Sunday, September 28, 2008

Why I Am Voting No On The Constitutional Convention Ballot Question Part 2

I am voting no, because we do not need to have legislator recall, we have elections every two years and if you do not like a legislator, you can vote them out of office within two years. How much will it cost to keep holding elections every time some person or group doesn’t like the way their legislator voted. Not only is there a cost involved to the state and towns in holding the elections, but the candidates will also have to raise more campaign contribution to defend their office. In addiction, when will the voting take place, will it be at a fixed time after a recall petition is accepted or in November? Does that mean that right in the middle of a legislative session we can have a recall? Do you really want your legislator worrying about re-election at that time? If it is only in November then are we going to have an election every year?

I also believe that having ballot initiative or a referendum is a bad idea; I believe that ballot initiatives pass bad laws. Just because a law is popular doesn’t make it right. One of the purposes of constitutions is to protect the rights of the minority from the tyranny of the majority. Over time, we have come to see the need to protect other segments of the population from the oppression of the majority, those that are based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Where would we be now if the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were voted on by a ballot initiative? Or the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, would it have been recalled by a ballot initiative?

Many people are opposed to the state income tax and I think it would be overturned in an instant if it went to a popular vote, but what would replace it? A sale tax? Property tax? Would the voters overturn those taxes also and we would be plunged into a fiscal nightmare? Could we ever get a consensus? These topics are complex and will the voters take the time to research topics or go to hearings or will they just listen to the thirty-second ads on TV. I believe in the republican form of government where our elected officials to make the decisions on our behalf and if we do not like their votes, we can vote them out office on Election Day every two years.

I believe that voter initiated referendums makes it too easy to pass bad laws. Case in point, the “Three Strikes” law, I am not a lawyer but I have been told by lawyers that there is already on the books increasing penalties for repeat offenders. The problems are not enough prosecutors, not enough judges and not enough prison space, as a result the cases get plea bargained down to lesser offenses in order to get a guilty plea. This would not change with a “Three Strikes” law, the prosecutors will still plea bargain to a lesser offense. When I was testifying for the Anti-Discrimination bill there was only one person who spoke out in favor of the “Three Strikes” bill. If you feel strongly about the “Three Strikes” law, then I urge you to lobby your legislators, but do not to amend the Constitution.

In addiction, consider that once the Constitution Convention is convened, everything is on the table, they can even rewrite the state Constitution. Some of the laws that could be changed are:
Abortion Rights
Emergency Contraception for Rape Victims
To abolish no-fault divorce
Same-Sex Marriage and Civil Unions
Comprehensive Sex Education
Judicial Discretion in Sentencing
Affirmative Action
Anti-Poverty Programs
Public Education Funding
Human Rights to Housing & Employment for Transgender & Gender Non-conforming People
Healthcare, Social Services, & College Assistance for Immigrants
Collective Bargaining
Binding Arbitration
Healthcare & Retirement Benefits of Public Servants

Voting yes on the ballot would open a Pandora’s Box and throw the State into a financial crisis and a legislative nightmare.

Governor Rell said that she is in favor of a limited Constitutional Convention that cannot happen. The question on the ballot is “Shall there be a constitutional convention to amend or revise the Constitution of the State?” it is either yes or no, there is no “yes with limits.” The Connecticut League of Women Voters says…
The Connecticut General Assembly prescribes how delegates are selected and the timing of the convention. All issues are on the table and open for discussion. [Their emphasis] Proposals receiving the approval of the delegates are submitted to the voters.

There will be two questions about the Constitution on the ballot, the first one is to allow 17 year olds to register to vote if their 18th birthday is before Election Day and the other question is about the Constitutional Convention. The first Constitutional question was passed by the legislature by a two thirds vote and placed on the ballot for the electorate to vote on. I believe that is the way to amend the Constitution, not by having a Constitutional Convention where it can become a shootout of special interest groups.

I urge you all to go and support the “Vote No” rally today at 1:30 on the south side of the Capital (the Capital Ave. side)

3 comments:

  1. I think that the voter initiative is being used now to deny rights instead of expanding civil rights. Yes, 13 states did pass a Women’s Suffrage, but some of those took multiply attempts before they passed. However, 16 states did not pass the Women’s Suffrage voter initiatives and in Oregon it took six attempts before it passed.
    In California, Proposition 8 is a case it point – the ballot initiative is to deny the civil rights to some of the states citizens. Here in Connecticut, there is another rally today by a conservative religious right wing organization whose stated purpose is to amend the state Constitution to take away the rights for all of it citizens to marry and to do away with “No Fault Divorce.” I am not a lawyer, but as far as I know, the only other time the state Constitution was amended to deny people rights was when it was amended to take away the rights of convicted felons.
    No, I do not want Human Rights be at the whim of the majority.

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  2. Thanks for remembering the suffragettes. Thanks to the suffragettes, women have voices and choices! Just like men.

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  3. I hope you do not mind but i Copied and Linked this blog entry you wrote because you summed up greatly everything i would like to say on the issue. I am trying to educate my friends so they know what they are voting for in this up coming election. Thank You

    Chris Jelden
    http://blog.myspace.com/chrisjelden

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