[ELS]

Finally, if you are on public assistance and pay no income taxes, you don't get to vote in local or federal elections.

That is moving back toward the Founders' idea of only permitting property owners to vote. It makes a lot of sense and tends to avoid what de Tocqueville saw - the ability of the people to vote "themselves largess out of the public treasury."

[econjack]

Exactly. With more “takers” of public funds (51% now) that those paying for spending, the system is doomed if things don’t change. Take a look at Greece, for example.