JR>I have mixed views on this.  In one way I agree with you, then
JR>again I see it as a "perk" for becoming a Life Member and making
JR>more of a commitment to the NRA.
Truth be told, I have about the same mixed feelings.  I just slightly
lean more towards extending voting rights, perks if you will, towards
all members.  I think there are plenty other perks that can be made
available (and are) to life members and highly active members.
JR>Sounds okay to me, but would either up the cost to print or cause
JR>something else to be left out.  Repeating the same info more than
JR>once might mean a few more people would pay attention, but on the
JR>other hand, it's done the same way at the same time every year.
JR>Those of us who care pay attention and even debate the merits of
JR>the various candidates here in advance of the ballots being due.
Well they could drop the cost of printing back down by not using all
color glossy pages.  B&W can be fine.
Question back at you though.  Every year?  For the life of me, I don't
remember seeing it every year in the past.  Granted, I had to spend five
years getting to the level of voter eligibility, but I don't remember
seeing articles about elections and such, especially every year.  Just
in the past year.
JR>We must get different ballots as well as getting them in a
JR>different way.  My ballot was "clean", at least until I spilled
JR>coffee on it. :-)
We probably are.  I don't remember if it was here or over in Rime that a
number of us had a conversation going about the different types of mail
we would each get from the NRA.  What because clear to us all was that
each of us did in fact get very different quantities of mail and types
of mail.  As well as different presentations of the same offers and
such.  So it wouldn't surprise me at all if yours was "clean."  I don't
think I've ever gotten a piece of mail from the NRA that didn't have
attached a request for money.
JR>Unworkable - I could see 3,000,000 people running for the board!
JR>$10 is not a meaningful deterrent, and making it meaningful would
JR>mean that you would have to have money to run for the board.
JR>Neither is a good idea.
Three million people tossing in $10 each would give the NRA 30 million
extra dollars.  Which I would think is actually a very good idea, at
least as far as the NRA would be concerned.
Actually, requiring people to pay their own postage is an effective
deterent for most people.  Americans are dirt lazy.  $10 would be more
then enough to stop the frivolous in my experience.
JR>Nor do the members have the voice that we have in the direction
JR>that "our" NRA is following.
No, they don't.  Although the clubs and organizations have regular
meetings, and solicit feedback and input from the members.
But those groups also don't have the sort of problems the NRA has
through this sort of election.  Which, in my opinion, is a sham
election.
I've no problem with a goat, or a lousy car.  It's only when someone
tries to tell me the goat is actually a pony or the lousy car is
pristine that I start having problems.  Which is how I feel about this
election process.
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