National Ballot Initiative News election wrap-up
- From: Evan Ravitz <evan@xxxxxxxx>
- To: democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2013 15:26:51 -1000
Hello, For an off-year election, all kinds of good ballot initiatives
passed:
1. Fracking bans passed in 3 of 4 Colorado cities -and the 4th is so close
there should be an automatic recount. But in Ohio, 2 of 3 cities defeated
bans:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/11/131105-colorado-ohio-fracking-ban-election-results/
2. 4 US Cities legalized marijuana:
http://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram/articles/2013/11/06/colorado-voters-adopt-25-percent-marijuana-tax-rate-as-4-us-cities-embrace-de-facto-legalization?s_cid=rss%3Acolorado-voters-adopt-25-percent-marijuana-tax-rate-as-4-us-cities-embrace-de-facto-legalization
3. New Jersey and SeaTac, Washington, voters approved minimum wage
increases:
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2013/11/06/Minimum-wage-proposals-pass-on-either-side-of-the-country/UPI-29431383768905/?spt=rln&or=1
This seems to have given Obama the courage to back a national minimum wage
increase:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/business/10-minimum-wage-proposal-has-obamas-backing.html?_r=1&;
4. It looks like Washington State's GMO labeling law was defeated (like
California Prop 37 last year) but with their all-mail balloting, not all
votes have been counted yet:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/monsanto-may-have-won-the-battle-i-522-but-the-future-of-food-is-not-lost
Again Monsanto, Dow, Coke, Pepsi, etc. vastly outspent the pro side to sow
confusion, claiming that the labeling exemption for restaurant food was
somehow unfair, when restaurants are usually exempt from other labeling
laws. Another example of how important Oregon's Citizen Initiative Review
is, by giving voters the kind of unbiased information legislators get:
http://healthydemocracyoregon.org
Again, please thank Colorado District 2 Congressman Jared Polis for making
the first Federal move toward national ballot initiatives since 1977, and
help find him some co-sponsors. -Last month's news, below...
Evan Ravitz,
founder, http://Vote.org
Some real news, and something to do about it!
My Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) promised a bill for NATIONAL ballot
initiatives when he was first elected:
http://spryeye.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-congressman-jared-polis-on-record.html.
Jared is one of the youngest and most successful entrepreneurs in Congress,
and has clout. I've known him for 18 years, and we go hiking once a year.
Now he's assigned a researcher to look into it.* Would you take a moment
and email him: jared@jaredpolis com and thank him for making this
move?*It's just a first step, but this is the first time since 1977
that anyone
in Congress is moving on this! (That 1977 effort was led by ND Senator
James Abourezk.)
Please email Jared today! I'm going to his Halloween party tonight and
would like to see him psyched about this.
More important: help us find others in Congress who support direct
democracy. *Could YOU talk YOUR Congress person or Senator into sharing the
power? *Here's are 3 ways you could make the pitch:
1. Congress NEEDS a check and balance by the people to keep it on track. In
Switzerland, where they vote on NATIONAL, Cantonal and local issues 4-8
times a year, Parliament is far more representative -and humble. They're
not bitterly divided. They're positively popular compared to our Congress.
Same in Uruguay, and now Bulgaria, the latest to get some direct democracy.
2. This is a perfect time to press for national ballot initiatives after
the huge success of state ballot initiatives last November with voters
approving gay marriage in 3 states and legal marijuana in 2, among other
things. Here's a wrap-up of last year:
http://spryeye.blogspot.com/2012/11/national-ballot-initiative-news.htmlThis
year anti-fracking initiatives are on many ballots including 5 cities
in Colorado.
3. Just send your rep to http://Vote.org which has most of the best
arguments for direct democracy, all on the home page.
4. Another way to promote it is to research the record YOUR state has for
ballot initiatives. Or just forward what I compiled about Colorado's great
track record:
http://spryeye.blogspot.com/2012/01/case-for-ballot-initiatives-and.html
You can easily research ballot initiatives and referenda at the National
Conference of State Legislature's searchable database:
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/elect/dbintro.htm and also with
Ballotpedia:
http://ballotpedia.org/<http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page>
PLEASE Bcc me on any emails you send your reps and let me know how they
respond!
Here's what I sent Jared a few months ago, which helped him make this move:
It's remarkable that students of decision science mostly agree on ways to
improve initiatives:
1. Something like Oregon's Citizen Initiative Review (
http://HealthyDemocracyOregon.org <http://healthydemocracyoregon.org/>),
used in 3 election cycles now. Randomly-selected people hold hearings &
deliberations on each initiative and give voters the kind of info
legislators get.
2. Allowing internet petition signing. This takes some big part of the
money out of the process. Not just the wealthy or already-organized get
their issues on the ballot. People are more likely to read the initiative
text before signing. Less opportunity for misrepresentation by petitioners.
Less harassment of people in hot parking lots. Utah allowed it for awhile,
but legislators scotched it.
3. More "elections." The Swiss vote 4-8 times a year on local, Cantonal and
national I & R issues, as necessary. This is a partial solution to "too
many things on the ballot." A simple cap on the numbers of initiatives
completes the solution.
It's more remarkable, that in a century, none have been tried in any state
except Oregon (after extensive lobbying by the org linked above) and Utah,
which quickly squelched online petitioning. I already told you my
experience at the Colorado State Capitol. Most pols WANT initiative
problems to justify making them harder. Power makes most people want
absolute power.
The truth is out there, and the solutions are out there.
It would be hard to find a better time to start this debate on the ultimate
fate of democracy. Will it include direct democracy, which tends to keep
reps representative, or will it continue to devolve into bickering,
branding and the rat race to oblivion, climate catastrophe being just one
kind coming?
So please encourage Congressman Polis and others to follow through on this
baby step. The journey of 1000 miles starts here.
Thanks for your help. Please ask others to go to
http://Vote.org<http://vote.org/> and
sign up for this email list.
Evan Ravitz, founder
Vote.org
Evan Ravitz <http://EvanRavitz.com> Freelance
Editing<http://evanravitz.com/freelance-editing/>
(303)923-5918
Gates of Paradise <http://evanravitz.com/paradise-trips> hot springs
backpacking trips
Iridescent cloud <http://www.cafepress.com/evanfromheaven> cards, prints,
iPad covers, etc.
*Vote the "mock" out of democracy at Vote.org <http://Vote.org>!*
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