Sunday, November 02, 2008

Why I Am Voting “NO” on the Constitutional Convention Question Part 5

There was a couple of comments on my blog that began…

I'm sorry that gays have been targeted by intolerant abusers of the initiative process. But don't throw out the baby with the bathwater!

That statement reeks of “Male Power” it comes from people who have never experienced what it is like to be discriminated against. It comes from people who have never been told that “Your kind are not welcome here.” as has happened here in Connecticut just recently when a trans-woman was asked to leave a bar because she was upsetting the customers. It comes from people who have never been fired from a job because they are different.

In Montgomery County in Maryland if it wasn’t for a legal technicality there would have been a ballot initiative to repeal the gender inclusive Anti-Discrimination statue. It was an effort that was lead by a right wing Christian group that used lies and innuendos to get the recall initiative on the ballot. In California, there is are phony mailed flyers that reports that Sen. Obama is in favor of Proposition 8 that is being sent out by right wing Christian groups. We do not need that type of “Democracy” of winning by dirty politics here in Connecticut.

Also in the blog comment on my blog, he said that ballot initiatives are more democratic, but writes…

He's used his wealth to fund Dem campaigns, but also to sponsor 2 very successful ballot initiatives…

Where money determines the elections even though they are good causes, their victories were bought. We do not need that type of “Democracy” of the dollar here in Connecticut.

In Florida the courts are looking into illegal funding of the ballot initiative to band marriage equality by a right wing Christian organizations. They are being investigated for hiding contributions and under-reporting campaign expenditures. The special interest groups will use every dirty trick in the book to get amendments passed. Do we want that here in Connecticut?

In the Hartford Courant on Thursday there was an article on the convention that said that voter who are in favor of the convention want to end entrenched special interests but that is just what is happening. The article says that “In other states with citizen initiative, ballot questions can generate multimillion-dollar media campaigns.” We already have that just look at the two special interest groups fighting over our ballot question and the ads they are running on television. In Colorado $46 million from special interest groups has been spent on their ballot initiatives this year, a good part of that came from out-of-state special interest groups.

The article also had the results of a poll on the Constitutional Convention question and in the article, they said that 95 % are not aware that amendments to the constitution can be proposed by the General Assembly without holding a constitutional convention. I think that most voters do not learn what a bill is about, they do not take the time to learn about what they are being asked to vote on. In Colorado, they have 14 amendments on the ballot and the election officials handed out a 65 page booklet explaining the ballots. How many people do you think read it? We end up being educated by who can have the fanciest 30 second commercial.

Florida passed an amendment to the Constitution protecting “Pregnant Pigs.” However, they will not pass an amendment protecting sexual orientation and gender identity; in Florida, pigs have more rights then lesbians, gay and transsexuals.

We have in Connecticut amended the state Constitution 30 times without the need of a Constitutional Convention and the ballot initiative. There are two Constitutional questions on the ballot, the first is on the Constitutional Convention and the second is to amend the Constitution to allow 17 year olds to vote in the primaries if they turn 18 before the elections. Do you think that it is ironic that we are arguing over amending the Constitution so that voters can vote on changing the Constitution when that voters are voting on changing to the Constitution?

Ballot initiatives do not make good laws.

Part 4
Part 3
Part 2
Part 1

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