Digital Direct Democracy, episode #6 _ Citizens’ Preferences Database: Overview_
In this episode, “The Solution” to “The Problem” is described at a conceptual level. Experts exist to design and implement it, but that comes later after Canadians consider the CPD possibilities.
Citizens’ Preferences Database: An Overview.
The Citizens’ Preferences Database (CPD) concept was inspired by an Insurance Claims Adjudication system that was designed, built and operated by ESI Canada - former client of mine located in Mississauga, Ontario.
ESI’s American parent company, Express-Scripts Corporation, was a major player in the business of processing health insurance claims over a network of point-of-sale locations such as retail pharmacies. Picture a customer filling a drug prescription. At the checkout desk, he or she would pay a small portion of the drug purchase. The balance was paid by their health insurance provider and authorized by an ESI-facilitated network transaction. Several insurance companies were ESI’s customers. They signed agreements with ESI as their technology partner. The provided the shared datacentre and network services needed to adjudicate and process claims made by thousands of their customers according to the policies they had purchased.
As an IT Recruiter, I placed dozens of full time and contract IT professionals at ESI Canada. I became quite familiar with the Insurance Claims Adjudication System - its architecture, technologies employed, operations, performance, organization structure, executive leadership, and more. My supplier relationship with ESI ran between 2004 and 2009 when I made a career move.
The model for the Citizens’ Preferences Database (CPD) is conceptually very similar to ESI’s Insurance Claims Adjudication system. Today, in 2024, the possibilities for design, implementation and operation are much richer. The enormous advances in technology over the past fifteen to twenty years are the reason.
The CPD Components.
The following lays out the major subsystems that mirror ESI’s Insurance Claims Adjudication System and the comparable subsystems that the Citizens’ Preferences Database system will need.
An RDBMS (relational database management system).
ESI used Oracle as its RDBMS to keep a record of every customer of every insurance company that contracted with ESI as its claims adjudicator and processor. Oracle stored a copy of the insurance plan of every insurance policy holder to determine prescription payment details for every purchase transaction.
Likewise, an RDBMS will be needed to manage a record of every Canadian user of the CPD to register their opt-out choices for certain government programs that don’t serve their needs or interests. In the previous episode, the example provided was to opt out of all carbon taxes and regulation compliance requirements for any citizen who wished to be exempt. Many other exemption possibities are also possible.
A TPMS (Transaction Processing Management System).
ESI used Tuxedo as a TPMS to handle the large volumes of networks transactions that required access to the RDBMS for claims approvals from many different geographic locations.
The CPD will likewise need a similar but more robust capability due to the volume of transactions that are expected. Given that all debit and credit card transactions are approved in real time for billions of purchases, it is obvious that the expected CPD volumes can be handled by today's technologies.
A User Interface (UI).
Insurance companies created and managed the Customer Profiles for all policy holders, and did so using online access to the Oracle RDBMS hosted at ESI. Records for all new and existing insurance policies had to be accurate and up-to-date to endure that all insurance claims were adjudicated accrately at every point of transaction in the network.
Likewise, Canadians will need online access to the CPB RDBMS from a variety of digital devices. They will need this access to create and update their Preference Profiles for various eligible government programs. It will enable them to register their opt-in and opt-out choices.
If they OPT-IN, they agree to pay the required tax premium and receive related government program services.
When they OPT-OUT, they forfeit program eligibility with the understanding that they are no longer required to be make further payments or comply with related regulations.
A POTMS (Point of Transaction Management System).
ESI used specialized devices to adjudicate prescription payments at the point of sale. These were generally integrated with the POS (Point of Sale) register so that an accurate sales receipt could be provided to the customer, and for in-store Accounting purposes.
The CPD network will also need mechanisms at the point of transaction for payments, verifications and/or permissions. We know that this technology exists because of the Digital ID applications that track and trace the choices and movements of citizens across China. Similar efforts were made in recent years by governments in Canada. Some will be network transactions like a debit card purchases. Others will be transacted locally by ‘smart card’ or ‘smart phone’.
User Interface options for these Point of Transaction mechanisms are proliferating rapidly.
They are also becoming vastly more powerful as Artificial Intelligence advances appear and become commercially available.
Security.
Needless to say, identity theft and digital scammers will remain a worry for many. Encryption tech continues to advance because hackers and perpetrators of Internet and digital theft seem to always be one step ahead of Security researchers.
While these concerns persist, the universe of Digital Commerce continues to expand relentlessly. Trust is an important element. For some of us, the question is who to trust most? Do you trust government regulators, or the thousands of business operators whose very livelihoods depend on the use of secure and efficient technology to attract and retain customers.
For me personally, I perceive a greater threat from monopolistic public institutions than from competitive businesses who can readily lose the loyalty of a paying customer from a single misstep.
The Citizen Preference Record.
Imagine signing into the CPD and encountering the following questions:
Do you agree that the Climate Change Crisis Theory presents a sufficiently significant threat to humanity to warrant high taxes and expensive regulatory bureaucracies in support of “Climate Action” programs by governments? [YES or NO] Do you wish to Opt-Out of paying Climate Action taxes? [YES or NO] Do you wish to be exempt from Climate Action laws [YES or NO], regulations [YES or NO] or compliance to international treaties such as the Paris Climate Accord [YES or NO]?
If you are currently a member of a labour union, do you wish to cancel your membership, stop paying union dues, and be under no future obligation to comply with union policies and edicts without any unwanted consequences from this decision? [YES or NO] Do you wish to restrict unions from using their revenues and large memberships to influence election outcomes which overtly favour their leaders and members and the expense of non-members? [YES or NO]
Do you believe that minimum wage laws should be repealed so that everyone who wants to work is free to do so at whatever terms are agreeable to them to suit their personal circumstances? [YES or NO] Do you agree to opt out of paying apportioned taxes towards any public institution that is responsible for the administration of minimum wage laws? [YES or NO]
Do you believe that DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) laws and regulations contribute towards harmful social divisions and economic consequences in society? [YES or NO] Do you wish to be exempt from paying taxes towards any institution that imposes or complies with DEI policies? [YES or NO] Do you wish to be personally except from compliance with all DEI policies? [YES or NO]
Do you believe the World Health Organization (W.H.O) should have responsibility to plan, dictate and legally enforce Canada’s response to future global pandemics? [YES or NO] Do you wish to have access to health care professionals on an as-needed, direct payment basis? [YES or NO] Should any health care professional who refuses to comply with W.H.O directives be free to do so without negative consequences imposed by their regulatory bodies or labour unions, and also be free to opt-out of monopolistic government payment systems (example OHIP) ? [YES or NO]
I believe there should be more choice in public education [YES or NO]. I wish to have the freedom to choose between government and non-governmental education service providers, pay directly, and be subject to the terms and conditions set by the provider of my choice. [YES or NO] If/when I choose a non-governmental service provider, I expect to be exempt from paying Education taxes [YES or NO]. I also expect that all laws and regulations that currently apply to the Education sector be repealed and/or adjusted such that no service provider is allowed to operate under a tax or legislative advantage that would undermine a fair and truly competitive market . [YES or NO]
The above set of questions are samples of what is possible under a CPD.
A Democratic Antidote
It appears inevitable that a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) is coming to Canada. The potential for leveraging it to monitor and “incentivize” citizens to choose and behave in prescribed ways will be very tantalizing to power elites. Central planning and control along ideological lines will surely be too tempting for these elites to ignore. This is why I propose the Citizen Preferences Database as an ‘antidote’ to the totalization virus that is creeping into our lives.
As a new idea, the CPD will begin as a Proof of Concept, pilot project.
After initial successes, it will likely spread like a grass fire. Concerned citizens who are awake to the “too much government problem” will champion the CPD in populist movement.
To re-imagine an updated Canadian democracy with direct citizen involvement which empowers personal responsibility and informed choices will be highly attractive to average Canadians.
We live in the Information Age. No one will escape the Digital transformation how we live, work, play and are governed. We must all learn to use these tools to our advantage, not just the elites.
More to come in the next episode.
