Letter: Alternative ways to choose leaders
Voters trickle in to cast their ballots in the primary election at the Joseph A. Edgar School on Tuesday morning in Rocky Point. (Sept. 10, 2013) Credit: James Carbone
With local elections in progress and the outrageously large amounts of money donated to fund campaigns, perhaps it is time to consider a better way of selecting our leaders ["Millions in ad spending," News, Nov. 1].
Instead of getting superb leaders, we often choose from the lesser of evils and wind up with officials who are obligated to serve their contributors.
Consider a method that simply elects the candidates who receive the most money. This would save the taxpayers the expense of an election. It's a foolish scheme, but it would be more honest.
Consider another method: The ancient Athenians chose legislators by drawing lots from among all citizens. This method has the virtue of possibly deferring financial influence until after the representatives are seated.
Robert M. Goldberg, Jericho