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Why We’re Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People

whitehouse.gov

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Re: Why We’re Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People

#62
post #5

Because they'd like to be less responsive to citizen concerns? 10,000,000 / 25,000 = 400 responses/yr. I'd like to believe our government could deliver slightly more than one well-considered response per day.

I think that's a really simplistic view of how government works. These are not simply problems being proposed. These require, in almost every single case, multiple departments working together along with (a) a lot of deep thinking by the parties involved, and (b) a measured response that must get run through no less than 20 people (my guess) before it becomes an "official response". You think they can achieve "more than one per day"? No chance.

Re: Why We’re Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People

#63
post #53
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For conflicting evidence, I would point to the California initiative process, which is the reason California's government is nonfunctional and almost bankrupt right now.

California's government is nonfunctional and almost bankrupt right now because California is a One-Party State, and that party likes to buy itself votes with other people's money and then get people like you to blame everything wrong on someone else. Give the Entitled Party credit: they've destroyed the state's finacial situation, but hey, they've got a total lock on the state. So its all been a big success on the on…

California Republicans are essentially as bad as California Democrats, at least on the local level where Republicans sometimes win. I'd personally take Washington State Democrats over virtually any politicians in California. Politicians and voters in California are just terminally insane.

Re: Why We’re Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People

#64
post #26

Wow, that infographic is misleading. http://cl.ly/image/2n1H2Q0z1919 They quote that "162 responses" number right after saying "petitions must receive 100k signatures", when none of those responded to had to have received 100k signatures. Additionally, 2.1 million signatures (responded to) divided by 162 petitions (responded to) is an average of 12,963 signatures per petition. The largest petition ever - obviously an…

It seems like their goal is to maintain a threshold such that x petitions get responded to, where x is a number they can manage and afford. I highly doubt x is actually zero, so they will probably adjust the threshold in the future if needed.

Re: Why We’re Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People

#66
You can raise limit all you want, you will not dodge issues we are interested in. Even if we have to make our website(s).

I've been thinking how to celebrate accomplishments of Aaron Swartz and I think being active on Demand Progress is a good way, for start. There are some other ideas, but ideas are easy to come by, I think joining and propping already working ideas is more important.

Just my 2c.

Re: Why We’re Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People

#67

"We were really hoping that you'd voice your dissatisfaction with government in a very limited way and over trivial things. Now that you're calling us out on real issues, we're going to make it much, much harder!"

Yes. Now that we're giving official responses on building a death star, it's just gotten too real.

Re: Why We’re Raising the Signature Threshold for We the People

#69
post #64
post #26

Wow, that infographic is misleading. http://cl.ly/image/2n1H2Q0z1919 They quote that "162 responses" number right after saying "petitions must receive 100k signatures", when none of those responded to had to have received 100k signatures. Additionally, 2.1 million signatures (responded to) divided by 162 petitions (responded to) is an average of 12,963 signatures per petition. The largest petition ever - obviously an…

It seems like their goal is to maintain a threshold such that x petitions get responded to, where x is a number they can manage and afford. I highly doubt x is actually zero, so they will probably adjust the threshold in the future if needed.

Why not just say "We'll respond to the top X petitions per 30 days" then?
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