Why is it fair for taxpayers to fund and the state to run party nominations and exclude Indies?

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

Independents pay their taxes just like Democrats and Republicans. Why is it fair that an independent's taxpayer money is going to fund the nomination elections and the state is running them, but independents cannot exercise their right to vote?

[JoePhilly]

1. Why do childless people have to pay school taxes?

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

3. Childless people can still vote for school related elections.

[JoePhilly]

5. We elect schools now?

That's not how it works.

[awake]

9. School board members and property taxes are voted on

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

10. Don't play coy... You know what I'm talking about.

School Board members are elected and people may vote on those positions regardless if they have children or not.

[JoePhilly]

13. Well, as some one below suggests ... start a party, field some candidates.

And the state will cover your primary.

Of course in that case, Bernie would have to run as an Independent or some other 3rd party.

[brush]

2. If independents field their own party and candidates the state will pay for their primaries too.

[randome]

11. But they won't because that's too much hard work.

It's easier to imagine oneself as above the fray and not get one's hair mussed with the messy business of politics. Hopefully, this election will serve as a wake-up call for many: commit to something or be ignored.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[Svafa]

22. No, they won'd do it because "independents" are not a single, monolithic group.

Sure, independents can in general favor a particular candidate during an election cycle, but there is no independent platform. I am an independent because I am too far to the left of the Democratic party. My father, a moderate Republican, is also an independent. Though we're both independents, there is not a whole lot we actually agree on. It's a group that can't really be unified into one single party.

[SDJay]

4. Same Reason It's 'Fair'

to have taxpayers subsidize religions that pay no income or property taxes. It's not actually fair, but it is what it is. I don't like it either but it's not going to change.

[bkkyosemite]

8. I think it is going to change.

[SDJay]

12. The Whole Primary System

is sorta screwy IMO. You've got a mixed bag - open/closed primaries, caucuses, conventions and all sorts of wonky, weird things that are done to nominate someone.

If it was up to me, you'd have open primaries across the country and all of them would be held on the same day.

That'll never happen, though - the for-profit media gets to spew nonsense for months about the daily minutiae of a campaign and empty dump trucks of advertising money into their coffers.

Sadly, elections have become their own for-profit industry. That to me is the real root cause of all of this.

As such, I don't think it's going to change. Too much money to lose.

[rock]

6. All Independents can get to vote but there is a rub

They have to obey rules.

[NWCorona]

15. The people of NY played by the rules and they were purged anyway

[rock]

21. You do have me there

Any system of law has criminals.

[sadoldgirl]

7. That is the important point, of course.

If the parties claim to be "private" then they
should pay for this themselves. That means
closed caucuses.

[dcbuckeye]

14. It's fair

Indies voluntarily put themselves in this situation when they declared themselves as Indies. Not like this is a new thing or the rules changed mid-stream.

[onehandle]

16. Because, this is not 'Indies' Underground.

Promote third parties elsewhere.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. 'Cuz the party bosses have decided that the people are untrustwothy.

[Codeine]

18. The fair comes once a year and that's in Pomona.

I pay for other people's kids to go to school and I'm not whining.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

19. Argument already debunked...

You get to vote on School board elections regardless if you have children, and similarly you get to vote on property taxes regardless if you have children or even own property.

[Karmadillo]

20. There is no "fair" in oligarchy.