| Steve Glickman, president and founder of the | | | | Personally, I'd be ok with a smaller vote because I'd |
| Democratic Empowerment Party, is a would-be | | | | prefer to have a large income. If that means giving |
| reformer of democracy and defender of the | | | | up some political power to those who need it for the |
| underdog like you've never seen. Hegelian in | | | | greater good, fine. |
| approach, he wants to balance economic power and | | | | PB: A lot of poor people already don't vote. Why |
| political power through a provocative approach he | | | | should they get more of a vote? |
| calls vote sizing. Simple in concept but profound in | | | | Steve: Many are disillusioned because the current |
| repercussion, the idea is to give larger votes to | | | | system doesn't work. Did you know that a hundred |
| people at the lower end of the economic ladder. I | | | | years ago, people arguing against giving women the |
| interviewed this reluctant leader by phone from his | | | | vote said that women didn't want to vote, weren't |
| apartment in Vancouver, BC. | | | | smart enough to vote, and that such a nasty |
| ~~~~~ | | | | business should be left to men? Critics of vote sizing |
| PB: You've come up with a radical idea for reforming | | | | say the same thing about people who are poorer and |
| democracy by weighting votes. How long have you | | | | working class -- that they aren't as qualified to vote. |
| been working on this? | | | | That was also the argument against giving freed |
| Steve: Over 20 years. I developed it as a philosophy | | | | slaves the vote and the premise behind the poll tax. |
| student in university. I realized that there are two | | | | But many women and blacks worked tirelessly and |
| major forces in society -- money and power. Most of | | | | even died securing the right to vote. America has a |
| us believe in the separation of church and state. Well, | | | | history of having low expectations of women and |
| I believe just as strongly that wealth and power | | | | people of color. We want to improve the situation of |
| should be separate. Because when they overlap, we | | | | people who are struggling, but it always seems that |
| get corruption. So the way to separate wealth and | | | | some expert has the answer. I say poor, working |
| power is to increase the power of the powerless by | | | | and middle class people know better than anyone |
| increasing the size of their vote. | | | | else what is going to improve their situation. Let's |
| PB: The principle of one-person-one-vote is sacred to | | | | give them a chance to prove it. So what if they |
| most Americans. What moved you to tinker with it? | | | | don't have a formal education? There is a lot of |
| Steve: I really didn't want to. I avoided it for years | | | | wisdom in poor communities. I believe if we raise |
| because there are a lot funner things to do than | | | | expectations with a weighted vote, the result will be |
| trying to root out corruption and change fundamental | | | | empowerment, responsibility and progress. But I don't |
| democratic principles. But I took a trip to Indonesia a | | | | obsess about what they will vote for. I have enough |
| few years ago, and I witnessed first hand the awful | | | | faith in people that I think they deserve a chance to |
| effects of powerless poverty. As I talked with so | | | | figure it out for themselves. That's democracy at |
| many desperate people who had no power to | | | | work. |
| change their situation, I realized that they had a lot | | | | PB: The last two presidential elections, some people |
| of wisdom but no way to realize their ideas. It broke | | | | believe, were stolen. How would vote sizing address |
| my heart. So I decided I to summon up my courage | | | | that problem? |
| and become a full time advocate for vote sizing. | | | | Steve: Vote sizing would use paper ballots with |
| PB: I don't know when I've heard of such a radical | | | | printed bar codes and offline scanners to insure |
| idea for changing a fundamental principle. Why so | | | | autonomy, accuracy and a paper trail. But election |
| drastic? | | | | fraud, like electronic voting, is only one tool that |
| Steve: Is it drastic? I'm not an anarchist, corporatist, | | | | tyrants use to disenfranchise us; there's also |
| socialist, communist, fascist, or fundamentalist and I'm | | | | gerrymandering, payola, a dumb-downed debate, |
| not for one world government. I just want to work | | | | shadowy appointments, foreign meddling, and more. |
| within government to move it toward more | | | | Also, tyranny is only one of corruption's four sides - |
| democracy. | | | | the other three being brutality, patronage and greed |
| PB: More democracy? But isn't vote sizing unfair? | | | | - so there's a lot we need to fix. Vote sizing is not a |
| Steve: Is it fair for some people to have all the | | | | magic pill to make all our problems go away; it's a |
| money and all the power, while the rest of us have | | | | democratic reform so we the people can elect |
| neither? Is it fair for children to be born into poverty | | | | sensible, honest leaders who care about all of our |
| with limited or no opportunity to ever get out of it? I | | | | fates, and not just corporate and super-wealthy |
| know some people point to examples of poor people | | | | interests. That's why I don't trust so-called experts |
| working themselves out of poverty. And yes, the | | | | who say they have all the answers. It's not them but |
| system always allows a few to escape. But the | | | | we the people who know how to keep corruption at |
| current system will never allow the majority of poor | | | | bay. |
| and working class people to achieve a decent | | | | PB: Do you really think this could ever come to pass? |
| standard of living. It's rigged to prevent that from | | | | Steve: It's a challenge because it's outside the box of |
| happening. And the middle class is always teetering | | | | what people consider democratic. But think about this: |
| on the edge, just one major health emergency away | | | | before 1920, was the US a democracy? Most people |
| from powerless poverty. Most of us are so | | | | would say yes, even though half the population |
| preoccupied with making ends meet that we have no | | | | couldn't vote for the president or congress. So |
| energy or time to focus on the corruption that oozes | | | | democracies can always be more democratic. We |
| back and forth between government and industry. | | | | should remember that women's suffrage came after |
| That's what's unfair! | | | | a century of struggle. Before women's suffrage, no |
| PB: You are so passionate about this. Why? | | | | one except the visionaries could see its inevitability. I |
| Steve: I'm pretty much terrified of the path we are | | | | see vote sizing as the next reform that brings even |
| on. I don't know why more people aren't as scared | | | | more fairness, so it's inevitable. But it still will take |
| as I am. A few counterfeit leaders and insulated | | | | time and encounter plenty of resistance. I would just |
| puppet-masters cannot continue to dominate the | | | | challenge people to set aside the sanctity of |
| rest of us and the environment this way much | | | | one-person-one-vote for a day and see what is |
| longer. There will be disastrous consequences - it's | | | | possible. |
| already happening. There's one man in Africa who is | | | | PB: Would you have to change the constitution to |
| as scared as I am of this situation. And he's even | | | | put this in place? |
| more courageous than I am. Julius found my website | | | | Steve: The US constitution would have to be |
| four years ago and is working to establish a branch | | | | changed for federal elections and charters for local |
| of the party in Cameroon. He doesn't have a degree | | | | elections. But you can use vote sizing anywhere |
| or subscription to the Wall Street Journal, but he is | | | | people vote for anything. We have a business model |
| very smart, brave and authentic. He assists local | | | | that would give janitors and secretaries weighted |
| university students in writing their papers on subjects | | | | votes to elect the CEO. We also propose weighting |
| of history, philosophy, African and English literature. | | | | votes inversely to students' grades in schools when |
| I don't think it's fair that he has to save up his | | | | it's time to decide the curriculum. Like in politics or |
| money to go to the internet café just to | | | | business, vote sized learning encourages cooperation |
| email me, that is, if the power is on. I have so much | | | | rather than competition, which could really help our |
| respect for this man. He literally risks his life when he | | | | schools. |
| gets on the radio or in the newspaper promoting | | | | PB: How can people get involved? |
| democratic reform. Some of his friends and neighbors | | | | Steve: I'm so glad you asked because vote sizing is |
| tell him he is wasting his time and that rich people will | | | | really about the voices of the people, and not so |
| kill him if he continues, but he says he isn't doing this | | | | much mine. There's plenty of ways people can get |
| for himself but for future generations. I'm passionate | | | | involved at They can brainstorm ideas and engage in |
| about increasing his power because I want him and | | | | dialogue online. They can become a member of the |
| billions of people like him to have a chance to live a | | | | Democratic Empowerment Party. They can start |
| decent life. | | | | their own local chapter. We need lots of courageous |
| PB: But why do you want to punish the wealthy? It's | | | | people who have faith in each other to step up and |
| not their fault that others are poor, is it? | | | | join the effort. Leadership positions are available. |
| Steve: I don't want to punish anyone. That's like | | | | ~~~~~ |
| saying that giving the vote to women or freed | | | | Don't be surprised if a South American chapter of |
| slaves was done to punish men or plantation owners. | | | | the Democratic Empowerment Party is announced |
| I want the wealthy to keep their money and | | | | soon. Glickman plans a trip to Cartagena, Colombia for |
| participate in a healthy capitalist economy. But to be | | | | the month of February 2008 to recruit people who |
| fair, they shouldn't also have the power. If they need | | | | will promote vote sizing in South America. He'll be |
| power, they can choose that - but they'll have to | | | | taping his adventure to document the early |
| reduce their income to get a weighted vote. | | | | development of the DEP's Colombian branch. |