Democracy behind a paywall?

Don't you just love it when the wife of a former Chief Minister and oligarch tells you that what our electoral system REALLY needs is a paywall to keep out the plebs?

Apparently unaware of the complete lack of meaningful democracy in Jersey's system as it currently is, Fiona Walker, the wife of former Chief Minister Frank Walker (currently chairman of Andium Homes, courtesy of the old boys' club) has called for the introduction of a "deposit system" into Jersey's electoral system - to keep what she terms "no-hopers" and "time-wasters"off the ballot paper. 

The colonial subjects of the British Empire used to say that "when the gentlemen of England start losing the game, they change the rules". Even with Jersey's rotten-to-the-core electoral system, one which has been crying out for reform for years if not decades, the Island's elites refuse to loosen their grip on power - in the fine tradition of the 19th century reactionaries that resisted the tides of liberal capitalism (back when liberal capitalism was an emancipating movement), they instead propose the addition of further anti-democratic structures to strengthen the ruling elite and even further reduce the political power of those outside of the ruling clique - and it is those outside of that clique, people who desire a change to the system, who would be the victims of any paywall system. 

If Mrs Walker decided that she wished to stand for election, presumably, as the wife of an oligarch, she would have no trouble procuring the money to put down a deposit. You only need to look at recent elections to see this kind of thing in action - take Gino Risoli, a barely-literate, incoherent fruitcake who stood at the last two general elections. Regardless of how unlikely he would be to succeed (he came in bottom of the poll in St. Helier No.1 both times he stood), as a business owner he would have no trouble finding the cash for a deposit. Ditto figures like Maureen Morgan (of "black one-armed lesbians" fame; bottom of the poll with 6.8%, St. Helier No.1 by-election 2014)  or Chris Lamy (AKA la petit Farage, received 17% in the St. Ouen deputy election in 2014 to Richard Renouf's 83%) - these people clearly had no chance whatsoever of actually winning an election, but none of them would've had trouble finding money for a deposit. 

The people who would be really affected by the introduction of a deposit system wouldn't be nutters like Risoli, Morgan or Lamy, or indeed Mrs Walker - it would be ordinary people who want to change the way things are run, but don't have hundreds of pounds lying around for a deposit. It's perfectly clear to see that this, infact, is Walker's definition of a "no-hoper" - someone who disagrees with her and her husband. Money equals power equals more money; the Walkers know this simple equation very well, having exploited it for their own gain quite handily. The wealthy only have economic power because they have political power - to keep the means of production, the resources, the factories, the computer networks and whathaveyou under their control, they must control the political system, the police, the courts and suchlike. If the working class are without political power, they are unable to challenge the system that exploits them. 

It is worth remembering that the upper class - in Marxist terms, the bourgeoisie - are highly class conscious. They know that the system is rigged in their favour, and they work as a cohesive unit to maintain it. Walker's column should be seen for what it is - yet another attempt by a representative of the ruling class to divide everyone else - the proletariat - so that they might be lorded over more easily.