Something interesting...

[Jeslek]

The office of Sheriff is an elected position. People vote who they want for sheriff. So, the Sheriff is accountable ONLY to his voters, and he does NOT report to ANY government branch except the National Sheriff's Association.

Hm, isn't it interesting to know that the socialists in Connecticut managed to pass a law disbanding all Sheriffs in the State of Connecticut? Imagine, socialists passing a law to remove someone who is responsible ONLY to the PEOPLE, not the government...

 

[MitchSchaft]

America is closer becoming a police state such as the UK. Very unsettling.

 

[ris]

we're a police-state? i must have been asleep when that happened

 

[Jeslek]

we're a police-state? i must have been asleep when that happened

You're a police state compared with our government. A lot more of our government is responsible to our people compared to yours. You can't even vote for a prime minister. Hence he is not responsible to the people. You can't vote for your police, so they are not responsible to the people. You are doing away with the jury, so the people have no more voice. etc.

 

[ris]

oh, i see

but the prime minister is voted for, in his constituency. we vote for the party, not the man, our politics is less based around one-man one-view.
why would we vote for our police, i'm buggered if i'm going to pop to the ballot for a new chief inspector, got other stuff to do.

the jury thing is still undecided, even if it does go it will only be for particular sorts of cases and extremely rarely. to be honest i can't see it happening, the lords will kick it out.

 

[Jeslek]

The Lords are appointed right? Can't remember. So they too don't have anyone to be accountable to.

We vote for a Sheriff because he is the chief law-enforcer in the county. He has near total control over what goes on, and reports to NO ONE but the people that voted for him. We also vote directly for Senators, Representatives, Mayors, Sheriffs, Fire Marshals, Police Chiefs, Governors, and so forth, all of whom are RESPONSIBLE and ACCOUNTABLE to the people. Screw up? You won't get reelected without having to change the "party".

 

[ris]

some of the lords are being voted for by the public now

i think we treat the polive/fire services etc as more like a military group - they are public servants but have their own autonomy and their leaders rise through the ranks on merit, rather than campaign skills.

different strokes for different folks i guess, both systems work.

 

[Jeslek]

Yep, here you also rise through the ranks, but the person responsible for the state gets elected. Its like the president and the military. He is a civilian, gets elected, but he commands the military and no number of promotions will get you promoted to president.

 

[ris]

i suppose the nearest thing here is the relationship between the royal family and the military. they are technically the commanders in chief of different parts of the armed services. most of them have done military service of some kind so at they aren't totally inexperienced about it.

 

[Janimal]

The Lords are appointed right? Can't remember. So they too don't have anyone to be accountable to.

We vote for a Sheriff because he is the chief law-enforcer in the county. He has near total control over what goes on, and reports to NO ONE but the people that voted for him. We also vote directly for Senators, Representatives, Mayors, Sheriffs, Fire Marshals, Police Chiefs, Governors, and so forth, all of whom are RESPONSIBLE and ACCOUNTABLE to the people. Screw up? You won't get reelected without having to change the "party".

Not everyone votes for all of those. Some Mayorial (sp?) seats are taken on rotation. Our local Fire Marshal and Police Chief are appointed, not voted for. And technically, we, the People, do not get to vote for President. The Electoral College does that and they are not obligated to follow the Popular Vote.

 

[Gonz]

We vote for a Sheriff because he is the chief law-enforcer in the county.

Not when a major metropolis is the chief population center. example, Los Angeles county & city of Los Angeles. He still runs the county but has little, actual, power in the city.