Speaking of public policy and elections

Today's Washington Times reports in "Panel calls to reassess fines over '04 slots bid" that the organization that attempted to put a slanted gambling initiative referendum on the 2004 general election ballot continues to challenge the $600,000+ in fines that they have been assessed.

From the article:

An attorney for the District-based political committee facing more than $600,000 in fines over a failed bid last year to build a gambling palace in Northeast has asked a judge to reassess the penalty. The Citizens Committee for the D.C. Video Lottery Terminal Initiative of 2004 was ordered in July to pay more than $622,880 in fines after the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics said it found fraud, forgery and a lack of oversight by the committee during a petition-gathering drive last year. "We think that the board's order is wrong and that it is unfair," said George Jones, the attorney for the committee.

Mr. Jones said yesterday that he wants the D.C. Superior Court to "take a fresh look at the legal questions" in the board's ruling imposing the fines. (...) Mr. Jones said the committee should not be held liable for fraudulent petitions because "third-level independent contractors" were responsible for hiring, training and paying petition gatherers. The board, in a 45-page ruling, disagreed.
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Sanctity and respect for the election process are foundational principles of electoral democracy. Transgressions need to be seriously penalized.

I suggest that the law regarding penalties for election process violations needs to be changed with regard to challenging fines and penalties.

In order to continue to challenge the assessed fine, just like in product liability judgements, the organization-person that has been fined should be required to put up a performance bond equal to the amount of the fines.

Without posting such a bond, the penalty stands.
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n.b. The impact of gambling on place and quality of life is significant. So is the diminuation of citizen engagement and participation in the polity. This is a matter worth considering wrt "rebuilding place in the urban space."