[geeks] just to stir things up, a few predictions

[Lionel Peterson]

> From: Charles Shannon Hendrix <shannon at widomaker.com>
> Date: 2004/10/19 Tue PM 05:11:42 GMT
> To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
> Subject: Re: [geeks] just to stir things up, a few predictions
> 
> Mon, 18 Oct 2004 @ 14:56 +0000, Lionel Peterson said:
> 
> > > 2. Very Few (5-10%) of the absentee ballots will be counted.
> > 
> > Well, I think the majority will be counted, I expect there to be a
> > fuss over the "dual voters" (snow birds that live in NY metro area
> > during the summer, and winter in FL - there are many folks registered
> > to vote in both states, and if they are caught, it is a federal
> > crime)...
> 
> Do you think they'll actually prosecute anyone?

Well, if they note the violation and throw out the ballot, then the voter was "disenfranchised" - but if they prosecute, that would have the appearance of "fairer".

They made a big stink about it a year or so ago, so they may be able to do something - but they might not, things are touchy in FL w/r/t elections...
 

> > I want to see a law passed that money rasied inone state has to
> > stay/be spent in that state - that would be fun. I feel sorry for the
> > "battle ground" states, they are being overwhelmed by advertising
> > funded (I assume) by out-of-state contributors...
> 
> Personally, I'd like to see an end to PACs, or at least a drastic
> curbing, and end to negative advertising, and generally something
> like a 99% reduction in the noise level.
> 
> I think the elimination of political parties would go a long way toward
> achieving that naturally.
> 
> At the very least, let's split the presidential ticket and put it back
> like it used to be years ago.

All this "swifty" crap is the direct result of the last attempt at campaign reform - I'd be lothe to adjust it again anytime soon...
 
> > > 6. CBS plauged with with credability problems will drop it's news division
> > >    which has NEVER made a profit.
> > 
> > News insn't supposed to make a profit, that's why the FCC requires
> > networks to have them (actually, it is a public service requirement,
> > but news is the easiest way to satisfy that requirement)...
> 
> Also, it generates a lot of ad revenue both directly and indirectly.

But if Revenue < cost to produce, or even < the profits from Seinfeld reruns, then it is not profitable...
 
> News might not be profitable, but using it to keep eyeballs on the
> screen is *very* profitable.

Good point.