender even more of our civil liberties to the government’s lure of safety and security. TSA gropes our children, our elders are stripped of human dignity by invasive bodily searches, and all American travelers are treated as potential criminals.

Question: have these demeaning measures really made us safer?

Americans are waking. In a unified group, members of the tea party, occupy movement, and Libertarians protested NDAA, particularly Section 1021, February 13, 2012, in Medford, Oregon. Congressman Jeff Landry (R-LA) has proposed a bill to overturn unconstitutional Section 1021. Of course, so did heroic Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX).

“Let’s stop the election fixing, and start fixing the electoral process! We can elect representatives who stand for freedom and the Constitution!” thundered Christina Tobin, founder and chair of The Free and Equal Elections Foundation. “Our freedoms are under attack by our own government! It’s time to remind Congress, of its duty to the Constitution.”

…and better than ever!

‘Free and Equal Elections Foundation’ announced today the early 2012 launch for their revamped website at www.freeandequal.org.

Building on the last set of website upgrades, the new web design will upgrade both appearance and functionality, featuring an enhanced social networking application that is organized by state using an interactive map, and loaded with useful information about congressional candidates, and news and events for Free and Equal state caucuses.

The 2012 campaign season is moving fast. As the year progresses, Free and Equal friends and allies will be able to use the new website to keep citizens and media professionals up-to-date with pertinent political news, and let the politicians and lobbyists know that the people are watching. Our goal is to empower every American citizen to have free and equal access to the ballot, and our political process, whether as a candidate or voter.

Our project is well underway, but we need your help in the form of your most generous contribution. Confidence is government is at a new low, and our nation needs new choices and new ideas, now more than ever.

You can donate here. Thank you, and we would love to hear your feedback any time.

The ‘Free and Equal’ Foundation came out today in support of the ‘County Sheriff Project‘ and its upcoming conference.

The project, led by Sheriff Richard Mack, aims to instill in our country’s sheriffs, a deeper understanding of the U.S. Constitution. It will train them to judiciously use their authority to better protect the rights of county residents, Nationwide.

The ‘County Sheriff Project’ will host an educational conference in Las Vegas, January 29 – 31. Organizers expect at least 200 sheriffs to participate. Christina Tobin, founder and president of ‘The Free and Equal Elections Foundation,’ also will be in attendance.

“Citizens’ freedom is being eroded by a Federal government that increasingly disregards our Nation’s Constitution,” Tobin said.

Tobin concluded, “The ‘County Sheriff Project’ is apolitical. It seeks to ensure the personal liberties of everyone. We need sheriffs more than ever. They are the primary defense citizens have, regardless of their politics. From OWS to the Tea Party – everyone – we all need to unite for electoral reform. More-than-ever, the Sheriffs will be necessary to help protect the people – all the people.”

Recently, I read the story of the Christmas Truce again. I encourage you to read the story linked below, but in short, in 1914 English and German soldiers laid down their arms, crossed the no-man’s land of WWI trench warfare, and celebrated Christmas together. Their leaders were horrified, that men would question whether they were really enemies, and why they were killing each other, and took extreme measures to restore a state of war.

This led me to think about politics in America today. What our nation’s founders called “the spirit of faction” has divided our people, and paralyzed our political institutions. Divisive rhetoric is used to gain temporary partisan advantage, with little thought given to the long term consequences for our civil institutions. Likewise, moderates and idealists, factions in their own right, too often resort to slandering each other.

Meanwhile, the evidence of decline is everywhere. Polls show that trust in our political leaders is almost nonexistent. Millions of Americans have dropped out of the political process altogether. Populist movements have arisen on all sides, and protests are increasingly common. As long as standards of living continue to decline, civil unrest will remain the elephant in the room. Corruption is evident in many places, and legitimate questions about the integrity of the election process remain unanswered. History is replete with similarities that we would do well to carefully consider.

Yet each day brings us a new chance to make things right. The stale, stock propaganda – the old stories – ring hollow, because we can now tell each other our own stories. Every day on the internet we share these stories with each other. In the process, we show each other that we are not so different after all. We have the same dreams, the same needs and desires, the same happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow, hope and despair. We care about our neighbors, by and large, and want a society in which together we can prosper. We’re willing to work if we think the system is fair. We want our children to grow up in a world worth living in.

We are at a crossroads. The politics of divide and conquer are being challenged on all fronts. We can continue to pursue partisan advantage, while our country declines around us. Or we can begin to celebrate the things we have in common as human beings. As Americans, we have in common a unique inheritance – the greatest and most ambitious experiment in government the world has ever seen. We have made great progress, and I am far from convinced that our best days lie in the past.

I call upon all Americans to take a stand. We neither need to, nor should, stop advocating for people and causes we believe in. What we must do is change our tactics, and recognize that those who understand the need for unity, in other factions, rank higher as allies than those in our own factions who do not understand. If you feel stronger facing the future in brotherhood rather than enmity – if you believe America should enjoy the fruits of peace, rather than the spoils of war – if, like me, you love the people of this country so much, that sometimes it feels as if your heart is about to split your chest – you will come together to resist those who care only about themselves, or their partial society – their party – their faction. Cease fire!

your friend,

Chris Edes
Free & Equal New York Caucus Leader

P.S. Check it out: http://hnn.us/articles/memory-christmas-truce

John Hilton, CEO of Bessemer Trust, said he’s never seen clients so frustrated with the state of affairs in Washington, in his 42 years advising ultra high-net worth investors.

Alan Ungar of Critical Capital Management put it bluntly: “People are pissed. This isn’t about taxes. It’s about the partisan dynamic.” Ungar’s clients average $1.6 million or more in assets invested with the firm.

Several of Jim Heitman’s clients are usually active in their parties. An adviser with Compass Financial Planning in Alta Loma, California, whose average account size is $1.3 million, Heitman says some of his clients are using the money they earmark for political contributions to pay off mortgages on vacation homes or to invest in alternative assets like gold. According to Heitman, “the attitude is increasingly ‘a pox on both their houses.’”

“Who isn’t upset with the two major parties?” said Christina Tobin, Chair of The Free & Equal Elections Foundation. “The list of excuses for the status quo has just about run out.”

“The United States of America was founded as a great experiment in self-government,” said Chris Edes, Free and Equal New York Caucus Leader, and member of the Occupy Rochester (NY) Electoral Reform Working Group. “We believe the most exciting work remains to be done. We could not be more pleased to see people across this great nation discarding the shackles of apathy, and stepping forward to lead.”

Free & Equal Founder and Chair Christina Tobin added: “As we did two years ago when we began to engage members of the Tea Party, countless numbers of whom have demonstrated true grassroots activism, we now greet the Occupy movement with open arms. We believe in empowering people regardless of ideology or affiliation.”

As part of the outreach effort, Free & Equal will offer to educate activists about reforms such as Instant Runoff Voting, Proportional Representation, Term Limits, Initiative and Referendum, and other avenues of change.

In addition, Free & Equal will be offering advice and assistance to any Occupy group which wishes to run candidates for public office. “It is our hope that the Occupy movement will take their grievances to the ballot box, and hold their leaders accountable,” said Edes. “There are many cynical and unfair barriers which the establishment has put in place, to deny the people access to their ballot. We will help the Occupy movement overcome these barriers.”

Free & Equal does not endorse or favor any specific reform, and does not endorse candidates for public office.

On January 1, 2010, an Alabama bill to open up access to the ballot for independents and third party candidates, lost in committee by one vote. Also, on September 10, 2009, the California State Senate defeated an Instant Runoff Voting bill by one vote.

What if a third party candidate had been on the Alabama committee, or in the California State Senate? One vote could get a candidate elected, who would then be that one vote, which could reform our electoral system, and open the door to more independent and third party candidates. What if it was YOUR one vote? Next time you think your vote doesn’t count, think again. America needs good people to get involved and be active in their government. Democracy can work but it needs more people to get involved.

Rochester Tea Party leader Chris Edes issued a formal statement today, demanding Mayor Richards cease arresting Occupy Rochester protesters immediately.

“If we allow Mayor Richards to violate the First Amendment rights of the Occupy Rochester protesters, what is to prevent him from doing it to the Tea Party?” said Edes.

“The purpose of the law requiring city parks to close at 11pm is to deter crime. When dealing with First Amendment issues, the government must use the least restrictive means possible to achieve their goals. Requiring everyone to leave is clearly not the least restrictive means, even if the Mayor could point to specific instances of crime, which so far he has not. Mayor Richards’ actions are unconstitutional and if necessary, he will be held accountable in a court of law.”

Edes also noted that the Tea Party shares some common goals with the Occupy Wall Street movement. “It is the Federal Reserve, along with the banks and investment firms, and their lackeys in government, which created our economic crisis. This is becoming increasingly obvious to Americans of all political persuasions. It is shameful that Mayor Richards believes he can stifle the peaceful expression of outrage over this fact.”

Edes plans to join this afternoon’s march on City Hall, demanding that Richards cease his unlawful activity.

After the first round, if no single candidate has a majority of “first choice” votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is dropped, and the dropped candidate’s “second choice” votes are substituted (since the “first choice” i.e. that candidate has been dropped). This process is repeated until a single candidate has a majority. Thus, the “lesser of two evils” problem is eliminated and democracy thrives anew.

The following is reproduced with permission from the Californians for Electoral Reform website. See the original at:

http://cfer.org/outreach/pressreleaseSept2011.pdf

***

Second poll confirms Ron Paul strength among California Republican Delegates, lack of willingness of Ron Paul supporters to consider other candidates

An official “straw poll” released by the California Republican Party on September 17 showed U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas an overwhelming winner 44.9% support with in a crowded field of presidential candidates. That percentage was echoed with 45.8% of first place votes in a simultaneous survey taken by nonpartisan Californians for Electoral Reform (CfER).

The CfER poll shows a closer race for second place among California GOP activists, with 16.2% of first place votes for Rick Perry and 13.2% for Mitt Romney, compared with 29.3% and 8.8% respectively in the official straw poll. Michele Bachmann placed fourth with 7.2% (versus 7.7% in the straw poll), Newt Gingrich was fifth with 3.9%, Rick Santorum was sixth with 3%. Tied for seventh place with 2.4% each were Herman Cain and write-in candidate Sarah Palin. Seven other candidates shared the remaining six percent of first place votes.

What makes the CfER survey interesting is that participants were asked to rank as many candidates as they wanted, putting the number “1″ by their first choice, “2″ by their second favorite, and so on. Ranked Choice Ballots give each respondent the opportunity to express who they favor most and who else they are willing to accept in a fallback position.

Among the 76 GOP activists who ranked Ron Paul number one in the survey, 25 declined declined to mark a second choice, nearly one-third of those voting. The 91 ballots showing other first-choice candidates had only 3 GOP voters declining to make a second choice. This indicates a strong dedication of Ron Paul supporters for their candidate. Of 51 Paul supporters marking a second choice, 28 (54.9%) went to former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.

ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS OF
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL SURVEY
Conducted at California State Convention, September 16-17, 2011

In this survey, 167 ballots were collected and tallied. 84 votes (the whole number of ballots larger than fifty percent) are required for a majority of the votes cast. Only number “1″ choices are counted in the first round. If no majority is achieved, the lowest ranked candidate(s) is/are eliminated in the next round, and each ballot is transferred to the next preference of each individual voter whose earlier choices had been eliminated. Only the highest ranking still active on any ballot is counted in any given round. To learn more about Ranked Choice Ballots, see www.cfer.org or www.fairvote.org

ROUND ONE
All number “1″ votes were counted with subsequent numbers ignored on this round. All ballots bearing just “X” or check marks were counted as a single vote shared fractionally by all candidates so marked. Tally shows votes in the following amounts: Ron Paul 76.5, Rick Perry 27, Mitt Romney 22, Michele Bachman 12, Newt Gingrich 6.5, Rick Santorum 5, Herman Cain 4, Sarah Palin (write-in) 4, Jon Huntsman 2, Gary Johnson 2, Fred Karger (write-in) 2, and with one vote each, write-ins Chris Christie, Jim DeMint, Rudy Guliani, and Alan Keyes. Ballot listed candidates Thad McCotter and Buddy Roemer received no first place votes.

ROUND TWO
Candidates Christie, DeMint, Guliani, Keyes, McCotter and Roemer were eliminated and b allots transferred to the second choice of each voter for eliminated candidates. Candidates Bachmann, Huntsman and Perry each pick up one vote, with one ballot exhausted (showing no further valid choices).

ROUND THREE
Candidates Johnson and Karger (lowest remaining with 2 votes each) eliminated. Candidates Huntsman and Paul each pick up two votes. Count now stands at: Ron Paul 78.5, Rick Perry 28, Mitt Romney 22, Michele Bachman 13, Newt Gingrich 6.5, Jon Huntsman 5, Rick Santorum 5, Herman Cain 4, Sarah Palin (write-in) 4, exhausted ballots 1.

ROUND FOUR
Candidates Cain and Palin (lowest remaining with 4 votes each) eliminated. Candidate Bachmann picks up 4 votes, while Gingrich and Paul each pick up one vote, and 2 ballots are exhausted. Count now stands at: Ron Paul 79.5, Rick Perry 28, Mitt Romney 22, Michele Bachman 17, Newt Gingrich 7.5, Jon Huntsman 5, Rick Santorum 5, exhausted ballots 3.

ROUND FIVE
Candidates Huntsman and Santorum (lowest remaining with 5 votes each) eliminated. Candidate Perry picks up 3 votes, Gingrich and Romney 2 each, with one vote each for Bachmann and Paul. One ballot is exhausted. Count now stands at: Ron Paul 80.5, Rick Perry 31, Mitt Romney 24, Michele Bachman 18, Newt Gingrich 9.5, exhausted ballots 4.

ROUND SIX
Candidate Gingrich (lowest remaining with 9.5 votes) is eliminated. Candidate Romney picks up 5.5 votes, Perry 2, with one each going to Bachmann and Paul. Count now stands at: Ron Paul 81.5, Rick Perry 33, Mitt Romney 29.5, Michele Bachman 19, exhausted ballots 4.

ROUND SEVEN
Candidate Bachmann (lowest remaining with 19 votes) is eliminated. Candidate Perry picks up 7 votes, Paul 3 and Romney one vote. Eight ballots are exhausted. The final count stands at: Ron Paul 84.5, Rick Perry 40, Mitt Romney 30.5, exhausted ballots 12.

ROUND EIGHT
Having surpassed the majority threshold of 84 votes, U.S. Representative RON PAUL of Texas is declared the winner of this survey.

RANKED CHOICE BALLOTS

Used in several countries, and in many organizations (including by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to choose the Oscar winner for Best Picture), there are numerous names for Ranked Choice Ballots. They include Alternative Vote, Enumerated Ballots, the Hare System, Instant Runoff Voting, Preference or Preferential Voting, and the Single Transferable Vote.

When only one candidate is to be selected, this vote-counting system requires that the winner achieve at least 50% of the vote from the active ballots. Usually that means a majority among the most popular candidates remaining after elimination of less popular candidates have been made in earlier rounds.
To learn more about Ranked Choice Ballots, see www.cfer.org or www.fairvote.org

Californians for Electoral Reform

CfER is a nonpartisan civic group which promotes only two reforms: use of Ranked Choice Ballots and Proportional Representation.

New York City – Free & Equal will Co-Host Liberty Fest NYC this Saturday, September 10, from 5pm-11pm at the Club Amnesia, on 609 West 29th Street in New York City.

Liberty Fest NYC brings activists, authors, bloggers, artists and musicians from different political backgrounds and parts of the country together to celebrate the cause of Liberty. The event has drawn an impressive roster of speakers, including NY Times best-selling author and Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Tom Woods. Other speakers include philosopher Stefan Molyneux; singer/songwriter Jordan Page; Scott Horton of antiwar.com, Andrew Schiff, Director of Communications and Marketing for Euro Pacific Capital, Kevin Zeese, Executive Director of Voters For Peace, former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack; Free & Equal Founder and President Christina Tobin; former Congressional candidate Adam Kokesh; Gary Franchi, founder of the RTR.org social network; and 2012 Libertarian Presidential Candidate, RJ Harris, among others.

LibertyFest NYC is being sponsored by The Free & Equal Elections Foundation, Taxpayers United of America, the Manhattan Libertarian Party, the Free State Project, Voters For Peace, Antiwar.com, the Republican Liberty Caucus, Liberty-Candidates.org, Restore the Republic, DB Capitol Strategies, Freedomain Radio, Patriot Polls, and TruthSquad.TV.

“This year’s LibertyFest provides a great opportunity for people from many political backgrounds to exchange ideas and discover common ground,” Free & Equal Founder and President Christina Tobin said. “Free & Equal is proud to be a part of it.”

Tickets, info and sponsorship & vending opportunities are available at http://LFNYC.com.