May 4, 2011 (GBN News): After a firestorm of criticism over the lack of transparency in the coming elections for Community Education Councils (CEC’s), NY City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott has finally offered an explanation for the failure to make public the list of candidates. “Since the linchpin of our democracy is the secret ballot,” Mr. Walcott told reporters, “it only seemed fitting that the names of the candidates on the ballot should be secret.”
In a related story, it was revealed today that Jimmy Carter has turned down a request to monitor the CEC elections. The former President, whose Carter Center has successfully supervised elections in hotspots all over the world, told GBN News, “We’ve assured fair elections in dozens of countries that had no tradition of democracy. But this one’s hopeless.”
“Secret slates of candidates running for powerless councils that are ignored by those who are really in charge,” Mr. Carter continued. “Forget the computer consultant from Turkey. Someone from the former Soviet Union must have been consulting on this election.”
2 comments:
Outstanding article!! LOL
Interestingly, Mr. Walcott doesn't know his history well. The Founding Fathers would be extremely put off by the idea of a "secret ballot". These brave and bold patriots proudly put their names out there and every man knew how every other man voted. No absentee ballots, no machines, etc Secret ballots weren't used until after the Civil War after Australia started using them. They are completely antithetical to transparency (but understandable as to why they are used -- to avoid voter intimidation or sales.) Of course, it may be that lack of transparency that makes the DOE so fond of them.
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