Foundation for Better Government

The goal of this non-partisan Foundation is to present and invite ideas for improving the structure and the quality of government performance on a continuous basis. Every government must be responsive, responsible, efficient, economical, and free of corruption.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Election Commission By T.S. Khanna, October 27,2016.


Foundation For Better Government,


Election Commission
T.S. Khanna, October 27,2016


Like at every election, in the current presidential election people wonder where is the election commission hiding, what is it doing, and what are its responsibilities?

For survival of democracy, public confidence in the election process and its results is absolutely essential.  There seems to be a noticeable erosion in public confidence which has been  building up during the last several decades.

To reconstruct and re-establish the lost confidence, it is recommended:
1.     No personal attacks on and degradation of the opposing candidates be allowed.  The complaints re the inadequacies and deficiencies of personal and public character of the opposing candidates be registered with the election commission to verify and inform the public in a dispassionate, impartial, and fair manner.
2.     No false claims, fabricated or misleading “truths or facts” in candidates campaigns or speeches be allowed.  Non-conforming candidates be disqualified by the election commission.
3.     Require the candidates and the media to stick to the candidates’ proposed plans, policies, and programs and their comparative analysis for public enlightenment.  The Constitutional freedom of the media is rooted in impartial journalistic integrity, not in advocacy journalism.
4.     Make sure, beyond any doubt, that dead citizens do not keep voting as they have been caught doing in the past.  Some believe that the number of dead voters has been rising: 1.8 million voting in critical areas.
5.     Make sure, beyond any doubt, that non-citizens are not able to vote.  Some believe that the number of non-citizen voters has been rising.  This is a silent invasion on American sovereignty.
6.     For quality control of electable public officials, adopt and enforce pre-requisites for the candidacy of each public position, with equal opportunity for all.  All candidates must be free of foreign influences.  Such an influence is a camouflaged invasion on American sovereignty.
7.     For quality control of voters, adopt and enforce adequate pre-requisite for the taxpayers to qualify as voters, with equal opportunity for all.

      For a candidate, if winning is everything, for the taxpaying voter, fairness of the election process and quality of the elected candidate is everything.

    Quality control of the candidates, the voters, and the election process is the government’s responsibility.  To squarely discharge its responsibility, a non-partisan election commission with adequate powers must be established soon.  The commission may operate under the administrative control of the Supreme Court.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

2016 Presidential Election, By T.S. Khanna, October 16, 2016


Foundation For Better Government,


2016 Presidential Debate
By T.S. Khanna, October 16, 2016.


If elections are the heart of democracy, American democracy is on life support.  The two candidates, Clinton and Trump, seem to be solely running on the issues of personal character: one is accused of public offenses (official E-mails), the other of personal offenses (violation of women, ten to thirty years ago).

It is like the accusers giving the candidates a mud bath during the drought when all mud may not be washed off due to the water shortage.  In their case, it is the time shortage       ( only three weeks till election) to clear off the accusations.

In most elections, some may vote for the candidate they like, but most people vote for the candidate whose opponent they dislike, or for the candidate whom they dislike less.  In this election, a large number of voters are facing a dilemma: under equal opportunity, they equally dislike both the candidates for their personal character.

Leaving aside their persona, it is about time to evaluate the policies they propagate on national issues.  The voters deserve to know the policy differences and their pros and cons re the issues:              (a) Security, (b) Defense, (c) Foreign Affairs, (d) Economy, (e) Immigration, and, (f) Law and Order.

During the short time left till election, the candidates and the media are urged to focus their attention on the national issues of significance to enlighten the voters for their best judgment.