VERY interesting: the agency that runs Tallahassee’s public transit system is running [a public survey that gives you an imaginary 100toallocateacrossarangeofoptions](https://starmetrothinktransit.com/).It’sareallysmartwaytowalkthepublicintoanoverviewoftheissuesandtradeoffsaswellasworkupsomeprettyrichdata.Itpreservesthezero−sumlogicofpolicychoices,butwhatstrikesmeishowitquietlyditches∗binary∗either/ormodels.It’sbeatenintoourheadsthatprogress=democracy=voting,butit’snotnecessarilyso.Forvariousreasons,electionsmoreandmoretaketheformofbeautycontestsbetweenself−styledvisionaries,butmainlywhatweneedare∗stewards∗—peoplewhocanbetrustedtoshepherdspecificsocialvalues.TheimportanceofthisdistinctionbecameclearinthelastUSelection,when(remember?)itwasprofessionalcivilservants—USPSandelectionworkers—who,collectively,savedourcollectiveass.TakeamomenttoimagineaUSfederalelectionthatlookedlikethissurvey:yougetanimaginary100 and you’re asked to spread it across a variety of issues lumped under categories like domestic law enforcement, foreign relations, education, health and safety, business and commerce, the young and old, social equality and advancement, the environment, infrastructure and technology, quality of life…