Democracy is a big pain in the ass.

I live in San Francisco where we have a mayor and an entire Board of Supervisors, all of whom are tasked with making important decisions about our city. So, what do they do when they stumble across a difficult issue? They send it to the voters.

I also live in California where we have a giant novelty-sized state legislature and an action-hero governor. What do they do when they encounter a controversial issue? They also pile it on the voter's plate.

The end result is that in addition to the usual dizzying array of School Board and State Lackey nominees, we also get to wade through 30 other issues delegated to us by our "leaders". I'm not sure why they thought that John Q. Public was the right person to determine if the firemen's retirement fund needs adjusting, but apparently our expertise in that matter is unquestioned.

This chaps my hide. Why are we being asked to decide issues about which we know nothing?

My group of friends has tackled this dilemma by holding an annual Election Study Night. Every year before one of these elections we gather together to slog through the city and state election booklets. We divvy up the issues, spend time reading and learning, then discuss the relative merits of the propositions and initiatives. It's a long night, but it's the least painful way to get through the process. If you live in a similarly inept regime, I recommend this approach. Alcohol and pizza also help.

I long for a monarchy. Repeal the Declaration of Independence!