Proportional representation defined

The Oxford Dictionary online offers the following definition of proportional representation:

"an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them"

This is, of course, wrong.

Proportional representation is not "an electoral system" at all. It is the desired outcome of an election, and a principle underlying several families of voting systems designed to achieve this outcome.

The definition could be greatly improved by adding one letter: "any electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them".

But this is still inadequate. Although the accurate translation of votes into representation is the immediate goal, the ultimate aim of fair voting reform is nothing less than the transformation of our political culture.

There are basically two types of voting systems—proportional systems and winner-take-all systems.

Winner-take-all, or "majoritarian" systems are designed to divide us into winners and losers.

A few winners, and lots and lots of losers.

Proportional voting systems are win-win systems. The goal is to provide representation for all, so that all voices are heard, and all the stakeholders are at the table when the decisions are being made.

Proportional voting respects and promotes diversity.

Proportional voting systems require the sharing of power. They are designed to create a more consensual type of government and a more civilized style of politics.

Above all, they are designed to give voters the power to hold politicians and political parties accountable.

And an end to phony majorities will make Government accountable to Parliament, as it should be.

Neon News 120211 Will you be my Valentine?

Hey Fanz!

Get your love on early with Rambunctious at The Lula Lounge on Sunday, February 12.

With The Holy Gasp and Jumple.

$8

Doors open 8 pm.

Also coming up in February:

Rambunctious

La Palette

492 Queen Street West,
Saturday, February 18, 2012

On the bar at midnight!

And the next night . . .

Gordon's Acoustic Living Room

The Free Times Café

320 College Street (west of Spadina)

Sunday, February 19

8 - 11 pm

no cover, no minimum

and yet more Rambunctious!

Mardi Gras

El Mocambo

454 Spadina Avenue (at College)

Saturday, February 25, 2012

What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland's School Success

http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&articleID=1015598382&ids=dPoUe30Udz4MciMRe3wUdP8Qcj0Nb3AMdjcOe3oNc34IczwPe3ARdj4MciMPcPsMe3sMcz0N&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod2-b-ttl-1&ut=0lWu9Sjy2Kal41

Yet one of the most significant things Sahlberg said passed practically unnoticed. "Oh," he mentioned at one point, "and there are no private schools in Finland."

This notion may seem difficult for an American to digest, but it's true. Only a small number of independent schools exist in Finland, and even they are all publicly financed. None is allowed to charge tuition fees. There are no private universities, either. This means that practically every person in Finland attends public school, whether for pre-K or a Ph.D.

Neon News 111201 - Holiday Party Time

Been to El Mocambo lately? Now's the time!

http://www.opsbattleofthebands.com/index.html

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Big Trouble Band

Battle of the Bands

El Mocambo

464 Spadina Avenue

Doors open 6 pm. We'll go on about 8:00.

Nine bands—twenty bucks! Proceeds to The United Way.

Come out and help us win!

Annex Live will be no more.

Come hear The Axes of Evil and say thanks to Graz for the good times.

Axes of Evil

Holiday Dance Party

Friday, December 2, 2011

Annex Live

296 Brunswick Avenue

8:00 pm — No cover!

What can I say? Fun just keeps happening in Barrie!

The Wee Stinky Band

StinkStockmas VII

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Sticky Fingers Bar & Grill

199 Essa Road, Barrie ON

With opening act Wail.

It's here! The new CD from MBBJE.

Perhaps you've heard it on Jazz FM 91.1?

Pick one up at the Christmas concert!

Sunday, December 11, 2011 2:00 PM

Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble

“Our Annual Christmas Concert”

Cooksville United Church

2500 Mimosa Row, Mississauga ON

Tickets: $20

Call Rob at 905-270-4757

for further details

Storyteller Night at Fedora Upsidedown

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Cameron House

408 Queen Street

PWYC (duh)

Rambunctious at 11 pm

Still Rambunctious!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Rambunctious—on the bar!

La Palette

492 Queen Street West

At midnight

PWYC

You get to choose!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Gordon's Acoustic Living Room

Ninth Annual All Request Night

The Free Times Café

320 College Street

8-11 pm

No cover, no minimum

Vote here for your favourite tunes:

http://www.xrays.com/galr/

Specializing in pagan rituals!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Rambunctious & The Kensington Horns

Winter Solstice Celebration

Kensington Market (outdoors)

6-8 pm

Starting somewhere near Augusta and Oxford

and ending up in Alexandra Park

And speaking of pagan rituals . . .

December 31, 2011

Patio Dave & The Lanterns

New Year's Eve

Simcoe Curling Club

Simcoe ON

info@simcoecurlingclub.ca

And that's about it for 2011!

I can already smell the haggis.

Wayne Neon

Wayne@wayneon.ca

416-407-7009

Neon News 111010 Occupy The Black Swan!

Saturday, October 15, 3:00-7:30 pm

The Big Trouble Band

The Black Swan

154 Danforth Avenue (just east of Broadview)

PWYC

Now, I know you'll all be puttin' it to the man down on Bay Street on October 15, but hey, that's thirsty work!

Drop by The Black Swan about 3:30 pm for this matinee performance.

I'm 99% sure you'll have fun!

Sunday, October 16, 8:00pm-11:00 pm

Gordon's Acoustic Living Room

The Free Times Café

320 College Street (west of Spadina)

Eight years of monthly gigs!

New tunes every month!

No cover, no minimum!

(Warning: The performance will involve bagpipes.)

Coming very, very soon—the new CD by

The Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble

Neon News 110523 - Immortality for twenty bucks!

Be part of history! You can be in the audience when the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble makes its next recording—Live at Arnold's!

Sunday, May 29

Arnold's Sports Bar

485 Morden Road

Oakville ON

(Morden runs north from Speers Road, west of Dorval.)

Here's the plan:

At 2:30 pm, we will record two sets of music.

At 4:30, we will serve an all-you-can-eat buffet.

At 6:30, we record the same two sets again.

Catch both sets and the buffet for only $20.00!

If you don't want the dinner, it's just five bucks.

Plus, your ecstatic applause will be on the CD forever! It's amost like you were famous!

Act now! Seats are limited. Don't be disappointed!

If you want to partake of the buffet, YOU MUST MAKE A RESERVATION.

Call Rob Boniface, 905-270-4757 or email rboniface@rogers.com by Tuesday, May 24.

Hey, that's today! Call or email Rob NOW!

The perils of strategic voting

An old blog post from 2005, but still relevant.

The perils of strategic voting

by Wayne Smith

Buzz Hargrove created a sensation at the very beginning of this soon-to-be-endless election campaign with a surprising call to his Canadian Auto Workers to vote for the Liberal candidate in ridings where the NDP has no chance of being elected.

This is not what Jack Layton wanted to hear.

But many voters feel compelled to consider the option of "strategic" voting because we are saddled with an antique voting system under which most votes are wasted on candidates who do not get elected, and voters are offered few real choices. However, there are some downsides that must also be considered.

1. Strategic voting is an abomination. If we had a fair and well designed voting system, voters would simply vote for the candidate, party, or leader they prefer and know that their vote would probably make a difference. No one would have to vote for the "lesser evil", and Parliament would truly reflect the political thinking of the electorate. The diversity of our communities would likely also be more accurately reflected.

2. Strategic voting is not even available to most of us. Most of us live in ridings that are "safe" for one party or another. Most of us know who will be elected in our riding before the votes are even cast. If you are not in a "swing" riding where there is a close race, then forget about strategic voting and vote with your heart.

3. Strategic voting is widely misunderstood and frequently botched. To some people, strategic voting just means "vote Liberal". In fact, the correct strategy is to decide which of the candidates in your riding actually has a reasonable chance of getting elected, and choose to vote for one of them. For some people, this will mean voting NDP. For some, it will mean voting Conservative or Bloc. For most, it will mean few choices, or none at all.

4. You could get it wrong. Although Canadian elections are lamentably predictable, you never know. Strange things happen in elections, and public opinion does change during the campaign. A prediction of defeat for your favourite party could be self-fulfilling.

5. Last, but certainly not least, votes trigger campaign financing for your party. The new campaign financing rules mean that every vote really does count, at least for $1.75. That's how much the party you voted for will get each year because you voted for them.

This makes a difference. For example, the Green Party now has a significant war chest, although their half a million votes last time didn't even come close to electing anyone.

But what's your vote really worth? This is the first election under the new rules, so frankly, we're not sure what's going to happen.

Here's the strategic voting dilemma. Should you cave in, hold your nose and vote for someone you can't stand, in a desperate attempt to make your vote count for something? Or should you vote sincerely, even when your vote probably won't affect the outcome of the election? You're damned if you do and damned if you don't-that is, until Canada joins the modern world and scraps our antiquated first-past-the-post voting system.

The solution is for Canadians to choose a modern, fair voting system that accurately translates the will of the voters, as expressed by the votes we cast, into seats in Parliament, and which will therefore allow us to hold government accountable. Most industrial democracies have been using proportional voting systems for most of the last century. Canadian voters too deserve a system designed to ensure that every voice is heard.

When will this happen? Not until it can't be prevented. People elected under the current system think that the current system is working just fine, thank you. One thing is certain-we won't have a fair voting system until voters demand it.

That would be you. Democracy is still, after all, a do-it-yourself project.