I don't like the idea to make votes weighted according to reputation.
Steem is special because you can buy influence and is based upon the idea that he who invest gets more influence. I think changing that is changing the essence of steem. If this does not work we have to adjust but I do not believe this is the problem.
I do agree with you that the way payouts work and the way curation works however is the issue.
Sorry...it already is.
Reputation is a MAJOR determinate in vote weight right now.
see the white paper..
The problem as I see it is that SteemPower is also..and it can be bought.
therefore..vote power can be bought....if you pay enough to overpower the reputation alone.
There lies the problem..
actually i think you are incorrect. reputation did not even exist a few weeks ago and is not determined for vote weight. Only SP is.
I could be both right and wrong...things are changing rapidly.
it depends on how you define a few weeks
in the beginning...you are correct.
then they implemented a Richter Scale form of reputation...it swung between 0 and 10 I think. each number being ten times that of the one before.
That didn't last long..before it was changed to what we have now.
Other things have changed too.
I expect BIG changes when the DEVS get back from the 'wine and dine'.