Billy Boy

Thanks for the replies - now I understand better given that you have to "opt-in" so to speak. Once registered do you stay registered for ever or do you have to register for each election?

Will someone please help me by explaining to a Canadian newbie why voter registration is such an issue in the US? I don't understand the public registration as a Democrat, Republican or non-committed. Why do you have to declare this when the ballot is secret? What if you change your mind after you register? Why isn't the voters list automated from tax-rolls etc.? The upcoming presidential election is certainly exciting, but I can't understand the issues that I read about voter registration. Thanks.

As the Great Lakes are half-"owned" by the US, what stops them from taking their half out of them via pipeline? Is there a treaty that prevents that? Does anyone know? Sounds like a scary possibility to me.

As far as the developing economies such as China and India are concerned - they can copy everything from computer chips to DVDs - so why can't they copy and apply pollution control systems that already exist for cars and industry in the "developed" world? It's not as if they are expected to come up with some brand new technology. So we should expect them to commit to using the technologies that exist at the same time as we make further commitments for Canada. It seems to me that this would be a fair expectation.