Posted on 07/26/2008 8:29:58 AM PDT by DeweyCA
A total of 24 states allow voters to change laws on their own by collecting signatures and putting initiatives on the ballot. It's healthy that the entrenched political class should face some real legislative competition from initiative-toting citizens. Unfortunately, some special interests have declared war on the initiative process, using tactics ranging from restrictive laws to outright thuggery.
- Snip -
The initiative is a reform born out of the Progressive Era, when there was general agreement that powerful interests had too much influence over legislators. It was adopted by most states in the Midwest and West, including Ohio and California. It was largely rejected by Eastern states, which were dominated by political machines, and in the South, where Jim Crow legislators feared giving more power to ordinary people.
"The key to defeating the initiative is to keep it off the ballot in the first place," says Donna Stern, Midwest director for the Detroit-based By Any Means Necessary (BAMN). "That's the only way we're going to win." Her group's name certainly describes the tactics that are being used to thwart Mr. Connerly.
- Snip -
Mr. Connerly says that it's ironic that those who claim to believe in "people power" want to keep people from voting on his proposal: "Their tactics challenge the legitimacy of our system."
- Snip -
Representative government will remain the enduring feature of American democracy, but the initiative process is a valuable safety valve. So long as elected officials gerrymander their districts and otherwise make it nearly impossible for voters to oust them, direct lawmaking will be popular. That's why attempts to arbitrarily curb the initiative, or to intimidate people from exercising their right to participate, must be resisted.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I’m not that impressed with the initiative and referendum process. I’m glad Texas doesn’t have it. It’s bad enough with all the bewildering constitutional amendments that we have to vote on almost every cycle. There’s got to be at least 400-500 amendments to the Texas Constitution. Initiatives can be badly written or deceptively written, and can be just about impossible to get rid of if their effects are different from their intentions.
this is a very serious issue that ought to be protected vigorously and relentlessly
but probably won’t be.
And, martial law will wipe it all away anyway.
Also, while they claim to love democracy, they love the aristocratic rule of judges who legislate from the bench, undercutting what the people vote for.
Once again, flagrant display of double standards by the libcoms.
On the other hand, leftist impose their umpopular views by using leftist judges to shove it down the throats of America
“initiatives can be badly or deceptively written”
Couldn’t agree more. When Wisconsin had the gay marriage initiative on the ballot, it was written to be confusing. So, if you voted no, you were actually voting yes. Local conservatives launched an all out campaign (media etc) to inform voters of the deception.
My 16 year old son and I were watching fox news this morning, they ran a clip of Nancy (whack job) and she was talking about how she would not sign legislation to approve domestic oil drilling, he turned to me and asked me the question (he is 16), “why do we have to put up with liberals”?
He continued, “All they do is make schools unsafe, and try to convince us that America is bad and evil, they give rights to criminals, try to take away our guns so criminals have more rights, try to weaken our military, and they won’t drill for oil to lower gas prices — why do we have to listen to them.”
“If they don’t like it here and they think America is such a bad place, why don’t they all move to another country that will let them organize their crazy country in their own image.”
I almost dropped my coffee cup...”well, good morning son.”
They were able to use one judge to kill 187, for example. But that event has had far reaching effects: Gray Davis was recalled largely because of that. Prop 13 is still galling to them, and they work ferociously to drive property taxes up so that more money is available to them.
The "Left" in this country is simply the resurrection of the feudal class. They wish to enslave all of the productive class, and live off of us. They consider themselves an intellectual elite and see the initiative process in California, for instance, as a vehicle by which bourgeois values are perpetuated in defiance of their social control, and a threat to their economic security.
Thus the voting public must be disempowered. When we woke up to the power grab by the judges, and used initiatives to reverse their fiat decisions, they knew they had to stop it.
Your son's got a head on his shoulders...I'm sure you're proud of him! Good to see the next generation's on top of these critter's shenanigans!
“They were able to use one judge to kill 187, for example. But that event has had far reaching effects: Gray Davis was recalled largely because of that. Prop 13 is still galling to them, and they work ferociously to drive property taxes up so that more money is available to them.”
Because of this phenomenon, the California (tax paying) population is actually starting to drop, many, are moving to Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada because they were paying so much in taxes to keep paying for the “welfare state,” that California had become, which also includes industry. Sad, very sad. I used to love San Diego when I was stationed there 1986 -1988.
People we know as “Liberals” today, were - in 1776 - called “Loyalists”.
Oh you know it...he was one of the first kids in his HS to organize a young republicans club...there were only five two years ago, it was hard for them to find a teacher sponsor for their club (sad, very sad)...there are almost 20 today and two teacher sponsors.
Prop 13 is still galling to them,
++++++++++++++++++++
Thank God for Prop 13. But there is still a movement out to reverse it and these same people continue to get reelected.
“maybe the education system isn’t so bad after all. Something may have gone wrong here. Your son obviously needs re-education”
No, not at all...it’s actually called “active parenting.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.