Colorado Ballot Measures
Sep. 5th, 2006 11:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mishalakA long boring essay about all the ballot measures up for a vote this year. All 14 of them. You probably wont be interested so LJ cut.
How I will be voting:
Amendment 38- No, while I think ballot measures are a good check upon government I think they are a bad way to run a government. If there is something wrong with the way our elected officals behave it needs corrected by electing new officials, reforming the election process, etc... More ballot initiatives are not the answer.
Amendment 39- Tepid Support. I like this proposal somewhat, but putting it in the state constitution annoys me. Basically it requires that 65% of school budgets be spent on teachers, books, classroom supplies, and the like. Good idea, but this might be a bad law. I might vote for it, but I may not. I certainly won't vote for the similar but more broadly drawn Referendum J.
Amendment 40- No, this is a blatant power grab by Republicans who hate impartial judges who make rulings on law and the constitution rather than the will of the popular mob. They intend to turn out most of the current Colorado Supreme Court with the hope that when it comes time to replace them it will be a right wing Republican in the governor's office who will be doing the job. Of the current seven justices five would be turned out of office by this change. The man who wrote this amendment is evil, pure and simple.
Amendment 41- Tepid support. I like strengthen the laws against lobbyist gift giving, but this amendment is a mess. There will probably be all sorts of unintended consequences from this. I will probably vote against it.
Amendment 42- No, the state constitution is no place for mininum wage requirements. If it had been a referendum I would have voted for it.
Amendment 43- No, I'm for gay civil unions (natch). Plus there is the whole putting it in the constitution issue.
Amendment 44- No, I would be for decriminalizing marijuana possession of under an ounce, despite the serious problems it causes in memory and cognition in regular users, but again I don't want it in the state constitution. It's a mess already.
Referendum E- No, I don't care that it is for disabled veterans. I voted against tax exemptions for retirees and I'll vote against this one as well. It will probably pass though.
Referendum F- No, I am unsure about changing recall procedures. So my answer is no.
Referendum G- Yes, I see nothing worth keeping in these particular obsolete provisions of the constitution.
Referendum H- No, this is a truly dumb proposal from that master of the dumb proposal, Douglass Bruce. It will have zero effect and just add one more law to the books. Basically it requires businesses to voluntarily report how many illegal aliens they hire and increases their taxes based on that. As if any of them will. Bah.
Referendum I- Yes, I like domestic partnerships. This proposal is flawed since it isn't open to straight couples as well, but I'll take what I can get.
Referendum J- No, for reasons outlined earlier, plus additional tracking requirements and such aren't a great idea for schools. Too much money is wasted measuring things when school districts ought to be cribbing off the answer sheet of successful schools in America or abroad.
Referendum K- No. Just because I'm sick of the immigration debate. It is a frivolous reason, but there it is.
Executive summery: No on everything except Referendum G & I. There are too many things on the ballot and I will not be heart broken if none of them pass. More information.
How I will be voting:
Amendment 38- No, while I think ballot measures are a good check upon government I think they are a bad way to run a government. If there is something wrong with the way our elected officals behave it needs corrected by electing new officials, reforming the election process, etc... More ballot initiatives are not the answer.
Amendment 39- Tepid Support. I like this proposal somewhat, but putting it in the state constitution annoys me. Basically it requires that 65% of school budgets be spent on teachers, books, classroom supplies, and the like. Good idea, but this might be a bad law. I might vote for it, but I may not. I certainly won't vote for the similar but more broadly drawn Referendum J.
Amendment 40- No, this is a blatant power grab by Republicans who hate impartial judges who make rulings on law and the constitution rather than the will of the popular mob. They intend to turn out most of the current Colorado Supreme Court with the hope that when it comes time to replace them it will be a right wing Republican in the governor's office who will be doing the job. Of the current seven justices five would be turned out of office by this change. The man who wrote this amendment is evil, pure and simple.
Amendment 41- Tepid support. I like strengthen the laws against lobbyist gift giving, but this amendment is a mess. There will probably be all sorts of unintended consequences from this. I will probably vote against it.
Amendment 42- No, the state constitution is no place for mininum wage requirements. If it had been a referendum I would have voted for it.
Amendment 43- No, I'm for gay civil unions (natch). Plus there is the whole putting it in the constitution issue.
Amendment 44- No, I would be for decriminalizing marijuana possession of under an ounce, despite the serious problems it causes in memory and cognition in regular users, but again I don't want it in the state constitution. It's a mess already.
Referendum E- No, I don't care that it is for disabled veterans. I voted against tax exemptions for retirees and I'll vote against this one as well. It will probably pass though.
Referendum F- No, I am unsure about changing recall procedures. So my answer is no.
Referendum G- Yes, I see nothing worth keeping in these particular obsolete provisions of the constitution.
Referendum H- No, this is a truly dumb proposal from that master of the dumb proposal, Douglass Bruce. It will have zero effect and just add one more law to the books. Basically it requires businesses to voluntarily report how many illegal aliens they hire and increases their taxes based on that. As if any of them will. Bah.
Referendum I- Yes, I like domestic partnerships. This proposal is flawed since it isn't open to straight couples as well, but I'll take what I can get.
Referendum J- No, for reasons outlined earlier, plus additional tracking requirements and such aren't a great idea for schools. Too much money is wasted measuring things when school districts ought to be cribbing off the answer sheet of successful schools in America or abroad.
Referendum K- No. Just because I'm sick of the immigration debate. It is a frivolous reason, but there it is.
Executive summery: No on everything except Referendum G & I. There are too many things on the ballot and I will not be heart broken if none of them pass. More information.