[WyldKard]

Probably a good thing Finneran is a Dem but one probably more conservative then most of our electorate( hes certainly more conservative then Ted Kennedy or Barney Frank).

That still doesn't excuse his dictatorial actions. If the people are going to vote like idiots, thats their perogative. The moment we start "saving people from themselves", it becomes a socialist dictatorship. Yes, I know Taxachusetts is already a de facto socialist dictatorship, but we shouldn't encourage it to become de jure.

[weikel]

I will qualify my statment. I do not believe people have a right to vote themselves things that aren't theirs and I tend to think of right wing monarchies/dictatorships as good things because they keep the liberals among their populations in line thus protecting the productive citizens from the mob of looters. Democracy is good only when it makes good decisions( like the income tax repeal initive) but it has no inherent virtue over monarchy and in the end always leads to socialism. Without Finneran Taxachussetts would probably sink into another Dukasis disaster.

[weikel]

And as Heinlein says voting is always an exercise of force to impose your will on society. No its not people perogative to vote like idiots because they ruin the lives of non idiots.