One dollar, one vote.

[hmkpoker]

Another intellectual/political thought exercise.

New tax system: taxes are voluntary. On April 15, you pay as much as you want to your federal, state and municipal governments (based on your choosing). You get a reciept for your payment, which can be later redeemed for voting priviledges.

Each dollar that you pay gives you one vote that you may use in an upcoming election of the government level you gave to. Paying $10 to the Federal government gives you ten votes for the President in the next election. Votes are transferrable.

I open this thread to predictions as to what you think would happen.

[Andrew Karpinski]

A group of super rich individuals pay many billions in taxes, vote for their organization, who's first act of business is to give them their billions back and then some.

[vhawk01]

Which is almost exactly what we have now, except in this new system there is absolutely zero chance of the less wealthy majority being served in any meaningful way. In our current system there is at least a small chance.

[hmkpoker]

A few of mine:

Politically-minded individuals will pay more than non-politically minded individuals.

Upper class people are not necessarily going to have overwhelmingly more votes than the poor (rich people like money, and go to great lengths to get tax breaks, remember. A yuppie could buy a Porsche with what he usually pays in taxes.)

Incentive to pay taxes will not completely vanish; as fewer people pay taxes, there is more value given to your dollar's voting power. At some point, it has to be worth it.

There will be more funding to Municipal and State governments than Federal governments. People care about matters that affect them, which municipal governments impact more directly than federal.

Checks will have to be put on fiat currency providers, to keep them from producing substantial voting priviledges.

Welfare will not be a strong platform, as people who want welfare will probably not want to risk their own money.

[Copernicus]

We will all soon be forced to pray to the god of whatever the richest (in terms of liquid assets) religion in the world is (Catholic church?)

[vhawk01]

I think you grossly underestimate the disparity of wealth in this country. And, of course, the even greater potential disparity that could arise. But yeah, other than that, oligarchies are a real good idea.

[DrPhysic]

You would get one individual or a small group of individuals who are politically minded and have a vested interest in the controls government places on certain interests, who would be willing to put up enough to buy the elections.

If a Paul Allen (one of the Microsoft founders) decided to buy the presidency, he could get B. Gates and a very few others and contribute enough money that it would take a concerted effort on the part of an organization the size of the Catholic church to stop him.

And there are individuals in the computer business, oil, banking, the stock market, etc that all have that kind of money.

If Paul Allen can drop $200 Million on a new boat, (yes, he really has one), or double that on the Seattle Supersonics (yeah, he owns them, too) what could he spend if he decided to buy himself a government to support his business? I truly doubt that one individual could do it. But a group of 15 or 20 similarly minded big players certainly could.

Sorry, it won't fly.

Doc

[hmkpoker]

You guys do realize that you're voting for elected officials and not on individual policies, right?

[vhawk01]

We are voting for a collection of policies. We are forced to accept them in an all-or-none fashion, yes.

[Philo]

What would happen? Um, complete corruption? Just a guess.