Virtual Town Hall

By Jonathan Mann

I have run for City Council eleven times, advocating an Electronic Town Hall on the City Website with free WiFi, so citizens can have a voice in policy decisions that affect our quality of life.

Most elections are determined by who raises the most money and endorsements. This forces candidates to make compromises in order to get elected. A Virtual Town Hall would create an electronic plediscite and level the playing field so that government would no longer be accountable to outside interests, and would be free to focus on providing the services Santa Monica residents want most.

The recent explosion in social networks like Twitter and Facebook are beginning to have an enormous influence bringing about revolutionary changes in governments around the world. Arab Spring and the Occupy movement are just two examples.

In 2006, on a relatively empty redeye flight from Washington D.C. to Chicago, I was able to speak at length with then Senator Obama, about the power of the Internet. In previous elections candidates have set up websites and used their email data banks to solicit donations from constituents.

I was able to discuss with Senator Obama how to use the internet to interact directly with voters and ascertain what they wanted from government and suggestions how to make governement nore effective and efficient.

He later used some of my ideas to hold an electronic town hall on health reform.