Deutschlandfunk (DLF) has broken the news about Germany's new federal parliamentary election bill. Agreed upon without the consent of the Leftists (btw- who cares?), the biggest majority given by Conservatives, Free Dems, Social Dems and Eco-Greens, wants to have the golden-rim solution for the next national election due in fall 2013. The current unconstitutional federal election law needs to be changed, devised by Germany's highest court, the Federal Constitutional Court ("Bundesverfassungsgericht") in Karlsruhe - Baden- Wuerttemberg.

Well, who cares about costs when party mandates are concerned?

Almost an all-party agreement in the best interest of all parties concerned and, of course, at taxpayers'expense - the so-called "grab bag solution with the golden rim " for all party colleagues or comrades is gonna be implemented shortly.

You need to know that Germans tend to make simple election issues complicated just in order to satisfy parties' interests. (Sarc)

This out-dated two-tier system of 50 pc of mandates allocated by "first pass pole" and 50 pc allocation by proportional listed mandates has recently caused troubles when one party gained more seats by "first pass pole" (the winner takes it all) than by overall proportional result.

This problem was called "overlapping mandates" (*Ueberhangmandate*). The party with overlapping seats could keep them without compensation to the others, calculated on the basis of the "more important" second vote on the ballot which is the crucial one to design the make-up of the lower house of parliament - the Bundestag.

Now, compliance to the Supreme Court's ruling will be made by so-called "compensational mandates".

The catch of this parties' friendly bill is that it will blow up the parliament by up to twice of the number of "overlapping mandates".

Well, as an example - if a party who gets only one third of the proportional vote and gains 20 "overlapping mandates"  by the "first pass pole vote" it will lead to 40 compensational and additional mandates for the other two thirds - meaning an expansion of the 598 regular Bundestag's seats by some 10 pc. Additional costs - well 10 pc more - who cares if grab bag mentality rules?   

Peanuts? Nope - Giving you a rough estimate:

60 times 120.000 euros, annually, equals 7.200.000 euros ($9.36m) for 10 pc more party buddies - great deal, huh?

Out of the financial grab bag at taxpayers' expense, this is almost 29 million euros ($37.7m )more for a 4-year-term, just for 60 people.

Now you can estimate the costs for 600 representatives to €288 million ($374m) in a legislative period. 

The guys who invented this b.s. should get a tough kick in the ass.

But, unfortunately, this scandal will not be canceled. Keeping the grip on taxpayers' money is more important to them than common sense. They can easily comply with the Supreme Court's ruling at lower costs, but why shall they be making the "austerity approach" for themselves if they can make themselves happy just by raising the hand in the legislature?

Shame on them - these greedy "representatives".

I don't wanna praise the Leftists for their rejection of this self-service. They are going to benefit from this golden-rim version anyway whether or not they agree on the bill. They know how to play out their cards, these former Communists.